U.S. Accounting Firm Virchow Krause Selects Gemalto to Protect Client Data

Business Wire, July 16, 2008

AUSTIN, Texas -- Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, today announced the first deployment of Protiva .NET Dual tokens at Virchow Krause & Company LLP (VK), the 15th largest accounting firm in the United States. Gemalto partner CDW, a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government and education, deployed the new strong authentication solution that combines Gemalto .NET card technology with one time password (OTP) in a single convenient USB device.

VK's senior management has made information security a high priority. The firm's employees work daily with highly confidential client information involving accounting and financial reporting as well as information on mergers, acquisitions and private investment banking. VK has completed its testing phase and plans to issue the device to its employees, including its many Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) and consultants, during the summer of 2008. After a 30-day grace period employees will not be able to log onto PCs or networks using passwords.

"At VK we want to be leaders in securing our clients' information, and in today's world passwords are simply not secure enough," said Matt Jennings, senior manager for VK's Information Technology Group. Jennings and his team did extensive research looking for a solution that balanced strong security and convenience for users. "One reason we selected the Gemalto solution is that it is actually more convenient for our users because it completely eliminates complicated passwords. Now all they have to do is remember their PIN to unlock the device, and it provides strong two-factor security for them. Another advantage is the built in one time password (OTP) capability. Since our associates travel frequently, the OTP feature is useful in situations like airport Internet kiosks where you cannot use a USB device," he said.

An important consideration was the close integration between Gemalto and Microsoft technologies. "We're a Microsoft shop and the fact that the Protiva .NET Dual token works with Microsoft's Windows Vista and XP platforms without any third party middleware is a really big advantage for us," said Jennings. "Plus, the fact that Microsoft uses Gemalto .NET smart card technology internally gave us a lot of additional confidence in the solution."

When inserted in a USB connector, the Protiva .NET Dual token provides the highest levels of security that smart card technology can provide, delivering strong two-factor authentication, email encryption and digital signature based on PKI certificates. When the device cannot be connected, pushing a button causes a one-time password to be displayed that can be entered through the keyboard.

"This implementation proves VK management takes information security very seriously--they are making a strong statement that there cannot be any compromise when sensitive client data is at risk," said Francois Lasnier, vice president and general manager, security, for Gemalto North America. "They make good use of the highly secure and easy to deploy solutions that exist today, thanks to the effort we've made with Microsoft to build support for our digital security technology into Windows desktop and server software."

About Gemalto

Gemalto (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO) is the leader in digital security with pro forma 2007 annual revenues of over [euro]1.6 billion, more than 85 offices in 40 countries and about 10,000 employees including 1,300 R&D engineers. In a world where the digital revolution is increasingly transforming our lives, Gemalto's solutions are designed to make personal digital interactions more convenient, secure and enjoyable.

Gemalto provides end-to-end digital security solutions, from the development of software applications through design and production of secure personal devices such as smart cards, SIMs, e-passports and tokens to the deployment of managed services for its customers. More than a billion people worldwide use the company's products and services for telecommunications, financial services, e-government, identity management, multimedia content, digital rights management, IT security, mass transit and many other applications.

As the use of Gemalto's software and secure devices increases with the number of people interacting in the digital and wireless world, the company is poised to thrive over the coming years. For more information, please visit www.gemalto.com.