The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs awarded a $6.1 million contract to Verizon Business for PIV cards that comply with HSPD-12. The contract includes a one-year term and two optional extensions.
The VA is expecting to issue about 500,000 cards. Verizon Business will host and manage the Veterans Affairs credential solutions in a secure Verizon Business data center that is supported 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with services backed up by redundant systems.
Veterans Affairs had a smart card project underway prior to HSPD-12 and had worked with Verizon Business, previously Cybertrust, on that project, says Tom Greco, director of identity and access management services at Verizon Business Security Solutions. The VA has approximately 5,000 cards issued and is working to deploy around 250 enrollment stations.
Verizon Business entered the identity business through the Cybertrust acquisition last July. Working with different partners, the company supports deployments at a number of federal agencies. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/contactlessnews-4.gif)
