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HID Global buys Codebench

HID Global says the acquisition will allow it to offer “field-tested solutions that speed and simplify deployment for its federal agency and contractor customers.”

“This acquisition further strengthens the Genuine HID value proposition while expanding our award-winning solutions for creating, using and managing identity,” said HID Global president and CEO Denis Hébert, in a statement. “The Codebench acquisition brings key integration capabilities while reinforcing and enhancing our mutual relationships with customers and OEM partners. Additionally, this acquisition positions us for a number of new market opportunities, including extending federal identity technology into the commercial sector, and moving our PKI strong authentication offering beyond the desktop to the door.”

Codebench will be part of HID Global’s federal identity portfolio — the company is touting Codebench’s strength in physical access control systems (PACS) as a upgrade path for its customers in accordance with U.S. Personal Identity Verification (PIV) federal guidelines for government employees and contractors. HID says the acquisition will also allow it to offer Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC) solutions and to extend PACS capabilities into HID’s identity assurance Card Management System (CMS) appliance.

“We are very pleased to join the HID Global organization,” said Codebench CEO Geri Castaldo. “Our two companies’ combined offering is unparalleled in its breadth and comprehensiveness for federal and government users as well as commercial applications that require the highest levels of security. The combination of our portfolios plus HID Global’s scale and channel strength also positions us for new market opportunities that neither company could have pursued individually in the near term.”

Codebench will become part of HID’s Global Identity Access Management (IAM) business but will continue to operate in its facility in Coconut Creek, Fla.