ActivCard also chose the Java Card technology because the industry demanded it. Customers did not want to adopt proprietary applications that would become extinct as innovations in the industry continued to occur. Simplicity and Security for the User ActivCard can provide applications that reside on the card, at the terminal, and on the host system. To begin, ActivCard writes applets on top of the Java Card technology, which is embedded in the CAC badge, for example. Next, ActivCard provides a user interface application that resides on the terminal, so that the host system can talk to the card.
Digital identity resides on the card in the form of known, secret keys.
Like an ATM card, you can place the card into a terminal and enter a PIN which accesses the keys. The correct PIN entry proves your identity to the card. The card is then free to communicate through the terminal to the remote host and verify your identity through the secret keys within the card. This dual security is essential in an age of virtual communications. One thing is for sure.