Inside Job

The development builds on the two company’s four-year history working together, during which INSIDE has delivered nearly 10 million chips based on its innovative PicoPass contactless chip technology for use within HID’s iCLASS 13.56 MHz contactless smart cards. HID customers are already benefiting from the technology advantages brought about by the joint effort of these two industry leaders. In line with the new agreement, HID intends to develop smart card reader products and component level solutions based on INSIDE’s PicoRead technology platform, as well as provide the PicoRead module to original equipment manufacturers, systems integrators, and application providers as part of their iCLASS development partner program. This exclusive agreement provides HID with core contactless chip and reader technology, while providing INSIDE with the advantages of HID’s market position and distribution channels in the access control market. The two companies expect to expand the agreement to also encompass INSIDE’s next generation MicroRead technology by the end of this year. INSIDE’s PicoRead technology is designed to address the fast growing demand for a high performance, low-cost RF 13.56MHz contactless interface for large scale applications where low-power and small footprint are required. Applications benefiting from this innovative product include access control for corporate campuses, government installations and hotels; as well as logical access via integration in laptops, keyboards, handheld terminals, and consumer electronic devices deploying Near Field Communications (NFC) such as PDAs and mobile phones. “Our partnership with INSIDE has contributed to HID’s iCLASS contactless smart card technology becoming the platform of choice for application developers who provide HID customers around the world with solutions that increase the value of their access control investments,” commented Denis Hébert, president, HID. “Under HID’s expanded partnership with INSIDE, our mutual objective now includes the development of the overall market for high frequency access control.” “This extension of our strategic relationship is a natural evolution in our collaboration with HID,” said Jacek Kowalski , CEO, INSIDE Contactless. “We anticipate that HID-based access control systems with PicoRead will play a pivotal role in the convergence of contactless systems in the future.”