Federal bodies approving contractors' wares, with little time to spare

By Marisa Torrieri, Contributing Editor

Where FIPS 201-compliant smart cards are concerned, summer’s hot and anything but lazy. The U.S. government is taking action on several fronts to help federal agencies get Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card systems in place. From giving the thumbs up to smart card parts contractors to testing contractors’ wares, all of the pieces are coming together, with Oct. 27 looming. That’s the deadline set for federal agencies to issue new, interoperable smart cards based on the FIPS 201 specification to all federal employees.