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TMCNet: Government Agencies Leverage ActivIdentity Card Management System at Emergency Response Demo

[August 31, 2007]

Government Agencies Leverage ActivIdentity Card Management System at Emergency Response Demo

(Wireless News Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)
ActivIdentity, a provider of digital identity assurance, said that it
has collaborated with Probaris and other key system partners to provide
First Responder Authentication Credential (FRAC) identification cards
for the Summer Breeze disaster preparedness demonstration.

Co-hosted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Office of National Capital Region
Coordination (NCRC) and Department of Defense (DoD) Pentagon Force
Protection Agency (PFPA), Summer Breeze validated the capability of
first responders from multiple jurisdictions to be rapidly
authenticated, electronically, for both identity and the emergency
support function (ESF) category as defined in the National Response
Plan (NRP).

The demonstration validated the ability to remove obstacles associated
with ad hoc credentialing processes, including those experienced by
emergency response personnel supporting the Pentagon during the
September 11 terrorist attacks or the Hurricane Katrina aftermath.
Summer Breeze serves as a significant milestone, which, going forward
will provide first responders with a streamlined approach to accessing
disaster sites.

FRAC leverages standards in technology and process to simplify
validation for emergency response officials using public-key
infrastructure (PKI) technology and handheld devices. ActivIdentity
ActivID Card Management System (CMS), coupled with products and
services from Probaris and other key system partners, are an integral
part of the credentialing process.

"During a natural disaster, every second counts. Delays associated with
authenticating first responders' identities and associated
qualifications can cost lives," said Craig Wilson, the first responder
partnership coordinator with FEMA NCRC. "Protecting our nation is
always our top priority. Our work with federal, non-federal, and
industry partners underscores our commitment to ensuring that our
nation's emergency personnel have immediate access to a crisis
situation, while maintaining the highest levels of security."

ActivIdentity's involvement in Summer Breeze is just one example of the
company's contributions to government-identity assurance initiatives.
ActivIdentity systems are used in the world's largest smart-card
deployment with the DoD and have also been chosen by government and law
enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom.

"ActivIdentity's participation in events such as Summer Breeze
demonstrates the company's increasing penetration in the government
market," said Jason Hart, CEO of ActivIdentity. "First responders have
consistently struggled with gaining access to disaster sites, a problem
that is driven by interoperability and credential-validation issues. By
aligning with Probaris and other key system partners, ActivIdentity is
delivering a complete authentication system designed to prevent
unauthorized access to crisis situations, while streamlining entry for
legitimate emergency contacts. In addition to the Summer Breeze
demonstration, the company has been actively involved in several
state-lead FRAC pilot projects. We look forward to continuing these
efforts with first responders nationwide."

The Summer Breeze FRAC authentication system integrated products and
services from ActivIdentity, Probaris and other key system partners to
manage and facilitate issuance of secure credentials to approximately
eighty participants of the Summer Breeze demonstration which was held
at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall in
Washington, DC, on Thursday, July 19. The ActivIdentity ActivID CMS,
which enables issuance and secure post-issuance life cycle management
of cards, was used to issue the FRAC identification cards, while the
Probaris ID solution verified the participants' identity documents and
collected fingerprints and a facial image.

"We embarked on this government credentialing project with the goal of
creating a solution backed by partners with a proven expertise in
satisfying the stringent requirements of the federal market, making
ActivIdentity an ideal choice to satisfy our card-management needs,"
said Jim Bensman, CEO of Probaris. "The company has a strong expertise
in servicing government projects, as demonstrated through the millions
of cards it has successfully deployed through its work with the
Department of Defense and other federal and state agencies."

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

((Distributed on behalf of 10Meters via M2 Communications Ltd -
http://www.m2.com))
((10Meters - http://www.10meters.com))

Copyright 2007 Wireless News

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