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

Additional government funding in access control could benefit security startups

Monday, October 22, 2007

Security startups in the areas of smart cards, biometrics, and RFID could benefit from recent reports that the U.S. government plans to spend $345 million next year in upgrading secure access to federal facilities and put more concentration on verifying identities. Spending is expected to grow 6.2% annually to about $439 million in 2012. Reports claim that the government cannot handle all the technology and services needed which should trickle down to contractors and startups. The additional money could also generate interest in government contractors to buy out security startups in those areas.

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The General Services Administration (GSA) has implemented its first cloud-based physical access system at the Neal Smith Federal Building in Des Moines, Iowa.

The GSA contracted with BridgePoint Systems to utilize its TrustAlert Physical Access Control Systems. BridgePoint partnered with EmbarkIT to install the system, which replaced the GSA’s 10-year-old legacy system. The system leverages the GSA’s Kansas City, Missouri-based WAN and remote IT infrastructure, which allows the building to shrink its carbon footprint.

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Identive Group has shipped an additional 122,000 smart card readers to support Spain’s national electronic ID card program which the government launched in 2009. More than half of Spain’s 46 million citizens now carry the ID cards.

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The U.S. Government Printing Office designed and printed an FBI special events credential that was used at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis by public safety personnel.

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GAO RFID has released a Wiegand-to-Ethernet RFID controller designed specifically for door access applications.

The network access controller, model 491018, is able to connect to any type of Wiegand reader such as magnetic stripe reader, RFID reader or fingerprint reader. It also offers a master card for adding or deleting access privileges directly from the external reader, thus acting independently without connection to a network or PC.

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Hirsch Identive announced that its Velocity Access Control and Security Management software has been tested and verified to be compliant with the IF-MAP computing standard by the international industry standards organization, Trusted Computing Group.

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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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