OTI Receives GSA Contract Award

These products have also been certified as meeting the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) mandated for Federal government homeland security programs. OTIs SmartID offers a secure and flexible platform to carry and verify credentials as ID, e-Passport and national card programs. The SmartID can be utilized for access control to highly sensitive areas, serve as a registered traveler program, and more. The GSA contract enables U.S. Federal agencies, as well as state and local government agencies to purchase OTIs products and related services quickly and easily. In addition, OTIs HERCULES Operating System has successfully passed the FIPS certification process that requires vendors to submit their technologies to one of several independent U.S. laboratories that have been officially approved by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for a series of tests. OTI received notification that its contactless smart card solution for homeland security and related government security needs has passed the required tests for FIPS certification and has been validated as conforming to the Triple Data Encryption Algorithm (TDEA, a.k.a. Triple DES), as specified in Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 46- 3, Data Encryption Standard (DES). The FIPS Publication Series of the NIST is the official series of publications relating to standards and guidelines adopted and promulgated under the provisions of Section 5131 of the Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-106), and the Computer Security Act of 1987 (Public Law 100-235). These mandates have given the Secretary of Commerce and the NIST important responsibilities for improving the utilization and management of computer and related telecommunications systems in the Federal government. The NIST, through its Information Technology Laboratory, provides leadership, technical guidance, and coordination of government efforts in the development of standards and guidelines in these areas.