Humboldt University Places Its Trust in IDExpert CMS
Share:
The state-of-the-art card management system from vps chosen to manage the university¹s 50,000 smart staff and student ID cards
Ettlingen, Germany (November 8, 2007)  vps ID Systeme, a leading European supplier of professional IT solutions for identity management and a member of the Digital Identification Solutions Group, announces that Humboldt University in Berlin has chosen its revolutionary web-based card management system, IDExpert CMS, to manage all of the university¹s smart ID credentials.
Today, many students and staff at Berlin's Humboldt University (HU) use smart cards as indispensable "admission tickets". These PKI-enabled smart cards give them access to the university¹s IT network, and allow them digitally sign and encrypt e-mails and documents. Access to certain rooms and permissions to use printers are also managed via the smart student card.
To ensure that this system functions smoothly and reliably, Humboldt University has chosen IDExpert CMS, the credential management system from vps. The system has been in operation at HU since March and is used to control the production of the ID cards and to manage them throughout their life cycle.
Berlin University is currently introducing smart cards for certificate-based access control to the university's services, rooms, and secure areas. Each student and staff member - potentially tens of thousands in all - can receive a smart card. It is not just the extremely high number of users that required a sophisticated and reliable system to manage the cards - including personalization, issuance and deactivation - but also the very high student turnover rate which is characteristic of all universities.
After an initial test phase, Humboldt University had chosen a card management system from Siemens, as it was compatible with the different operating systems used by the university. Moreover, Siemens also offered a dual interface card, another important criterion for HU. However, after comparing another two software packages, and following a second test phase, Humboldt University finally chose IDExpert CMS, the web-based, platform-independent card management system from vps as their ideal solution. IDExpert CMS interfaces with a wide range of systems and serves as the central information hub for all card-related applications. The system is accessed via a web browser and can thus be operated from any location. In addition, IDExpert CMS easily manages the large quantity of cards (approximately 50,000) required by HU.
Initially, the smart cards were only used for PKI functions, so the main focus was to integrate the complex card management system with Humboldt University's PKI infrastructure. IDExpert CMS was implemented for both online and offline use. The offline version is used for the production of the cards. The system retrieves the necessary information for the graphic and electronic personalization of the cards, including keys and certificates, from the Certificate Authority (CA). The information stored on the smart card is then transferred to the IDExpert CMS online system, where all card functions are managed until the card is deactivated and destroyed.
The next step in Humboldt University¹s project is to extend the functionality of the card for access control to rooms and sensitive areas.
This phase will see the encoding of the Mifare chip embedded in the card for contactless operation: IDExpert CMS is ready.
About vps
vps ID Systeme GmbH, a leading European supplier of professional IT solutions for identity management and part of the Digital Identification Solutions Group, has been providing cutting-edge card personalization and management software solutions since 1992. With IDExpert CMS, its web-based, open-architecture card management application, vps is driving the industry towards next-generation identity management systems. The company caters for all market requirements with solutions ranging from compact systems for small quantities of photo IDs to enterprise-level solutions for large numbers of chip-based multi-functional cards. Applications range from access control and electronic ticketing, to ePassports, national IDs, and health cards. Based in Ettlingen, Germany, vps serves its worldwide client-base through its partner network. You can find more information on our website www.vps.de.
For further information, please contact:
Karlheinz Bold
vps ID Systeme GmbH
Carl-Zeiss-Str. 2
D-76275 Ettlingen  Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 7243 54880
Fax: +49 (0) 7243 548811
Web: www.vps.de
Media contact:
Pier Costa
Wise Media S.p.A.
Via Lepetit 4
20124 Milano  Italy
Tel: +39 02 8903 4112
Fax: +39 02 6738 8322
pier.costa@wisemedia.com
