A new authentication manager for Microsoft Windows will now enable any identification device to be used for login. Passlogix Inc.’s v-GO Universal Authentication Manager (v-GO UAM) is said to not only speed up user’s network access and operations, but also cut costs of the back-end authentication infrastructure by more than 85% per user. Corporate markets who used to pay $100 per user may pay as little as $15.

The v-GO UAM will accept all forms of identification including door access badges, government-issued citizen identity cards, standalone or built-in laptop biometrics, one time passwords via mobile phones, and question and answer sequences. ▸

ActivIdentity Corp., a provider of in strong authentication and credential management, announced that it has launched a PIV-Interoperable initiative to enable non-federal organizations to issue employee identity cards that are technically interoperable with U.S. government PIV systems, and issued in a manner that allows government and relying parties to trust the cards.

To address the newly defined PIV-I card standards, ActivIdentity has modified its ActivID Card Management System that is being used in conjunction with its ActivClient security software. Customers looking to deploy the ActivIdentity PIV-I credential management solution can also leverage the ActivIdentity PIV+ applet that enables PKI-based access control as well as one-time-password-based authentication on a single PIV-interoperable identity card. The ActivIdentity PIV+ applet together with the ActivID Card Management System and ActivClient are part of the government-approved product list. ▸

New Delhi is planning to launch smart ID cards next year to help the poor and illiterate receive benefits from government welfare programs, according to The Press Trust of India.

The project was conceived after the IT department of the city Government of New Delhi found that substantial welfare benefits were not reaching their intended beneficiaries. ▸

U.S. senators are planning to meet with President Obama this week to propose a new type of ID card that would use biometrics to confirm eligibility to work in the U.S., according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R- S.C.) are pushing the card that would use biometrics to confirm worker eligibility. Schumer has suggested adding biometrics to the E-Verify system last summer. Now he is suggesting using either fingerprint or palm vein biometrics with the system. ▸

Countries are deploying advanced ID technologies so citizens can access services

by Zack Martin, Editor, AVISIAN Publications

National identity cards are a fact of life for citizens of some countries but elsewhere the credentials are the focus of ire.

Citizens of countries that don’t have national IDs fear it will lead to a police state and a loss of personal freedoms. But the countries that have had them in place don’t necessarily have those problems. More and more countries are deploying national IDs and are using smart cards and other advanced technologies. In some instances the cards are also being used to drive multiple applications.

The idea of a national ID card in the U.S. has always been a non-starter. Even though many admit the Social security number and driver licenses are de facto national IDs, when there are discussions of making changes to those documents the potential evils of national ID programs rise to the surface. Some experts say this may be changing, however, as efforts are underway to better identify U.S. citizens online and within health care environments. ▸

South Africa is putting on hold indefinitely its smart card ID project, according to itweb.co.za.

Home Affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma stated that her department has run out of money after reallocating R114 million meant for the project to “other things,” ITWeb reports. ▸

After first promising its citizens biometric passports in 2008, the Canadian government has promised to move the program back into items they intend to deliver to its citizens. The announcement came during a throne speech on March 3 that discussed multiple items that had been promised to be included in the federal 2008 budget, but were cut for various reasons.

Originally, the biometric passport was tabled due to worries over implementation costs and logistics as well as questions surrounding its proposed ten year validation span. While those behind the push for bringing the project back are interested in what the technology can do to improve national security, some politicians are still questioning if biometrics are accurate enough and if privacy concerns are being considered enough in the implementation of the project.

Read the full story here.