SCM Microsystems and Bluehill ID Team Up on Contactless, RFID Technology for Identification Markets
April 28 2009 - 2:30AM
PR Newswire (US)
FREMONT, Calif., ISMANING, Germany, and ST. GALLEN, Switzerland,
April 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SCM Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq:
SCMM; Prime Standard: SMY), a leading provider of solutions that
open the Digital World, and Bluehill ID (Frankfurt Stock Exchange:
BUQ) today announced a wide-ranging technology and distribution
agreement that targets contactless smart card, RFID and NFC markets
worldwide. The partnership marks another significant step in SCM's
strategy to expand into the fast growing contactless market, and
also further extends Bluehill ID's distribution channels and
technology portfolio for identity management and electronic
security. Under this agreement, companies of the Bluehill ID Group
will distribute SCM contact smart card reader technology on an OEM
basis and SCM will have access to Bluehill ID's unique dual antenna
RFID reader technology. The two companies have also agreed to share
technology and jointly develop new hardware and software products,
and to cooperate in optimizing reader production. Among the first
projects planned will be SCM's development of new NFC readers based
on Bluehill ID modules. Bluehill ID for its part expects to bring
products to market more quickly and cost effectively by using its
technology with the SCM firmware platform, and will examine ways to
benefit from SCM's production and supply chain strengths.
Commenting on the cooperation agreement, Felix Marx, CEO of SCM
Microsystems said, "The alliance with Bluehill ID is an important
step for SCM as we transform the company into a forward-looking
business focusing on identity management and contactless and RFID
technology. We expect to grow our sales in contact smart card
readers using Bluehill ID channels, and to make faster inroads to
the NFC market by working together." Ayman Ashour, CEO of Bluehill
ID added, "SCM is the premier company in logical access solutions,
and their plans to expand further into the converged physical and
logical access control space through their acquision of Hirsch are
closely aligned with our own. This partnership with SCM will enable
us to benefit from our joint strengths in these very exciting
growth markets." Bluehill ID is an investor in SCM as well.
"Bluehill ID´s recent increase of their stake in SCM Microsystems
to above seven percent is very much welcomed by SCM and further
strengthens our partnership," said Marx. About SCM Microsystems,
Inc. SCM Microsystems is a leading provider of solutions that open
the Digital World by enabling people to conveniently access digital
content and services at home and in the marketplace. The company
develops, markets and sells the industry's broadest range of smart
card reader technology for secure authentication of individuals by
computers, networks and facilities. The company's customers include
OEMs, governments and enterprises worldwide. U.S. headquarters are
in Fremont, California; global headquarters are in Ismaning,
Germany. For additional information, visit the SCM Microsystems
website at http://www.scmmicro.com/. About Bluehill ID AG Bluehill
ID AG is an international company with headquarters in Switzerland
and listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN CH0031958629;
Symbol BUQ.F/BUQ.DE; http://www.bluehill-id.com/) Bluehill ID is
dedicated to the responsible use and development of RFID and other
automatic identification technologies in the security, national
identification, tracking and other growing applications. The
business model of the company is based on combining disciplined
acquisitive growth with strong organic growth from portfolio
companies. DATASOURCE: SCM Microsystems, Inc. CONTACT: Annika
Oelsner, +49 89 9595-5220, , or Darby Dye, +1-510-249-4883, , both
of SCM; or Fabien Nestmann of Bluehill ID, +44 783 80 43, Web Site:
http://www.scmmicro.com/
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