Navy Chooses Funge Systems for Wireless Platform
The Navy's Smart Card Office has chosen an open transaction platform provided by Funge Systems Inc. to develop a prototype pocket computer and a prototype personal digital assistant that use smart cards for wireless transactions.
The Navy's Smart Card Office has chosen an open transaction platform provided by Funge Systems Inc. to develop a prototype pocket computer and a prototype personal digital assistant that use smart cards for wireless transactions.
Funge Systems' platform will allow end users to carry out secure transactions on any wired or wireless device any time and from anywhere.
Transactions are initiated by a smart card that provides user identification, authentication, authorization, multiple payment functionality and the secure transmission of information.
User authentication is accomplished using the Defense Department's public-key infrastructure.
Funge Systems of McLean, Va., will work with Maximus Inc. of Reston, Va., to confirm the open and interoperable nature of their business solutions.
Together, the companies will assist the Navy in demonstrating wireless transactions on two different models of personal digital assistants and pocket PC devices, using both the Palm and Microsoft operating systems.
These wireless devices will be equipped with the Funge integrated smart card reader and software, essentially a smart card slot in the back of the device.
In addition, the prototype will demonstrate the ability to read smart cards with two different operating systems, Microsoft Windows for Smart Cards and Java 2.1.
The demonstration is to be in April or May, with the potential for additional deployments later in the year.
"The ultimate benefit of the open transaction platform to the Navy is that they will have a fully interoperable, open-sourced platform that enables the cost-effective movement of value, monetary or otherwise, in a secure, non-repudiated manner across the digital networks of today and the emerging technologies of tomorrow," said Keith Benson, chief executive officer of Funge Systems. "Our patented intellectual property regarding the use of smart cards in mobile devices provides the Navy a clear migration to pocket PCs and PDAs accessed through wireless technology."