Identive Next Generation CLOUD Readers Enhance Security and Performance for ID Credentials from Smart Cards to Smart Phones

Identive Group, Inc. announced CLOUD, its next-generation smart card reader platform that provides increased performance and enhanced security for a wide variety of ID credentials, from traditional contact-based smart cards to near field communication (NFC)-enabled mobile devices.

Identive’s new CLOUD readers was on display in the company’s booth 4K 051 during the 2012 CARTES Exhibition & Conference, which took place Nov. 6-8 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte exhibition centre.

Identive’s new CLOUD platform includes a range of state-of-the-art readers for desktop, contactless, dual interface and integrated applications. New NFC desktop and dual interface readers allow organizations to extend their traditional IT authentication environments beyond traditional contact and contactless smart cards to support NFC credentials in a range of form factors, from tags, keyfobs and wristbands to smart phones. An optional secure access module (SAM) on certain models provides secure storage and processing of sensitive ID information to enable robust authentication for logon and other access applications.

“The popularity of mobile computing devices such as smart phones and tablets is re-shaping the corporate IT environment, as more people work from home and bring their own devices to work, blurring the edges of what constitutes a network. Additionally, employees want the same convenience and flexibility in their workplace they experience as consumers, where technologies such as NFC speed everyday transactions like riding the subway or paying at the register,” said Dr. Manfred Mueller, executive vice president and COO, Identification Products for Identive.

“Identive’s new CLOUD readers provide organizations with a simple, yet powerful way to bridge their current smart card-based IT systems with emerging contactless applications such as NFC,” Dr. Mueller added. “Support for a wide variety of credential types, enhanced security and improved transaction times make our new CLOUD readers ideal for secure account logon, web and cloud-based transactions and consumer applications such as payment, loyalty programs, age verification, online shopping and more.”