Smart Card Alliance Releases New White Paper – Contactless Technology For Secure Physical Access
01 October, 2002
category: Biometrics, Contactless, Corporate, Education
PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ – Contactless smart cardscan add higher security to everyday ID credentials that employees use to
access buildings, airports and other secure facilities, according to a new
Smart Card Alliance white paper released today. At the same time, the
technology paves the way to add new applications like network access control.
“This report is timely because of the national focus on security. There
is a lot of pent-up interest in this paper from public sector managers seeking
to better understand contactless smart card options,” said Mary Dixon,
director of the Department of Defense Access Card Office. “This paper
provides an excellent description of the types of contactless technology that
can be used and what should be considered in determining the appropriate card
technology for new physical access control systems.”
“Contactless Technology for Secure Physical Access: Technology and
Standards Choices” provides an in-depth tutorial on contactless technology in
access control. Topics include a discussion of the different types of
contactless technology, relevant standards and the advantages of contactless
smart cards for physical access. The report, written for executives and
managers, is available to both members and non-members at no charge at
http://www.smartcardalliance.org .
“Smart cards are rapidly gaining acceptance in the U.S. and Canada, with
more than 120 million cards shipped for use here since 1999,” said Randy
Vanderhoof, president and CEO of the Smart Card Alliance. “Access control
represents one of the sectors we see moving into smart cards.”
Contactless smart cards differ from traditional contact smart cards by not
requiring physical connectivity to the card reader. The card works by
bringing it close to a card reader and using radio frequencies to exchange
information. The use of contactless technologies is particularly attractive
for secure physical access, where the ID credential and reader must often work
in harsh operating conditions, with a high volume of use or with a high degree
of user convenience.
“New application possibilities, fast throughput and convenience of use are
sparking interest in contactless smart card technology for access control and
ID cards,” said Bob Donelson, senior property management specialist in the
Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management.
Alliance members from 16 organizations, both public and private, were
involved in the development of this white paper. Lead contributors included
representatives from ASSA ABLOY Identification Technology Group; Atmel; EDS;
Gemplus; IBM; MasterCard International; NTRU Cryptosystems, Inc.; Philips
Electronics; SC Solutions; SchlumbergerSema; SCM Microsystems, and Turtle
Mountain Communications.
Contributors will be available to discuss the contactless white paper at
the Alliance’s 10th Annual Conference starting October 7th in Scottsdale,
Arizona. Hundreds of smart card industry leaders will gather to discuss the
‘Catalysts for Convergence’ such as policy decisions, standards and new
infrastructure implementations that are changing how corporations and
government agencies do business. More information is available at
http://www.smartcardalliance.org .
Last week the Alliance was invited by the Biometrics Consortium to present
at their annual conference – BC2002, in Washington, DC. The panel, moderated
by Randy Vanderhoof, included executives from Atmel, Datacard Group, Gemplus,
IBM, Northrop Grumman and SchlumbergerSema, who spoke on the contents of the
Alliance’s white paper “Smart Cards and Biometrics in a Privacy-Sensitive
Secure Personal Identification System.” This report and others are available
at the Alliance Web site, including “Secure Personal Identification Systems:
Policy, Process and Technology Choices for a Privacy-Sensitive Solution” and
several case studies on the use of smart cards with digital network security.
About the Smart Card Alliance
The Smart Card Alliance is a not-for-profit, multi-industry association
working to accelerate the acceptance of smart card technology.
Through specific projects such as education programs, market research,
advocacy, industry relations and open forums, the Alliance keeps its members
connected to industry leaders and innovative thought. The Alliance is the
single industry voice for smart cards, leading industry discussion on the
impact and value of smart cards in the U.S. For more information please visit
http://www.smartcardalliance.org.