SCM Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCMM, Prime Standard: SMY), a leading provider of solutions that open the Digital World, announced that its eHealth100 is the first health card terminal to receive approval for participation in release 1 of the field tests of the electronic health card program in Germany. The German eHealth card program is the largest electronic healthcare project in the world to date, with planned deployment of 82 million electronic health insurance cards and thousands of health provider cards over the next few years. According to the gematik, which is the organization overseeing the implementation of the eHealth card program in Germany, SCM's eHealth100 terminal is compliant with gematik specification 1.1.0 for terminals for the program and fulfills all requirements for the secure use of the electronic healthcard. In addition, the terminal is compliant with SICCT (Secure Interoperable Chip Card Terminal) specification V1.03 a catalogue of requirements for smart card terminals used in the German eHealth programs secure network, or "telematics" infrastructure. The SICCT specification was developed by the IT industry organization TeleTrusT e.V., in close relationship with gematik. Having successfully passed all technical and laboratory trials, the eHealth100 can now be used in field trials with actual healthcare system users as part of the testing process of the electronic health card.
SCM's eHealth100 terminal was developed specifically for the use with the electronic health card in Germany. It is based on the latest available processor technology and incorporates ergonomic features that anticipate frequent use by general practitioners, pharmacists and therapists, as well as other healthcare professionals. The terminal can be used with all card types of the new German health care telematics, including the electronic health card, which will be issued to insured individuals in Germany; the health professional card (HPC), which allows every professional in the health care sector to securely access and edit patient data; and the Secure Module Card (SMC) in ID-000 format for secure data communication. In addition, it also reads and operates with Germany's current health card.
The terminal's design allows for future applications currently planned. For example, using additional optional devices such as a fingerprint reader, healthcare providers will be able to authenticate themselves in the telematics network on a daily basis, rather than patient by patient, by providing a so called "convenience signature". In addition, mobile access to the telematics network is also planned, which would facilitate home healthcare visits and mobile rescue missions. SCM plans to develop enhanced terminals to address these new applications and others once gematik specifications are available.
"The gematik qualification of the first health card terminals for the eHealth program is an important milestone for the introduction of the electronic health card in Germany. SCM Microsystems again has demonstrated its leading role in the development of new technologies for secure access," said Dietmar Wendling, Vice President Marketing of SCM Microsystems. "Not only does the eHealth100 terminal address the stringent requirements of this new program, but the next-generation design of the reader prevents obsolescence, helping to protect the significant investments that will be made. Already, many pharmacy, healthcare provider and hospital systems in Germany have integrated our terminal in their administrative solutions."
About the German eHealth Program Telematics Network
Telematics is a secure network through which information about patients and their care, such as diagnostic findings and treatments, can be shared. As the central nervous system of the German eHealth card initiative, the telematic network is expected to connect all doctors, pharmacists, hospitals, medical facilities and insurance companies within Germany.
About SCM Microsystems
SCM Microsystems is a leading supplier of solutions that open the Digital World by enabling people to conveniently access digital content and services. The company develops, markets and sells the industry's broadest range of smart card reader technology for secure PC, network and physical access and digital media readers for transfer of digital content to OEM customers in the government, financial, enterprise, consumer electronics and photographic equipment markets worldwide. Global headquarters are in Ismaning, Germany. For additional information, visit the SCM Microsystems web site at www.scmmicro.com.