Smart Card Talk

July 2008 • Volume 13 Number 7

Member News

LEGIC expands its licence partner network with PP high tech AG

Zurich, July 2008–LEGIC Identsystems Ltd, inventor and leading provider of Contactless Smart Card Technology for personal identification purposes, strengthens its partner network and signs an agreement with PP high tech AG. [ read the full release ]

Warok integrates LEGIC Technology in Psion Teklogix hand-held computers
LEGIC® Identsystems Ltd expands its partner network with Warok GmbH

Zurich, July 2008–Swiss company LEGIC Identsystems Ltd, leading developer of Contactless Smart Card Technology for personal identification purposes, is extending its partner network. With German-based Warok GmbH, the technology company gains a renowned specialist in the field of mobile computing. [ read the full release ]

New Smart Card Alliance Research: NFC-based Proximity Mobile Payments Collaboration Model Best For Rapid Industry Adoption
Adoption will happen, according to stakeholders, but may require a ‘bold first move’

PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J., July 17, 2008–Eighty-six percent of industry stakeholders believe NFC-based proximity payments will be adopted, and it will happen with a “Collaboration Model,” bringing together banks, mobile operators, merchants, handset manufacturers and other service providers, says a new research report from the Smart Card Alliance Contactless Payments Council. [ read the full release ]

VeriFone Contactless Solution Wins European Retail Solutions Award
VeriFone and Partners Share Prestigious Award for UK’s First Retail Contactless Installation at Sandwich Retailer EAT

LONDON, UK, July 17 2008–VeriFone Holdings Inc. (NYSE: PAY) today announced that its contactless payment solution was honoured at the recent European Retail Solutions Awards (ERSA) 2008.The Payment Solution Award cited the installation of the first fully-integrated contactless payment system within a UK retail environment and was jointly awarded to sandwich retailer EAT and solution providers VeriFone, Commidea and Common Sense EPoS. [ read the full release ]

LEGIC Identsystems announces Licensing Agreement with RF IDeas, Inc.
Leading Reader Solutions Provider to Develop PC Login for LEGIC’s Contactless Access Control and Security Smart Card Credentials

Chicago, IL, July 7, 2008 - LEGIC Identsystems Ltd, the worldwide developer and manufacturer of secure, contactless smart card technologies for personal identification applications, announces it has partnered with United States based RF IDeas, Inc. The leading provider of reader solutions for personal identification and access control will develop and manufacture cost efficient USB, RS-232, and Ethernet readers for a variety of off-the-door applications for LEGIC customers. [ read the full release ]

Lockheed Martin Enhances Farnborough-Based Swift Laboratory
Upgrades Focused on Nation Security, Joint Operations and Fighter Aircraft Simulators

Farnborough, Hampshire, UK, July 16, 2008–Lockheed Martin UK [NYSE: LMT] unveiled an enhanced Swift Laboratory during this year’s Farnborough Air Show. The Swift, located in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre, is an innovative and interactive research and development laboratory. Recent upgrades include new assets focused on national security, network-enable operations and fighter aircraft simulators. [ read the full release ]

U.S. Accounting Firm Virchow Krause Selects Gemalto to Protect Client Data

Austin, Texas - July 16, 2008–Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, today announced the first deployment of Protiva .NET Dual tokens at Virchow Krause & Company LLP (VK), the 15th largest accounting firm in the United States. Gemalto partner CDW, a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government and education, deployed the new strong authentication solution that combines Gemalto .NET card technology with one time password (OTP) in a single convenient USB device. [ read the full release ]

Major Health Insurance Fund Awards Contract for Electronic Healthcare Cards to Giesecke & Devrient

Munich, July 16, 2008–Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) has won a contract from the German health insurer Kaufmännische Krankenkasse (KKH) and 28 corporate health insurance funds to manufacture and supply around ten million electronic healthcare cards. The delivery scope includes optical and electronic personalization of the smart cards with individual data relating to the insured persons and their insurers. G&D will also be dispatching the new insurance cards to the insured, with roll-out scheduled to start in January 2009. [ read the full release ]

Smart Card Alliance to Address FTC Meeting on Contactless Payment

PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J., July 10, 2008–Smart Card Alliance Executive Director Randy Vanderhoof will address policy makers, industry leaders, privacy advocates and other influential individuals at an FTC “Town Hall Meeting” on the subject of contactless and mobile payment. “Pay on the Go: Consumers and Contactless Payment,” will take place on July 24, 2008 in Seattle, Washington. [ read the full release ]

Over One Million Barclays Customers Bank Online with Gemalto's Solution in the UK
Barclays observed that customer acceptance was higher than anticipated by 30%

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, July 9, 2008–Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, today announces it has surpassed the one million mark for Barclays customers using its convenient cryptographic smart card reader, called PINsentry™ by Barclays, that offers stronger authentication for online banking. Barclays Bank plc is one of the largest financial services institutions in the world. The bank started deploying its strong authentication program in July 2007 and not one PINsentry online customer has suffered fraud since then. User feedback has proven extremely positive and Barclays observed that customer acceptance was higher than anticipated by 30%. [ read the full release ]

ASK e-Passport inlays successfully pass PIRA's ICAO tests

Sophia-Antipolis, July 07, 2008–ASK announces today that the SPID inlay, product of its Identity Business Unit, has successfully passed the ICAO PIRA International tests.

PIRA’s well-known independent laboratories have built up a very broad range of chemical, physical and security testing services and in 2005 and expanded these into testing of electronic identification devices. ASK has requested third party endorsement that ePassports under test meet and exceed the durability standards defined by the latest ICAO technical reports. PIRA ran the recommended ICAO tests and added sequences beyond the minimum requirements in order to ensure optimum durability. As a result, the booklet embedding the ASK SPID inlay withstand 20,000 bending ICAO cycles without any failures. Typically, the silver antenna directly printed onto the substrate offers outstanding mechanical characteristics and adds physical security to the document. [ read the full release ]

Walt Disney Japan and JCB Announce Marketing Alliance and Co-branded Credit Card Agreements

Tokyo, Japan, July 7, 2008–The Walt Disney Company (Japan) Ltd. and JCB Co., Ltd. today announced agreements for a marketing alliance and a co-branded credit card. The marketing alliance will allow JCB to leverage Disney content in a broad range of activities to market its payments business in Japan. Under the co-branded credit card agreement, JCB will develop and launch Japan’s first Disney-branded credit card. The agreements took effect from July 1, 2008. [ read the full release ]

Contactless Mobile Payment: Five Major French Banks Use Gemalto's Secure Services for the "Payez Mobile" Program
Pegasus renews its contract with Gemalto as part of NFC mobile payment

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, July 2, 2008–Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, today announces that five banks currently use its Allynis service offer as part of the “Payez Mobile” trial for contactless mobile payment: the BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole-LCL, Crédit Mutuel-CIC, Caisse d’Epargne and La Banque Postale Groups. The Pegasus group, which consists of seven major banks and four mobile operators in France, launched the program in November 2007 with 1,000 user clients and 200 merchants in Caen and Strasbourg. The renewal of the Gemalto service contract until the end of 2008 reasserts its recognition as a trusted third party among the various parties involved in the mobile NFC ecosystem. [ read the full release ]

SCM Microsystems Breaks New Ground With New CHIPDRIVE Contactless Time Recording Solution

ISMANING, Germany, July 1, 2008–SCM Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCMM, Prime Standard: SMY), a leading provider of solutions that open the Digital World, now offers a contactless version of its popular CHIPDRIVE® time recording solution for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). [ read the full release ]

INSIDE Contactless Receives Additional Funding from Samsung Ventures America
Top Three Handset Makers Endorse INSIDE’s Leadership in Nascent NFC Market

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France, June 30th, 2008–Extending its previously announced series C funding round, INSIDE Contactless, the world leader in advanced contactless microprocessor platforms, today added Samsung Ventures America to its active investor community, which now includes the world’s top three handset manufacturers. Samsung Ventures’ participation builds upon investments from Nokia Growth Partners, Motorola Ventures and other institutional investors, providing a total of nearly $42 million (€ 28 million) to allow the company to accelerate its international presence and broaden its product portfolio. [ read the full release ]