Security fastest growing sector at Smart Card Alliance
15 June, 2004
category: Biometrics, Contactless, Financial
Verisign, ASK, OTI, Accelitec, and 17 other companies have recently signed up with the Smart Card Alliance, but security industry companies continue to make up the fastest-growing category of new members for the multi-industry organization working to increase smart card acceptance.
PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J., June 14 /PRNewswire/ – The Smart Card Alliance today announced that 21 new members have joined the multi-industry organization working to accelerate the acceptance of smart card technology. Smart cards continue to attract influential adopters in the U.S. for identity credentials and data security and privacy.
Joining the ranks of the organization at the Leadership Council level, the highest level of membership, are VeriSign and Lockheed Martin. VeriSign’s digital certificates and managed PKI services make them a leader in network security applications and services. They bring a wealth of market experience to the Alliance in the area of e-authentication.
“The Smart Card Alliance presents a unique and effective place to exchange ideas and generate business opportunities,” said Nico Popp, CTO for VeriSign Security Services. “It blends the user community, government and technology suppliers in a way that democratizes discussions so that practical, interoperable real-world solutions can be thought out and applied. VeriSign sees tremendous value from participating in the working groups, where industry topics are discussed openly and you get the perspective of all the stakeholders.”
“VeriSign’s recent backing of the OATH open authentication industry initiative demonstrates their leadership qualities will be beneficial to the smart card industry,” said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance.
Lockheed Martin, a leading systems integrator for defense, information technology and homeland security, brings to the Alliance their considerable knowledge of large-scale integration and partnering with industry suppliers to integrate smart card technology into federal government credentialing programs. According to Vanderhoof, Mark McGovern, information assurance chief technologist with Lockheed Martin, has been a long-time and frequent contributor to the numerous publications of the Alliance Secure Personal Identification Task Force.
Security industry companies continue to make up the fastest-growing category of new members. Security solutions integrators AMAG Technology, Tyco Software House and SSP Litronic all have a large presence in the government and commercial security industry.
Card manufacturers and application developers including Giesecke & Devrient, OTI, SuperCom, CardLogix, Arthur Blank & Co. and ASK Contactless Technologies are finding demand for their expertise in contact and contactless product offerings.
End user organizations are drawn to the Alliance to establish industry contacts who can teach them how to pilot and run their own successful smart card programs. Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation and the Government of Bermuda joined the Alliance to learn first-hand about how smart card technology can be used to meet their unique needs.
An increasing number of companies with international roots are seeking to establish a presence in the U.S. and have become members in the last year. Among them are AOS-Hagenuk (Netherlands), OTI and SuperCom (Israel) and ASK (France).
Other new entrants into the smart card industry are suppliers of hardware, software and integration services, such as Accelitec, Alacris, Pace Integration, Intersecting Technologies, EPI, CNB-E-Lysium Systems and Smart Systems Co.
New Alliance Member Profiles:
--Accelitec, Inc., www.accelitec.com, develops contactless payment programs for the retail industry.
--Alacris develops certificate management and identity assurance software products.
--AMAG Technology, Inc., www.amag.com, manufactures card and biometric access control systems.
--AOS-Hagenuk B.V., www.aos-hagenuk.com, provides Internet security appliances and smart card terminals.
--Arthur Blank & Co., Inc., www.arthurblank.com, produces custom printed plastic cards, card numbering and personalization services.
--ASK, www.ask.fr, manufactures contactless microprocessorsmart cards, paper tickets and RFID smart paper labels.
--CardLogix, www.cardlogix.com, manufactures smart cards, middleware and development software.
--CNB-E-Lysium Systems, Inc., www.e-lysium.com, a consulting organization led by Martin Fine.
--EPI, Inc., www.epiphb.com, a consulting organization led by Ronald Presson.
--Giesecke & Devrient, www.gieseckedevrient.com, supplies smart cards and system solutions.
--Government of Bermuda, www.gov.bm, represents the e-commerce department.
--Intersecting Technologies, a consulting organization led by Jeff Colandrea.
--Lockheed Martin, www.lockheedmartin.com, an international advanced technology systems integration company.
--OTI America, www.otiamerica.com, provides contactless microprocessor-based smart card solutions.
--Pace Integration Group, www.paceintegration.com, develops smart card-based credentialing solutions.
--Smart Systems Co., LLC, www.smartsystemsco.com, installs integrated transit fare collection systems.
--SSP Litronic, www.ssplitronic.com, is a global provider of digital identity management and information assurance products.
--SuperCom, Inc., www.supercomgroup.com, is a smart card systems integrator and secure ID solution provider.
--Tyco Software House, www.swhouse.com, designs integrated security management systems.
--VeriSign, Inc., www.verisign.com, delivers critical infrastructure services to secure the Internet and telecommunications networks.
--Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation, www.wpsic.com, specializes in health and benefits plans.
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.
Media Contact: Deb Montner, Montner & Associates, 203-226-9290, [email protected]