Germany¹s national provider of social security services chooses OMNIKEY CardMan® 3121 USB smart card readers

Walluf–OMNIKEY, the world-leading manufacturer of innovative smart card readers, announces that its CardMan® 3121 USB smart card readers have been chosen by ACG Identification, a leading component and technology supplier in the smart card and RFID markets, for its recently confirmed contract with Bundesversicherungsanstalt für Angestellte (BfA), Germany¹s national provider of social security services.

ACG has delivered 30,000 OMNIKEY CardMan® 3121 USB smart card readers to BfA subsidiaries throughout Germany. BfA will use the OMNIKEY CardMan® 3121 readers along with hybrid cards for PC access control and electronic signature applications.

Frank Tekampe, Sales Manager Europe of ACG comments, “The driving factors in winning this tender are based on the proven technical performance of the OMNIKEY smart card readers and the outstanding service level offered by ACG as an identification technology provider.”

The CardMan® 3121 (USB) works with all contact smart cards, is easy to install, and offers flexible mounting options. The 3121 is CCID-compliant and features a full-speed USB 2.0 interface. With CCID drivers becoming a standard feature of many operating systems, the 3121 can simply be plugged into a USB port and automatically be recognized by the system. A specially designed housing gives users the freedom to place the reader horizontally or vertically; an attachment pad enables mounting to the PC monitor. Easily add a company logo or opt for a colorized snap-on cover for a customized look!

Based on revolutionary chip technology, jointly developed with Atmel, the OMNIKEY 3121 smart card reader supports reader-to-card data transmission rates of up to 420Kbits per second, exceeding the performance of other smart card readers. Consistent with OMNIKEY¹s tradition of offering robust, technically superior firmware and driver support, the 3121 guarantees the highest level of interoperability available on the market.

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 OMNIKEY OMNIKEY, the world leading manufacturer of innovative smart card readers, offers the most diversified product portfolio available on the market today. Having established a tight collaboration with key decision makers in the card manufacturing and software industries, OMNIKEY sits at the table of innovation. OMNIKEY¹s smart card readers for PCs can be utilized by any application including logical access control, digital signature, GSM authentication, secure banking and online transactions, loyalty programs, and healthcare solutions. OMNIKEY, headquartered in Walluf, near Wiesbaden (Germany), is part of the ASSA ABLOY Identification Technology Group (ITG). OMNIKEY´s North American headquarters reside in Irvine, California with technical support in Atlanta, Georgia. Design, production management, and quality control of OMNIKEY¹s products are carried out in the company¹s two R&D centers in Linz, Austria and Erfurt, Germany. OMNIKEY readers are distributed worldwide through a global network of partners, including value added resellers, system integrators, and OEMs.

About ASSA ABLOY Identification Technology Group ASSA ABLOY ITG is focused on current and emerging identification solutions within the radio frequency identification (RFID) and smart card markets. With headquarters in Irvine, CA, ITG employs approximately 770 people worldwide. In addition to a Research and Development Center, ITG consists of the companies HID, Indala, CTS, Interlock, Cubit, BUGA, Sokymat, OMNIKEY, Access ID, ACG Identification, ITG Europe, Middle East, and Africa, ITG Asia Pacific, and ITG Latin America. ASSA ABLOY ITG is part of the ASSA ABLOY Group, the world¹s leading manufacturer and supplier of locking solutions.