Xacta wins access card deal

Xacta Corp. officials announced the company won a Defense Department contract worth up to $100 million to support the Common Access Card program.

The deal calls for Xacta to provide maintenance and support worldwide through August 2008 for DOD identification cards, according to a July 20 company statement.

Common access cards, which cost $8 each, give military personnel and contractors access to buildings and computer networks. DOD officials have issued more than 5 million cards worth about $250 million.

"We understand that the success of the Common Access Card depends on a smooth and secure production," said Richard Tracy, Xacta's chief security officer, in the statement.

The company in Ashburn, Va., started working on the program in August. Xacta officials will work with Fargo Electronics Inc. and Viisage to make the identification cards. They will use Fargo's High Definition Printing platform and Viisage's Toppan CP400 printers, the statement said.