DOD buys 800,000 smart cards

The Defense Department has ordered 800,000 Common Access Cards from EDS, its prime smart card contractor.

An Amsterdam, Netherlands-based company called Axalto makes the cards. The order is an affirmation for the company, which supplies smart cards and point-of-sale terminals to customers in a variety of markets. DOD officials use the cards to provide identity verification for access to buildings and for log-on access to computers and networks.

EDS has provided the department with more than 4 million cards over the life of DOD's smart card program, said EDS spokesman Kevin Clarke.

"The Department of Defense has taken a leadership role in leveraging the benefits of smart cards," said Paul Beverly, president of Axalto Americas. "This additional order for 800,000 Axalto smart cards is further testimony to their commitment to high-quality standards, as well as to the strong level of trust they place in our company."