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HID Global launches IT Channel Program

HID Global, the trusted leader in providing solutions for the delivery of secure identity, recently announced the launch of the HID Global IT Channel Program, established to facilitate identity and access management with leading third-party IT vendors focused on providing secure data access software and integrated strong authentication solutions.  Avaleris®, Imprivata® and Passlogix®, leading enterprise identity management companies, have signed as new members of the IT Channel Program, further extending their value proposition and the range of solutions offered to their customers.

The HID Global IT Channel Program centres around Crescendo™ smart cards which are enabling the development of a broader range of integrated enterprise access solutions.  Crescendo's functionality and native support for both physical and logical access provides a growing list of enterprise application vendors the ability to offer their customers fully integrated and cost-effective building and data access solutions.

These new IT-oriented vendors offer enterprise applications such as single sign-on, user provisioning, smart card based strong authentication, secure remote access (VPN), pre-boot authentication, data encryption and other key IT security-related applications.  The new IT Channel Program allows HID Global and its partners to offer a wide range of fully integrated access and identity card solutions and services.

"HID Global is strategically focused on enabling a wide range of fully integrated access solutions.  Our goal is to help leading solution providers integrate Crescendo and other HID products to allow customers to choose the solutions that best fit their needs," said Mark Scaparro, vice president of Market Strategy, Access and Identity, HID Global. 

"Partnerships with leading identity management vendors like Imprivata® and Passlogix® and system integrators such as Avaleris® will strengthen our future offerings and allow users to utilize Crescendo to securely and conveniently open their doors, login to their PCs and access the data that's critical to their jobs."  

As resellers of Crescendo, these vendors join existing partner Lenel Systems International, a company with roots in physical access control software that provides integrated physical and logical access solutions.

With Crescendo and HID IT Channel Program member solutions, a single card or corporate badge can be used by employees or other authorized personnel to:

• gain access to a facility
• login to a computer and secure enterprise applications without using passwords
• access encrypted hard drives, file folders and documents
• digitally sign electronic documents and support other certificate based applications
• utilize other contactless applications such as secure print release or cashless vending

Crescendo also enables corporations to create and enforce access policies that facilitate the use of strong authentication for employee data access while eliminating the need to carry yet another token, or remember multiple passwords.  Crescendo, in combination with a single-sign on solution, conveniently strengthens enterprise user access while providing an auditable record for regulatory compliance.

Crescendo is a multi-technology smart card designed to act as an employee identification badge while providing out-of-the-box, standards-compliant support for thousands of logical access applications and physical access control systems.  A credit card-sized card includes a smart chip for logical access control and contactless technology to support a variety of physical access control technologies including HID or Indala® proximity, iCLASS®, MIFARE® and others.  Crescendo also supports Microsoft® Identity Lifecycle Manager 2007 and includes the option to utilize the Microsoft minidriver, ensuring a seamless user experience.

HID Global's Crescendo and other logical and physical access control solutions will be on display in booth 2417 at RSA Conference 2008, held April 7-11 at San Francisco's Moscone Center.