By the end of 2005, about 200,000 Maestro debit cards with digital signature capabilities are expected to be activated and used. This number is predicted to grow to 800,000 cards by the end of 2007. The digital signature on the new Maestro card must be activated by means of a smart card reader that is connected to the Internet through a PC. In order to build the corresponding infrastructure for the cards, the Austrian Ministry of Finance and Europay Austria are subsidizing deployment of the first 200,000 smart card readers, which will be available through select distributors throughout Austria. In addition to conventional debit card capabilities, the new Austrian Maestro cards also support e-government applications to enable legally binding transactions and digital signatures for e-commerce and e-banking. The goal of the e-government initiative is to provide easier access to government services, to improve service by reducing handling times and to increase the number of electronic commerce and secure transactions over the Internet. SCM Microsystems is providing its SPR532 PIN-pad reader for the program. The reader is compliant with all relevant industry standards as well as the strict rules of the Austrian signature law. To accommodate home users, the reader comes with a dual interface cable that allows either USB or RS232 (serial interface) connections. The reader offers long-term usability, as upgrades to support new applications can be downloaded from the Internet.
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