TCS to roll out next gen smart cards

HYDERABAD: Tata Consultancy Services, the leading IT software services and solutions major, will roll out indigenously designed next generation smart cards in the next six to eight months.

The Embedded Systems Group in the Bangalore center is working on designing the chip needed for smart cards based on cryptographic algorithms, while manufacturing would take place in Taiwan.

The eSecurity group, R&D division of TCS carries out work in several areas related to secure communication, encryption and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) technology. TCS is a licensed Certifying Authority (CA), licensed and authorized by the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA), Government of India, to issue legally valid digital certificates under the Indian Act, 2000.

TCS EVP M Vidyasagar said, “Through our Trust Network, we provide PKI Services to individuals, companies and government organizations. Further, we also licenses can be issued by Sub-CA's and Registration Authorities too.”

Talking about the smart cards, Vidyasagar said, “The present digital certificates use a third-party chip sourced from a vendor in France. But the next gen smart cards will have chips designed by us. The primary objective of eSecurity group was to take technology to the masses at an affordable cost. But the present digital certificates were expensive. But the new cards we are working on when produced in volumes, will significantly be available at lower costs besides processing the transaction in just less than 350 milli seconds.”