Winning Trust in Government Security Solutions: ABI Ranks Gemalto Top in Smart Cards

Last updated: 28 August 2014

Earlier this month, ABI Research ranked Gemalto first in its “Government & Healthcare ID: Smart Card and Legacy Credentials,” the company’s latest assessment of leading suppliers for electronic government and health-care documents. Gemalto’s top ranking was based on qualitative data including:

  • 1) An innovative and comprehensive portfolio of platforms and services for governments and citizens
  • 2) Advanced production capabilities and service delivery
  • 3) Best list of references and the company’s ability to positively impact the development the government ID market

This ranking is a responsibility we take seriously. As identity-related fraud becomes ever more persistent, ID authenticity and security are increasingly at risk, particularly in the government arena. That’s why we’re continuing to develop new technologies to stem the tide of personal data to fraudulent users.

One topic of discussion sure to continue for some time is the securing of mobile devices. Securing the mobile identity of a workforce that is increasingly on-the-go and digitally inclined demands solutions. For our government customers, the most logical choice for their BYOD policy is a Common Access Card (CAC) and/or Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Card in the Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) of a mobile phone. Pilot programs using these secure technologies are already underway.

Similarly, we continue to promote the benefits of upgrading Medicare cards with smart chip security. As we have mentioned before, Medicare fraud annually costs the system upward of $60 billion annually. Difficult-to-counterfeit, embedded chips in these cards would significantly cut down on that fraud and help seniors nationwide.

With immigration issues continuing to make headlines, it is clear that the movement of people across sovereign borders will remain a prime area of focus for identity-related activity. That is one big reason that, in recent years, the number of users of the ePassport has grown to more than 600 million worldwide. Gemalto participates in more than 20 ePassport programs globally, including ones in the United States, France, Norway, and Sweden. Just like other smart chip documents, chips in these passports significantly cut down on fraud, and we anticipate their increased adoption in coming years.

In May 2014 we were pleased to earn the Frost & Sullivan 2014 Customer Value Leadership Award for Border Control and Biometrics for our solutions and value to our customers. To meet the needs of our customers, Gemalto has also made recent advancements in document manufacturing, which involves permanently embedding high-quality color photographs directly inside documents, such as IDs, driver’s licenses or passports.

We are pleased and proud that our customers can continue to rely on us to provide best-in-class security where it is most needed. In business, as in life, trust and relationships are key — and we will never stop innovating in order to provide our customers with the solutions they need to be reliable, secure and efficient to their own citizens and employees.

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