Campus Cards, College and University Identification and Security

OMNIKEY launches next generation PC-linked 13.56 MHZ RFID smart card reader

Thursday, November 10, 2005

OMNIKEY has developed a combination contact/contactless smart card reader in one USB desktop device, providing an ideal solution for users currently using a contactless smart card for building access, as a corporate or student ID, or for transit who also want to extend the use of their card to computer access control.


OMNIKEY, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of innovative smart card readers, offers an advanced dual interface smart card reader that combines the advantages of contact and contactless smart card technology in one single USB desktop device. Thanks to the newly designed housing as well as the enhanced contactless features the CardMan 5321 is especially well suited for all upcoming contactless applications for PCs.

The CardMan 5321 provides the ideal solution for end-users who currently use a contactless smart card for building access, as a corporate or student ID, or for transit or cashless vending application and who want to extend the use of their card to logical access solutions. One card can help to experience the convenience, speed, and security of contactless technology for PC applications such as log-on to Windows, networks, websites, and applications as well as for the secure storage of user names, passwords, and personal information.

Thanks to the elegant design of the housing the end-user can conveniently present its contact less card as well as insert any contact card.

The CardMan 5321 is based on a 13.56 MHZ contact less smart card RFID interface that is compliant with ISO specifications 14443 A&B and 15693. The reader works with a variety of 13.56 MHZ contactless smart cards including Philips (MIFARE, DESFire, MIFARE ProX), Texas Instruments (TagIt), HID (iCLASS), ST Micro, Infineon, Atmel, contactless JCOP including RSA operations, and many more.

OMNIKEY’s dual interface readers for PC’s are the only ones which support not only the read / write function at various contact and contactless cards but at the same time exclusively support the read / write capability with HID’s iCLASS cards. Passwords and other data associated with the implementation of logical access for desktop applications can be stored on iCLASS cards.

The dual interface feature of the CardMan 5321 economically supports end-user environments where both contactless and contact smart card technology may be in use. By emulating standard protocols, the reader allows transparent use of contact less microprocessor smart cards within the PC/SC framework. As one of the first readers in the market the CardMan 5321 already supports the new PC/SC 2.0 specification.

By sharing the same state-of-the-art technology features of the CardMan 3121 - OMNIKEY’s contact smart card reader with USB interface - compliance with major standards such as ISO 7816, PC/SC, Microsoft WHQL, and EMV 2000 Level 1 specifications is guaranteed.

About OMNIKEY OMNIKEY, one of the world leading manufacturers of innovative smart card readers, offers the most diversified product portfolio available on the market today. Having established a tight collaboration with key decision makers in the card manufacturing and software industries, OMNIKEY sits at the table of innovation. OMNIKEY’s smart card readers for PCs can be utilized by any application including logical access control, digital signature, GSM authentication, secure banking and online transactions, loyalty programs, and healthcare solutions.

OMNIKEY, headquartered in Walluf, near Wiesbaden (Germany), is part of the ASSA ABLOY Identification Technology Group (ITG). OMNIKEY’s regional offices for North and South America reside in Irvine, California with technical support in Atlanta, Georgia. The Asian Pacific operation is located in Hong Kong. Design, production management, and quality control of OMNIKEY’s products are carried out in the company’s two R&D centers in Linz, Austria and Erfurt, Germany. OMNIKEY readers are distributed worldwide through a global network of partners, including value added resellers, system integrators, and OEMs. For further information please go to www.omnikey.com.

About ASSA ABLOY Identification Technology Group (ITG) ITG is the world’s leading supplier of RFID components, products, solutions, and services. Comprised of a dynamic group of companies including HID, Sokymat, ACG, Indala, OMNIKEY, and Interlock-printoplast, ITG innovation spans the value chain of smart card and RFID-based systems for identification and security. Applications include physical and logical access control, supply chain management, animal tagging, national ID and e-passport programs, transport, and various industrial and manufacturing applications. ITG’s Research Center in Denver, Colorado, focused on advanced research projects at the cutting edge of RFID and smart card technologies, and its SmartWorld Academy in Prague, uniquely position ITG at the forefront of the secure identification industry. ITG headquarter offices are located in Walluf, Germany and Irvine, California. For more information, visit www.aaitg.com.

ITG is part of the ASSA ABLOY Group, a Swedish corporation with about 30,000 employees and annual sales of about EUR3 billion. The ASSA ABLOY Group is the world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of locking solutions, dedicated to satisfying end-user needs for security, safety and convenience. For more information, visit www.assaabloy.com[end] 

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