HID Global

Products

The company sells physical access control products, logical access control solutions, and secure issuance solutions that comprise cards, readers, smart card readers (OMNIKEY), networked access solutions, card printer/encoders (FARGO) and software. Its other business segment includes virtualization technology, cashless payment, government ID, RFID for industry and logistics and Animal ID solutions and professional services.

HID manufactures and licenses several types of technologies, from Wiegand products to 13.56 MHz iCLASS, MIFARE, and DESFire, as well as the 125 kHz Indala and Prox cards. Migration readers from various 125 kHz Prox technologies to 13.56 MHz iCLASS were introduced in 2007.

Notable Customers

• HID Global supplies its readers and credentials for access control to Banco do Nordeste of Brasil, Employers Mutual Casualty Company
• HID Global provides network access control to the China Pacific Insurance Co. and Jinwan District People’s Procuratorate located in Sihucheng District, Zhuhai city.
• HID Global supplied card customization products and services to Amway India and Action Ambulance Service.

Partners

HID Global serves a variety of partner such as OEMs, system integrators, application developers and channel partners in domestic and international markets. Some OEM partners include Siemens, Honeywell, Lenel (UTC Fire & Security), and Tyco. The company also partners with computer manufacturers to create new products. HID worked with Dell to develop HID on the Desktop, a three-component PC logon solution that won the 2009 Smart Card Alliance Award for Outstanding Technology. HID later partnered with Panasonic to integrate an HID Global RFID module into Panasonic's Personal Identification Mini Dock to support reading biometric passports.

HID Global also worked with Inside Secure (formally known as Inside Contactless) and US Bank to supply HID iCLASS contactless smart card technology in the US Bank PayID card program that was the 2010 Paybefore Award Winner for Best Innovative Program. The PayID card program uses an all-purpose card to provide contactless physical access to U.S. Bank facilities, along with contactless payment and traditional magnetic stripe cards for purchases made by U.S. Bank employees.

Manufacturing

The company is based in Austin, Texas with other production facilities in Asia and Europe. Some of these facilities are located in Hong Kong, China and Galway, Ireland. It also has research and development centers in Cardiff, UK, Denver, Colorado as well as Fremont and Mountain View in Northern California. The company also has a design facility in Chennai, India.

Customers

End-users of HID products primarily include government, financial, corporate, education and healthcare markets.

History

Originally formed to develop radio frequency identification technologies, HID Global was formed in 1991 as Hughes Identification Devices, a subsidiary of Hughes Aircraft Company with offices in California and Scotland. The original 125-kilohertz proximity technology had been pioneered by Destron IDI, Boulder, Colorado and used in many applications including Animal Identification, Tyre tracking and in motor vehicle and aircraft industries to track parts, and the company’s founders thought there would be markets interested in using this technology for other purposes.

In 1994 the office in Scotland was closed and the European business passed to a UK based independent distributor, ID Plus Ltd who were later acquired by HID Corporation Ltd in August 1999.

In October 1995, Hughes management, with help from Citibank Venture Capital, combined its military communications and display products groups with its AML Wireless Systems organization and Hughes Identification Devices (HID) to form Palomar Technologies Corporation. It was at that point that the decision was made to focus efforts on RFID for physical access control, and five years later, the company was acquired by the world's largest lock-maker, Swedish conglomerate ASSA ABLOY AB.

Hughes Identification Devices, Division of Hughes Aircraft

Hughes Identification, which began as a division of Hughes Electronics Corp., made the cards and card readers many businesses and government agencies use to limit access to their offices. Its clients included Motorola, International Business Machines Corp. and numerous colleges. As part of Palomar Technologies, Hughes Identification enjoyed swift growth as the private sector became increasingly concerned about security. It was acquired by ASSA ABLOY in January 2001 for about $250 million in cash, adding the Irvine company's electronic systems to its more old-fashioned product line.

ASSA ABLOY

ASSA ABLOY is the largest global supplier of intelligent locks and security solutions. Its products account for more than one in ten of all lock and security installations worldwide. Since its formation in 1994, ASSA ABLOY has grown from a regional company into an international group with around 43,000 employees, sales of about SEK 47 billion and own operations in over 70 countries.

ASSA ABLOY is represented on both mature and emerging markets worldwide, with leading positions in much of Europe, North America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. ASSA ABLOY is divided into three regional and two global divisions. The regional divisions, Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific, manufacture and sell mechanical and electromechanical locks, digital door locks, cylinders and security doors adapted to the local market’s standards and security requirements. The global divisions, Global Technologies and Entrance Systems, manufacture and sell electronic access control, identification products and entrance automation on the global market.