The integrated smart card reader solution is designed to comply with the US government's stringent Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201 requirements.

In light of an increasing need for secure access to key national facilities, the Saflink SureAccess reader can strengthen security for both seaports and airports, and can be integrated with many existing physical access control systems. It is designed to comply with the HSPD-12/FIPS 201 directive which will provide interoperable credentials for all federal employees and contractors.

Saflink turned to Gemplus to provide the technology for reading the contactless ID cards carried by authorized personnel in secure facilities. GemProx is a range of contactless interfaces which are already in use for a range of applications including access control, transport, payment and border control.

"We needed a proven reader that could be easily integrated into our SureAccess product" commented, Glenn Argenbright, CEO, Saflink. "Gemplus's reader technology expertise along with their experience in the US federal space, were deciding factors".

SureAccess is the first in a family of products designed to meet the strict requirements of the National Institute of Standards and Technologies' (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201, also known as Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of federal employees and contractors.

"Gemplus sees a great future for secure ID products in the US" commented Jeff Ross, VP & GM ID & Security Gemplus Corp "and by making our products as easy as possible to integrate, companies like Saflink can take advantage of them for new applications in even the most demanding environments".