A personal smartcard reader that can be worn around the user's neck
as a corporate badge or attached to a belt has been launched by SCM
Microsystems, writes Eric Doyle.
The E-25 takes advantage of smartcards that can offer several
applications embedded on a single card. The wireless reader is only
slightly bigger than a smartcard and features a keyboard for entry
of Pin codes and an LCD screen to display data read from the card.
It also has a transmitter to beam data to a server.
One application would be for bill payments to be beamed from tables
to till points in restaurants. The wireless facility could also be
used to automatically open electronically locked doors.
For more conventional smartcard applications, the E-25 can be
attached to a PC via USB or RS-232 ports for network access.
Mladen Filipan, executive vice-president of PC security at SCM,
said, "This one device will literally permit secure access to any
service, from anywhere in the world. For instance, whether at home
or when travelling, users can securely access bank accounts or
sensitive corporate data on the Internet by plugging the E-25 into
the USB port of any PC."