BELLEVUE, Wash. - Saflink Corporation, a leading provider of solutions for secure access, identity assurance and productivity, today announced the opening of a PIV evaluation lab in its Reston, Virginia, office to showcase a Physical Access Control (PAC) solution. The lab will feature a new Saflink all-weather, smart card and biometric reader designed for compliance with the National Institute of Standards and Technologies' (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201, also known as Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors. The Saflink reader is the first solution in the company's new PIV compliant product line. The evaluation lab utilizes the P2000 Security Management System from Johnson Controls, Inc. (NYSE:JCI) , in conjunction with the Saflink reader, to demonstrate a complete end-to-end PAC solution.
"Government entities and government-facing commercial organizations are keenly aware of the need to meet the strict security requirements of FIPS 201," said Steve Thompson, Director of Marketing for Fire and Security, Johnson Controls. "Saflink's reader and its seamless integration with our P2000 Security Management System will enable organizations to achieve compliance and prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to secure sites. Due to the growing demand for this type of PIV compliant security, we too are creating a showcase to demonstrate the technology in the Johnson Controls Gaithersburg, Maryland, office."
As a result of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), government organizations are required to adopt new processes for verifying the identity of employees and contractors as well as controlling access to secure facilities and information systems. In response to the strict requirements set forth by the federal government, Saflink has developed a smart card and biometric reader designed specifically to bring federal facilities into compliance with PIV requirements. The Saflink reader and a security management system, such as the Johnson Controls P2000, adds the required assurance of the cardholder's identity.
"Verifying someone's identity at physical access points within the federal government is a critical initiative," said Glenn Argenbright, CEO of Saflink. "Saflink's new FIPS 201 evaluation lab demonstrates our leadership in developing solutions that allow government organizations to increase physical access security. The lab further illustrates Saflink's ability to take concepts -- like PIV -- and make them easily deployable."
The technology is based on the contactless smart card and biometric reader platform previously deployed by Saflink for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program. The deployment tested a uniform biometrically enabled access control credential for transportation workers. The State of Florida is utilizing this platform to control physical access to the state's deepwater seaports as part of the Florida Seaport Gate Control System.
