HID Expands iClass Product Family with New Readers

Jan. 18, 2005
New iClass readers are GSC-compliant to meet government interoperability standards

HID, a leading manufacturer of contactless access control cards and readers for the security industry, has announced additions to their iCLASS product family that comply with the United States Government Smart Card Interoperability Specifications; (GSC-IS) and the low and medium assurance profiles of the Technical Implementation Guidance Specification.

The new iCLASS GSC-compliant readers are designed specifically for U.S. government agencies and contractors adopting contactless smart card technology to meet government standard communication protocols established to create an open system environment that allow all compliant cards and readers to communicate with existing and new access control systems from virtually any manufacturer. A key feature is the readers' ability to output Federal Agency Smart Credential Numbers (FASC-N), the primary identification string to be used on all U.S. government-issued credentials, in multiple Wiegand output configurations.

Now available in HID's popular iCLASS reader models R10, R30, R40, and RK40 reader with keypad configurations. In addition to reading a government compliant card, these versatile new readers also simultaneously read HID standard iCLASS technology cards. This allows for an easier transition for existing iCLASS installations to become fully government compliant in the future without the need to reinstall card readers or replace cards.

"This extension of the iCLASS product line is representative of HID's long-standing commitment to the U.S. government market. We have a well-earned reputation for providing HID customers with a clear migration path for adopting the latest technologies while meeting challenging new industry standards, specifications, and guidelines," said Eric Widlitz, HID's manager for Government Technology and Applications. "Our team has extensive industry experience providing access control to OEMs and integrators with the ability to integrate next generation technology readers while maintaining backward compatibility with existing systems."

HID's new iCLASS GSC-compliant readers are available now.