British Telecommunications (BT) today announced it is to launch a trial of smart card technology to give easy remote network access to employees working away from the office.
The trial, to be run with Microsoft, will begin in the first quarter of 2000, and involve up to 500 people. It will use Microsoft`s newly launched Windows Smart Card tool-kit. Steve Brown, BT`s head of smart cards, announced the trial to coincide with the start of the smart card industry showcase, Cartes 99, in Paris. He said: "This pilot will be the first of its kind in the UK and will allow us to examine the smart cards in operation. BT intends to be a key player in smart card systems and this trial will be an important part in the development of our smart card strategy and technology."
BT has 30 000 people who access the company`s network and intranet using laptops and PCs whilst away from the office. Currently, they use a combination of passwords and randomly generated security codes to gain access. These will be replaced with a simple PIN. Employees taking part in the trial will be issued with a card reader and smart card which will contain a cryptographic application, and BT Trustwise certificates allowing fast and secure log-on to the network.
In the future, the cards could be developed to give a broader range of applications such as access to buildings, secure electronic corporate transactions, online banking, e-cash and customer loyalty programs. Steve Brown said: "Smart cards are going to be an important tool for businesses which want to exploit e-commerce and Internet opportunities. BT will become a key player in this market by partnering with other companies to provide technology and solutions, as well as being a trusted name for customers to rely on." Simon Brown, enterprise customer unit director at Microsoft, said: "Working with BT on this project moves us towards the goal of helping people access their information anytime, anywhere and from any device."
BT is a board member of the Global Chipcard Alliance and of the recently announced Global Platform consortium. These groups aim to facilitate growth through collaboration on international standards development, marketing development and other issues that will allow the multi-application smart card industry to grow faster.
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BT has had a presence in South Africa since 1994. Today, BT has an expanding business presence in the rest of Africa. This is part of BT`s strategy of building an international network infrastructure, human resources, partnerships and alliances to enable it to deliver communications services to multinational corporations, their extended enterprises and major national organisations anywhere in the world.