a.trust Relies on SCM Microsystems Smart Card Readers
SCM Supplies Readers for Digital Signature/e-Government Applications on Austrian Maestro Debit Cards
Fremont, Calif., April 11, 2005 – SCM Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCMM, Prime Standard: SMY) a leading provider of solutions that open the Digital World, today announced that it has been named as a selected partner of a.trust, an accredited trust center in Austria that issues smart card-based certificates for secure electronic data transactions. SCM will supply a.trust with smart card readers that enable the use of digital signatures on the new Maestro® debit card, currently being rolled out in Austria.
By the end of 2005, about 200,000 Maestro debit cards with digital signature capabilities are expected to be activated and used. This number is predicted to grow to 800,000 cards by the end of 2007. The digital signature on the new Maestro card must be activated by means of a smart card reader that is connected to the Internet through a PC. In order to build the corresponding infrastructure for the cards, the Austrian Ministry of Finance and Europay Austria are subsidizing deployment of the first 200,000 smart card readers, which will be available through select distributors throughout Austria.
a.trust, which also is providing its digital signature application “a.sign premium” for the Maestro card, is responsible for selecting reader suppliers for the Maestro debit card program. “We chose SCM Microsystems as a partner because their smart card readers are very efficient and powerful and in particular are perfectly suited for home banking and digital signature applications,” said Ing. Johann W. Summerauer, Customer Care Management at a.trust. “The devices ensure the highest level of security and through their flash-memory technology allow field-upgrades for evolving smart card applications.”
In addition to conventional debit card capabilities, the new Austrian Maestro cards also support e-government applications to enable legally binding transactions and digital signatures for e-commerce and e-banking. The goal of the e-government initiative is to provide easier access to government services, to improve service by reducing handling times and to increase the number of electronic commerce and secure transactions over the Internet.
SCM Microsystems is providing its SPR532 PIN-pad reader for the program. The reader is compliant with all relevant industry standards as well as the strict rules of the Austrian signature law. To accommodate home users, the reader comes with a dual interface cable that allows either USB or RS232 (serial interface) connections. The reader offers long-term usability, as upgrades to support new applications can be downloaded from the Internet.
About A-Trust
a.trust was founded in February 2000 by a consortium of Austrian banks, chambers of commerce and industry as an accredited Trust Center in Austria, issuing smart card-based qualified certificates for Austrian citizens. a.trust's product range comprises user certificates, developer certificates and corporate certificates as well as consultation services and support, with the development of e-commerce and signature applications in accordance with the Directive 1999/93/EC. To date, a.trust is the only company to offer a smart card that supports e-government applications, for which, in 2003, a.trust received an award from the Austrian Federal Government.
About SCM Microsystems
SCM Microsystems is a leading supplier of solutions that open the Digital World by enabling people to securely access digital content and services. The company develops, markets and sells its smart card reader technology for network and physical access and conditional access modules for secure digital TV decryption to OEM customers in the government, financial, enterprise and broadcasting markets worldwide. Global headquarters are in Fremont, California, with European headquarters in Ismaning, Germany. For additional information, visit the SCM Microsystems web site at www.scmmicro.com.
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