Acquisition supports commitment to market leadership in smart card technology

IRVINE, CA., March 15, 2007–HID Global, a leading manufacturer in the access control industry and part of ASSA ABLOY’s Global Technologies Division, announced that it has acquired Integrated Engineering (IE), the Amsterdam-based contactless smart card reader manufacturer. Integrated Engineering is known for developing high quality contactless smart card solutions including MIFARE/DESFire products and solutions for security, identification, e-Passport and e-Payment applications. As the first company to offer a PIV-compliant reader, IE’s innovative engineering capabilities, product quality and rapid time to market are well known throughout the industry.

With the addition of IE’s flexible platform of MIFARE-based readers, HID Global is now uniquely positioned to respond to the growing market need for 13.56 MHz technology products. As the adoption of contactless smart card technology for access control accelerates, corporations, universities, and government agencies are taking advantage of the opportunity to implement additional applications such as logical access, parking control, time and attendance, and biometric verification. 13.56 MHz smart card technologies have become the primary vehicle for delivering this expanded functionality.

IE’s MIFARE production platform augments HID’s market-leading, flexible, open iCLASS® product line, clearly asserting the company’s commitment to support 13.56 MHz technologies. Taken together, the company’s offerings comprise the industry’s broadest range of open standard contactless smart card products, available from over 40,000 resellers worldwide.

“We look forward to combining HID Global’s manufacturing resources with IE’s talented technical and management teams to make the company’s capabilities available to a broader base of customers worldwide,” said Steve Wagner, chief operating officer, HID Global. “Our operational competencies should enable us to lower our customer’s cost of doing business with IE.”

“By adding this leading brand in contactless smart card technology, HID Global has acted on its commitment to provide leadership in 13.56 MHz technologies, including MIFARE,” said Denis Hébert, president and CEO, HID Global.

About HID Global

HID Global is a leading manufacturer in the access control industry, serving customers worldwide with proximity and contactless smart card technologies; central station managed access controllers; secure and custom card solutions; digital identity and photo card management software solutions; and secure card issuance solutions. Headquartered in Irvine, California, HID Global operates international offices that support more than 100 countries and is an ASSA ABLOY Group company. To learn more, please visit http://www.hidcorp.com.

Media Contacts

Doug Wheaton
HID Global Corporation
(949)-598-5731
dwheaton@hidcorp.com

June Colagreco
HID Global Corporation
(949)-598-5732
media@hidcorp.com

® HID and iCLASS, are registered trademarks of HID Global Corporation. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.