Security in networked worlds

State-of-the-art identity management and mobile phones as reading devices for the new German ID card

At CeBIT 2010, Bundesdruckerei presents technologies and security systems for the world of tomorrow and beyond

Berlin, 26 February 2010 - Digital applications for the new German ID card, new mobility concepts and innovative display technologies are the focus of this year's CeBIT presentation by Berlin-based Bundesdruckerei GmbH. The future is also big on the agenda this year: Visionary application scenarios show what high-security technologies can do in the field of secure identities.

Reliable proof of identity has long since been more than just a matter of forge-proof ID documents. What we are now talking about are complex systems that also warrant reliable identity protection in digital communications. "As one of the world's leading suppliers of high-security systems, we believe that one of our most important tasks is to securely connect different worlds," says Ulrich Hamann, CEO of Bundesdruckerei GmbH. In light of the rapid pace of development it was only logical that some of the applications on show are conceived for the future. Not least since the introduction of the new German ID card in November 2010 will mark the launch of a document that forms a bridge between offline and online realities.

Especially in the field of digital identity management, Bundesdruckerei will show that networked worlds demand more than just a traditional photo ID. The so-called eID service is needed in order to open a bank account online or to enter into a mobile phone contract using the new ID card. This service checks identity data and authorisation certificates and thus ensures that data can be exchanged securely between online services and their customers.

When it comes to innovation, Berlin's high-security company will present studies of future generations of state-of-the-art ID documents. This includes ultra-thin displays that are so flexible that they can be wrapped around a pencil. This display technology now marks a new milestone in protection against forgery. Data windows, for instance, working on the basis of organic LEDs (OLEDs) could one day display important information that could be updated immediately when needed - for instance visa information or once-off passwords for secure online services.

It has yet to be seen how long it will take for state-of-the-art eID documents to provide greater security in combination with mobile phones. In a joint project with Deutsche Bahn, Bundesdruckerei has already demonstrated that the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) is technologically possible. Anybody about to use a popular Call a Bike bicycle will be able to read out and transmit their document data via an NFC mobile phone. Once the customer and supplier have been mutually authenticated, the customer can use his mobile phone to rent a bicycle at one of the Call a Bike terminals with a corresponding NFC reading device. "This is an important step and one that reveals much about future possibilities and demonstrates how networked worlds can be made more convenient, efficient and, above all, more secure," explains Ulrich Hamann.

Visit Bundesdruckerei's booth in the Public Sector Parc, hall 9, booth D 80!

Information about Bundesdruckerei
Bundesdruckerei GmbH Berlin is one of the world's leading companies engaged in developing and supplying systems solutions for secure identification. In addition to full-scale passport and ID-card systems, the company provides national and international customers with ID documents, high-security cards, document verification devices, security software along with trust center services. Bundesdruckerei GmbH also produces banknotes, postage and revenue stamps as well as electronic publications. With its subsidiaries BIS Bundesdruckerei International Services GmbH, D-TRUST GmbH, Maurer Electronics GmbH and iNCO Sp. z o.o., Bundesdruckerei employs a staff of around 1,700 worldwide. The company generated revenue of EUR 314 million in the 2008 financial year. Bundesdruckerei is one of the founding members of the Fraunhofer innovation cluster "Secure Identity Berlin-Brandenburg" and also endows the "Secure Identity" chair at Freie Universität Berlin. For further details, please visit our website at www.bundesdruckerei.de.

 Contact:
Jessica Behrens
Manager Media Relations
Bundesdruckerei GmbH
Tel: +49 (0) 30 - 2598 2810
Fax: + 49 (0) 30 - 2598 2808
Mobile: + 49 (0) 175-581 85 46
E-mail: jessica.behrens@bdr.de