Jordan choses NXP’s SmartMX2 MCU for contactless ID card

9th August 2016

Nat Bowers

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The Civil Status and Passports Department (CSPD) in Jordan has chosen NXP’s secure SmartMX2 MCU for its new contactless citizen ID card. The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MoICT) anticipates deploying the SmartMX2-based Jordanian ID cards to increase national security, improve counterfeit protection and extend public services.

In collaboration with Gemalto, the prime contractor of this project, NXP is embedding Gemalto’s Sealys MultiApp ID operating system in its MCUs.

The new Jordanian citizen card is a multifunctional form of ID which can be used for conventional citizenship while offering an array of new embedded social and economic applications such as storing travel itinerary, providing access to eBanking services and secure voting and health insurance verification. The personal data and biometric features, such as the card holder’s photo and fingerprints, are stored securely on the SmartMX chip in digital form. These new cards will also help reduce congestion and process time for renewals, as well as decrease fraud and counterfeiting while increasing security and enhancing a number of government applications.

Ruediger Stroh, Executive Vice President, Security and Connectivity, NXP, commented: “Protecting personal data is a sensitive subject which requires a secure identification solution and a trusted partner capable of delivering a smooth system implementation. NXP has years of market understanding in eGovernment applications such as ePassport, ID cards, healthcare cards, vehicle registrations and driving licenses, all of which are designed to enable a smarter, more secure life for citizens.”

Many citizens globally benefit from electronic ID solutions, which can protect personal privacy while securely assuring identity through the use of PIN codes or biometrics. The NXP SmartMX2 family of products is compatible with existing infrastructures and equipment, providing double the transaction speed of most other products in the market, while maintaining ultra-low power dissipation. The SmartMX2 product family has been verified by global institutions like the ICAO, the U.S. Department of Defense and the German Federal Government to be stable, reliable and designed to have the highest security standards. The product family has the Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level (CC EAL) 6+ certification.