Open eCard goes mobile and supports eIDAS

First Open Source „eID-Kernel“ according to BSI TR-03124 for Android

Thanks to the recently released version 1.3 of the Open eCard platform, there is for the first time an Open Source and freely usable "eID-Kernel" according to the technical guideline
BSI TR-03124 (eID-Client) of the Federal Office for Information Security (Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik, BSI). This allows to perform a mobile proof of identity with the German eID card (Personalausweis), and can directly be integrated in any Android-based smartphone app. The innovative development was supported by the European Union in the “FutureTrust“ project and is already used productively in the “FiftyFifty Taxi“ project of the German rural districts of Lichtenfels and Kulmbach. The international standard ISO / IEC 24727, which has been implemented in Open eCard, makes it easy to enable other contactless eID and signature cards for direct mobile use.

“ChipGateway-Protocol” enables web-based creation of electronic signatures

The “ChipGateway Protocol”, which is for example used for proofs of identity with the Luxembourgish eID card, is now supported by the Open eCard App. This protocol allows creating advanced and qualified electronic signatures in accordance with Regulation (EU) No. 910/2014 (eIDAS) in web applications. The protocol, which is currently standardized at OASIS DSS-X, enables the seamless transition from the classic smart card-based signature generation to modern remote signature procedures, as permitted by the eIDAS regulation. “The great potential of eID and trust services is increasingly used in mobile environments,” adds Andrea Servida, Head of the Unit “E-Government and Trust” at DG CONNECT of the European Commission. “We are pleased that ‘FutureTrust’ and ‘Open eCard’ joined forces in order to provide Open Source components, which ease the mobile use of eID and trust services.”

Installers for Windows, MacOS and Linux make deployment and usage easier

The newly released installers for Windows, MacOS and the Linux distributions Debian, Ubuntu, openSUSE and Fedora make it easier for end-users to deploy the Open eCard App on PC-platforms and use it with eID and signature cards from Germany, Belgium, Estonia, Georgia, Luxembourg, Portugal and Serbia.

go.eIDAS tutorial and hackathon at Open Identity Summit 2019 (27^th – 29^th of March 2019)

The delivery of the updated Open eCard platform also marks the start of the technical thread of the recently launched “go.eIDAS” initiative, which aims at creating additional open source components and integrates them into innovative solutions. To facilitate the start for decision-makers and app developers, the Open eCard experts will be offering a go.eIDAS-tutorial at the beginning of the Open Identity Summit 2019 (March 27^th – 29^th 2019 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany), where not only the eIDAS-Ecosystem, but also the various relevant open source components will be presented and explained in depth. The most original and innovative project idea based on eIDAS services will be honored as part of the go.eIDAS hackathon. “We are pleased that the Open eCard team has been able to make a small contribution to the further mobilisation of the eIDAS-Ecosystem”, adds Tobias Wich, Open eCard Maintainer. “We are proudly going ahead and invite all online service providers, app developers and other innovators to make practical use of the opportunities offered by eIDAS. If you want to fly high with smart and trustworthy solutions, you should certainly not miss the Open Identity Summit 2019. We are looking forward to meeting you there!”