Palm unveils Bluetooth Common Access Card solution

Palm demonstrated a new Bluetooth Common Access Card (CAC) solution to more than 450 Army IT decision-makers from around the world. Compatible with Windows Mobile 5.0-based Palm Treo smartphones, the wireless CAC solution combines Palm’s best-in-class mobility with hardware and software from industry-leading Biometric Associates, Inc. (BAI) and Trust Digital.

Designed to help ensure that secure mobile computing meets government IT requirements for data security, the solution integrates the baiMobile Bluetooth smartcard reader with baiMobile smartcard-enabling middleware, allowing personnel to use Treo smartphones to digitally sign and/or encrypt email messages and log on to secure websites. Trust Digital’s smartphone security and management solution protects data and centralizes device management.

The solution integrates hardware and software, including the following:

” A Palm Treo smartphone running Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 with Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP), including Direct Push Technology.
” The baiMobile wireless smartcard reader and integrated CAC middleware connects to the Treo smartphone or a desktop computer. The reader also functions as a badge holder with the printed identification features of the card exposed for visual inspection.
” Trust Digital’s smartphone security and management software provides on-device security and visual identification of smartphones as they access a network, and requires all devices to authenticate, register and pass policy-based compliance verification before gaining network access via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync. It also eliminates risks associated with accidental or malicious data disclosure using FIPS 140-2 validated encryption.