LUXEMBOURG and ARLINGTON, Virginia, May 10 -- Gemplus International S.A., a leading provider of secure card solutions, announces the launch of its SafesITe Government solution compliant with the US federal government's FIPS 201 regulations. Gemplus' solution will enable federal agencies to meet the HSPD-12 requirements for interoperability for government employees and contractors to access federal buildings and IT networks. As set forth in the presidential directive and regulations, all federal agencies must start to issue FIPS 201 compliant identity credentials by October 26 2006.
In response to the federal government's mandates, Gemplus has evolved its SafesITe Government offering originally launched in November 2004 and successfully deployed for the Transportation Security Administration's Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) program, to make it compliant with HSPD-12 and FIPS 201. The resulting SafesITe Government FIPS 201 solution is comprised of:
- Dual-interface 72KB smart cards (FIPS 201)
- FIPS 201 applets (PIV II)
- Desktop client software (Middleware)
- Smart card readers
- Centralized personalization services
- Smart Card Management System
- Professional services
The smart card and applet (which make up the smart ID badge) as well as the client software (which provides secure access to PCs and networks) used in SafesITe Government FIPS 201 have achieved Personal Identification Verification (PIV) compliance certification from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The client software is the first of its kind to achieve this certification. This in effect places Gemplus on a short list of vendors to deliver a smart ID credential system to US federal agencies looking to comply with HSPD 12.
"The US government has strongly mandated to increase the security of its facilities and IT networks," said Ernie Berger, President Gemplus Americas. "To satisfy our customers' needs in time for the October 2006 deadline, we have released a certified, easy-to-integrate solution that agencies can quickly test and deploy."
The FIPS 201 certification confirms that the different components of Gemplus' SafesITe Government solution are interoperable with other vendors' products to ensure a seamless integration with agencies' complete physical and logical access systems. The new offering builds on Gemplus' experience as a major supplier of FIPS 140 credentials to government agencies such as US Dept. of Defense (Common Access Card), NASA, Dept. of Interior and Veterans Administration programs.
SafesITe Government FIPS 201 is now available for agencies to test and deploy.
