ACG responds to the emerging global electronic citizen identity authentication programs

Paris - ACG Identification GmbH, a leading component and technology supplier in the smart card and RFID markets, has established a new business unit that will act as a competence center supporting the security industry in deploying government driven programs in the field of personal identity authentication.

The mission of the new unit, ACG Secure ID, is to foster the understanding and implementation of advanced identification concepts applied to citizen identity authentication. Projects in this area concern the new e-passport and e-Visa, the electronic drivers license and other advanced ID documents based on smart card and RFID technology.

³The ACG Secure ID division was established as a response to the emerging requirements expressed by governments worldwide following the launch of the US Visa Waiver Program², comments Ayman S. Ashour, CEO of ACG. Rainer Rettig, the newly appointed Director of ACG Secure ID added ³Our aim is to support the security industry with different customized packages along the value chain for advanced smart card and RFID-based auto ID solutions for personal identity authentication, a field that has for so long been an almost exclusively paper-based process².

ACG¹s new business unit is able to address customer requirement in terms of hardware and software components for state-of-the-art e-passport projects: from chips, modules and inlays (ICs, packaging, OS/Biometrics, semi-manufactured products) to reader components, software and personalization issues (OEM/antenna design, Plug & Play, desktop reader, software, integration).

Offering complete support to the security industry facing the need to give an electronic dimension to the biometrics enabled credentials issued to their citizens, ACG Secure ID furthermore provides to its clients independent consultancy and training services through ACG¹s most competent microcontroller technology and ICAO specialists. Following ACG¹s corporate philosophy, ACG Secure ID shares its acquired know-how, making it available to partners, clients and in general to the entire security industry via training courses and seminars, in particular the SmartWorldAcademy and in general with its targeted consultancy services.

With ACG established as a central product information and innovation hub in the rapidly growing markets for contact and contactless smart cards, the road is paved to a broader market penetration of the innovative and empowering technologies of RFID and microcontroller smart cards.

About ACG ACG Identification is an independent component and technology supplier serving the entire value chain of smart card and RFID-based systems. Headquartered in Walluf (Germany), ACG has 18 locations throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

About ICAO ICAO is the International Civil Aviation Organization who focuses on the establishment of international standards related to air travel.