EDS delivers 10 millionth smart card to DOD
Additionally, GSA awarded the company a contract to provide more smart cards to the Defense Department.
EDS announced it has delivered the 10 millionth smart card to the Defense Department under a 5-year-old global security program that the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) manages. It is the largest federal government advanced smart card program, according to a company statement.
EDS also announced a new General Services Administration contract to provide additional smart cards to DOD with an initial delivery order for 1.25 million. Terms were not released.
The Java-based cards, known as Common Access Cards (CACs), combine identification and physical and computer access capabilities on a single computer chip. They help control access to more than 950 military facilities in the United States and 27 countries, and need-to-know entry onto DOD networks and computer systems.
“The DOD CAC is the department’s enterprise identity token that promotes interoperability, security and common business processes for computer and physical access worldwide,” DMDC Deputy Director Mary Dixon said in the statement.
As the prime integrator for the program, EDS developed the CAC with DMDC beginning in 2001, according to the statement. They work closely together to issue the cards, monitor the current database of existing cards and collect them when someone leaves the service or no longer needs to access certain facilities.
“We look forward to helping both military and civilian agencies deploy this technology and our end-to-end authentication solutions to their employees around the world and assist them in meeting HSPD-12 requirements,” said Jim Duffey, general manager of EDS’ U.S. Public Sector, in the statement.
The company is a founding member of the Federation for Identity and Cross-Credentialing Systems, an industry consortium working with DOD on secure military installation access for defense contractors.