‘Computer access as easy as building access’

ATLANTA--Here at ASIS, HID Global announced its plans to push further into the logical access control space with new products, solutions and partners-most notably Dell Inc. “Our corporate vision is to lead the industry as a trusted source for the delivery of secure identity,” said Denis Hebert, president and CEO of HID Global. “Our basic strategy is to enable our customers to realize the benefits associated with convergence.” During a press conference, Heber announced that the company’s iClass contactless smart card is a key component of security built-in to select models of Dell’s Latitude E-Family commercial laptops. Users will present an iClass card to the contactless smart card reader located in the palm rest, which will enable the computer to boot up and take the user to Windows. Hebert said this allows organizations to use a single card for both physical and logical access control. Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell, said, “IT is too complex. We need to make it simple. It is estimated that organizations spend 70 percent of their budgets on IT maintenance.” Rather than focusing on maintenance, Dell said companies should be moving its best and brightest people forward on initiatives that differentiate their businesses. Hebert said this statement is the best way to drive value for customers and “is exactly what HID is all about in the physical access control space. This extends our focus to the logical space.” This isn’t HID’s first foray into the logical access market. In 2007, it unveiled a new series of smart cards called Crescendo, which supports Microsoft’s Identity Lifecycle Manager 2007 and the Windows Smart Card Framework. Hebert said the “next logical step in converged access control” is HID on the Desktop, a set of logical access control solutions that can extend the reach of an existing physical access infrastructure. With HID on the Desktop, the same card that is used to open the door can now open Windows on the PC. An HID card or token, an Omnikey reader and Navigo software-a package that enables a company to use its existing physical access cards for two-factor authentication at the desktop-leads the way to improved security and greater convenience at the desktop, Hebert said. “This makes computer access as easy as building access,” he said. “It’s another example of how HID is aligned with Dell’s message to simplify IT.”