CDW-G Named as Preferred Reseller of Smart Card Technology to Department of Defense

The readers provide access to applications on the BlackBerry such as secure email using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) encryption technology stored on the smart cards memory chip. The Department of Defense (DoD) requires personnel to use Common Access Cards (CAC) to access all computer-related devices including wireless handheld PDAs. To utilize secure applications on the BlackBerry, users simply insert their smart card into APRIVAs reader, which attaches externally to the device, input their PIN number, then use the device as they would normally. Currently, CDW-G services approximately 9,000 DoD BlackBerry users and is the only government-authorized dealer that can provide a wireless priority service access contract through T-Mobile. The S6700 is the second in a family of smart card readers built by APRIVA that accommodates DoD needs. The first was the S5700 reader built to accommodate the RIM 857 and 957 devices and was completed at the request of the National Security Agency (NSA), of which approximately 3,000 units have been deployed. Both the S5700 and the new S6700 readers are now available through CDW-G.