Identity, Security, Payments, Biometrics, Smart Cards and Authentication News

HID Global offers "A Mullion Reasons to Upgrade" from proximity to contactless smart cards

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Fresh off an announcement about an easy upgrade from prox to multiCLASS readers that delivers the same installation footprint as the Miniprox reader, comes HID Global’s latest news about a mullion-mount access control solution designed for an easy retrofit from prox to iCLASS readers.


IRVINE, Calif.– HID Global, the trusted leader in providing solutions for the delivery of secure identity, has announced the launch of the new mullion-mounted reader; the solution is ideally suited for upgrading from the popular MiniProx to iCLASS® (R15) or multiCLASSTM (RP15) access control readers. With 100% mechanical and electrical backward compatibility, the mullion-mounted R15/RP15 iCLASS® readers make transitioning from the industry’s most widely used proximity readers, such as HID MiniProx, easier than ever.

Employing the same footprint, power requirements and ease of installation as the pervasive MiniProx reader, R15/RP15 mullion-mounted reader customers can easily transition to the power, versatility and enhanced security of iCLASS with a simple installation change. Unlike 125 kHz readers with limited formats and flexibility or generic 13.56 MHz readers that rely on unencrypted serial number encoding/decoding for security, the mullion-mounted R15/RP15 readers extend the full features and high performance of HID’s award-winning iCLASS family to a new range of mullion-mount applications.

The iCLASS R15 mullion-mounted reader solution is user-friendly, delivering the convenience, affordability and reliability of proximity technology for which HID is known worldwide. With the RP15 multiCLASS reader, customers are able to transition to contactless smart cards over time while incorporating the use of multiple card technologies within a single building or across multiple facilities. Additionally, customers can transition from disparate proximity technologies to a unified contactless smart card solution from HID, a leading manufacturer in the delivery of identity solutions and access control industry.

“Customers are looking for a simplified upgrade transition from the widely used MiniProx reader to contactless smart card technology. With the additions of the R15 and RP15 to our product line, we’ve designed a form factor to address the needs of mullion-mounted readers,” said Damon Dageenakis, HID’s Product Manager, Reader Products.

The readers are scheduled for shipment in early Q4 2007. For more information about mullion-mounted iCLASS solutions, please visit www.hidcorp.com[end] 

Global Industry Analysts Inc. released a report forecasting the outlook on the global smart card market to reach 10.9 billion units by 2015.

GIA credits the growth driven largely by major initiatives in the financial, government and security sectors, with the telecom sector at the way ahead of the pack as the largest end-user. Increasing usage of contactless technology, newer applications and mandatory EMV migration across countries are also major drivers boosting the global market for smart cards.

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British Columbia is moving forward with plans to upgrade its CareCard program. According to The Vancouver Sun, the new card will provide access to a variety of regional services including electronic health records, driver license and school registration for children.

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Idesco announced that it has updated and enhanced its DESCoder software package, offering security providers and end users alike more control over their contactless access control systems.

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DigitalPersona released a new version of its Pro Enterprise authentication device. It now contains the ability to support a number of new authentication credentials, enabling organizations to mix and match the ways in which employees securely identify themselves to Microsoft Windows and other applications.

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Multicard, a unit of Identive Group that supplies credential, identity management and system integration services, has signed a contract with global consumer products company Henkel to provide a global multi-function identity credential service card to Henkel employees.

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The Ralph Carr Judicial Center in Denver, Colorado has selected AMAG Technology’s Symmetry Homeland V7 Security Management System,to provide integrated access control and security management solutions from HID Global.

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