HID Global®, a worldwide leader in secure identity solutions, today announced that it is collaborating with Microsoft to make enhanced cloud app security as simple and convenient as tapping a smart card to a laptop, tablet, smartphone and other NFC-based mobile devices. HID Global hosted a webinar on mobile user authentication and how HID Global’s new solution, ActivID® Tap Authentication, can benefit users of Office 365 and other cloud-based applications in their daily work. The two companies will jointly host part two of the public webinar series later this year. This will build on the foundational meetings with key Microsoft ISVs at Microsoft WPC in Orlando that took place earlier this year.

“We are excited about our collaboration with Microsoft and the potential to take the industry to a new level of security-enhanced convenience and simplicity,” said Ian Lowe, senior manager of product marketing, Identity Assurance with HID Global.  “Retailers will be able to use ActivID Tap Authentication to more easily access inventory control and payment systems from the store floor.   Healthcare professionals and enterprise users who often log-in 20 or more times daily can now replace complex passwords with a more simple and security-enhanced tap-in experience.  We continue to explore many new opportunities with Microsoft to bring ActivID Tap Authentication to a growing range of users and applications.”

“Microsoft is excited to be collaborating with HID Global to offer our mutual customers a great new option when accessing Office 365 and other cloud apps and web-based services,” said Jen Field, Senior Program Manager with Microsoft.  “The combination of HID Global’s ActivID Tap Authentication solution and Microsoft’s Active Directory Federated Services (ADFS) will help our retail and other customers make it easier for their users to access corporate cloud applications, data and services anywhere, at any time, from the mobile device of their choice, with the same smart card they use to open doors.”

Introduced in April, ActivID Tap Authentication for Microsoft is powered by Seos® and tightly integrated with Windows Server 2012 R2 Active Directory Federation Services and the HID Global Authentication Cloud Service. It supports Microsoft Windows 7 laptops and desktops, Android™-based tablets and other mobile devices via NFC.