HID Global®, a worldwide leader in secure identity solutions, has introduced the ActivID® Tap Authentication™ platform for convenient and secure multi-factor authentication to cloud applications and web services.  HID Global’s new ActivID Tap Authentication for Microsoft enables users to simply tap their smart card to laptops, tablets, phones and other NFC-enabled devices for easy and convenient access to Office365 and other cloud apps and web-based services.  The solution uses award-winning Seos® credentials, enabling organisations to implement a consistent “tap” experience when accessing both doors and cloud apps.

“ActivID Tap Authentication is designed to improve both security and the user experience across a wide range of enterprise applications, in environments where it can require 20 or more logins each day in order to access enterprise data and services,” said Tim Phipps, vice president of product marketing, Identity Assurance with HID Global.  “As the first solution to use our authentication service, ActivID Tap Authentication for Microsoft reduces the need for complex passwords and diminishes password fatigue.  It makes it easier than ever for users to leverage a single smart card to seamlessly access data, login to cloud resources and open doors.” 

The new offering enables authentication to multiple apps and services on multiple endpoint devices without having to recall and re-type additional codes and passwords. ActivID Tap Authentication for Microsoft is tightly integrated with Windows Server 2012 R2 Active Directory Federation Services and the HID Global Authentication Cloud Service. There is no additional annual maintenance and support fee with the service, and both the client software and user licenses are bundled into a flexible subscription-based pricing model.  

“By building on Active Directory Federation Services, HID Global’s ActivID Tap Authentication service makes it easier for IT teams to manage multiple user access scenarios and passwords, eliminating the need for employees and other end users to remember, retrieve and/or track multiple passwords,” said Andrew Conway, Senior Director, Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Product Marketing.

The solution includes ActivID Tap Authentication Provider, Tap App for Android, Tap client for Windows 7, Authentication Cloud Services, HID Global’s Seos smart cards and an optional OMNIKEY® USB reader for Windows 7 endpoints without built-in NFC readers.