Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas has signed a distribution agreement with Identive Group, Inc. The company said that the agreement provides its customers with access to Identive's broad range of RFID and NFC readers and embedded modules, in addition to an array of RFID/NFC passive transponders and tags. Identive's RFID and NFC products enable a range of contactless applications including access, payment, ticketing and asset tracking. Avnet said that adoption of mobile phone-based point-of-sale, ticketing, security and loyalty systems based on Near Field Communications technology is accelerating while contactless technology is proliferating in new applications from closed loop embedded RFID based systems for video gaming platforms, to medical device tracking, to anti-counterfeiting, to field maintenance management and reverse logistics. Avnet and Identive are in a position to provide complete ecosystem solutions adapted to all applicable RFID standards to both industrial and consumer customers.

Multicard a unit of Identive Group, Inc. announced an integrated smart card solution that allows schools, universities and other educational institutions to verify student identities, track and report attendance, manage access to campus services and validate students exam papers. The new student ID solution is based on the latest near field communication and MIFARE(TM) DESFire EV1 contactless card technologies, ensuring the level of security and data validation capabilities, as well as significant ease of use for administrators and students alike. Multicard's Student ID and Tracking solution allows educational institutions to interface to their existing student databases, retrieve student data and produce new student IDs based on secure contactless smart card technology. The new student IDs can be verified and logged with a quick tap to an NFC-enabled mobile device loaded with Multicard's mobile application -- a portable verification station that can be located anywhere on campus, for example outside an exam room or sporting event. These information logs can be used to collate data for ongoing education credits, to verify attendance or for other purposes. To reduce testing fraud, the student ID cards can be visually confirmed and then scanned along with NFC tags attached to exam papers to track and validate the authenticity of the exam to the identity of the student. All data captured on the local NFC verification devices can later be securely transferred to a central web server where Multicard's management software can generate administrative reports. The solution is flexible and educational institutions can select the features they want initially and add to the system over time.

Identive Group, Inc. announced the newest addition to its family of next-generation smart card readers. The new CLOUD 2700 contact reader allows secure logon to PCs and networks, authentication to web and cloud-based systems, single sign-on and secure access to banking and cashless payment applications. For government agencies and other high assurance environments, the CLOUD 2700 supports cyber security initiatives. The CLOUD 2700 is based on the company's technology reader platform, which provides increased performance, shorter transaction times and enhanced security for sensitive data. The reader is fully compliant with the ISO7816 standard so works with any contact smart card. It is CCID compliant for USB interface and works with all major PC operating systems. EMV level 1 and GSA FIPS 201 certification make the CLOUD 2700 ideal for use in financial transactions and in highly secure government environments. The CLOUD 2700 reader is offered with fixed firmware or in a highly secure field-upgradable version for investment protection. An ergonomic casing design allows multiple methods for reader and card handling.