Major Deployment at Canadian Airports Offers Physical Access Control and Biometric Authentication

IRVINE, Calif., March 23, 2004–HID, the premier manufacturer of contactless access control cards and readers for the security industry, today announced that their combination Prox and iCLASS 13.56 MHz multi-technology contactless smart cards will be deployed at major airports in Canada as part of an overall security program for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) and their Restricted Area Identification Card (RAIC) program. CATSA is responsible for program delivery, including administration, training of personnel, and the procurement and deployment of required equipment. The RAIC program encompasses the issuance and administration of a restricted area identification card system.

The role of CATSA in the deployment of the RAIC is to enable Airport Authorities to enhance the security of the restricted areas of the airport. The deployment of HID’s 200,000 multi-technology contactless smart cards will begin in March.

HID’s cards met CATSA’s stringent requirements including specific ISO compliance, the ability to accommodate multiple biometric templates in card memory, and encryption. The 13.56 MHz multi-technology contactless smart card supports existing 125 kHz proximity card readers in use, has contact chip upgradeability, and employs read and write capabilities along with an encodable magnetic stripe. For added security, HID’s CATSA cards will be manufactured with anti-counterfeiting security features. HID will also utilize a secure delivery logistics program ensuring that cards remain in a secure, locked up, and bonded environment.

“We are proud to have earned this strategic business relationship with CATSA,” said Denis Hébert, president of HID. “This reinforces HID’s interoperability vision which is of particular importance for government ID card deployment worldwide.”

About CATSA

Established as a federal Crown Corporation on April 1, 2002, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) operates on a not-for-profit basis, remaining accountable to the Minister of Transport for the delivery of consistent effective, and highly professional service at or above the standards set by federal regulations.

CATSA’s original mandate included:

• the certification of screening officers and accreditation of screening contractors;
• pre-board screening of passengers and their belongings at eighty-nine airports across the country;
• acquisition, deployment and maintenance of explosive detection equipment and conventional pre-board screening equipment at airports;
• federal contributions toward airport policing related to civil aviation security measures; and
• contracting with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for armed police officers on board aircraft

About HID Corporation

As the largest manufacturer of contactless access control readers and cards for the security industry, HID has shipped over 150 million credentials to customers worldwide. HID pioneered the development of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for physical access control. Proximity and iCLASS technologies can be housed on the same credential and combined with other technologies such as magnetic stripe, barcode, or contact smart chip modules. This provides users the ability to leverage their investment in existing systems while seamlessly upgrading to new technologies and adding new applications. For increased security, users can add a photo ID or anti-counterfeiting element such as a hologram or ultraviolet ink. HID’s experience in developing card technologies enables them to play a critical role in the evolution and adoption of contactless smart card technology used for applications such as access control, IT secure authentication, digital cash, the storage of biometric templates, and the storage and retrieval of critical information. For more information on HID, visit http://www.hidcorp.com.

HID and iCLASS are trademarks of HID Corporation. Other brands and names contained in this release are the property of their respective owners.