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Thales-e-Transactions certifies its card reader "medCompact" according to EAL and announces its availability for the introduction of the electronic health card (eGK) in Germany in July 2008. "medCompact" is based on SYSGO's embedded Linux development environment ELinOS. The German legislator sets high standards for the protection of patient data and requires the formal certification of the device according to Common Criteria EAL 3+.

Thales-e-Transactions developed the software for the card reader "medCompact" with SYSGO's ELinOS according to the requirements of Gematik. Gematik is responsible for the introduction of the electronic health card in Germany in summer 2008. At the heart of the "medCompact" is an ARM9-based Atmel board, for which ELinOS was supplemented with a new Board Support Package (BSP) and a bootloader. Other features have been added to meet the security requirements for the protection of patient data. First, the Ethernet connection was protected by Open SSH for the secure transmission of confidential information. In addition, ptrace and the serial connection were disabled to prevent wire tapping and misuse of the data. Finally, an electronic signature was added to detect alteration of the data and prevent falsification. This "qualified electronic signature" must be formally confirmed by the Federal Network Agency in accordance with the Signature Act (SigG). Subsequently, the "medCompact" is certified according to Common Criteria EAL 3+.

"During the development of the health card terminal medCompact, we quickly agreed that a standard operating system should be used. With Windows Embedded CE, however, we would have had problems with the Common Criteria certification because not all source codes have been released. In addition, development on a Windows basis would have been much more time-consuming. That's why we decided on Linux. With Linux, we managed to develop a completely new, functional terminal within half a year. With a Microsoft operating system, that is not feasible in that time. The cooperation with SYSGO was always pleasant and trusting. Even difficult pitfalls, which always arise in such a complex project and under time pressure, we mastered together and confidently," said Lothar Mawick, Head of Applications Thales e-Transactions.

About ELinOS

ELinOS is a Linux-based development environment for the development of intelligent devices. With more than 15 years of market experience, SYSGO can offer embedded Linux for truly industrial applications. The core of ELinOS is a variety of qualified and intensively tested industrial platforms. In addition to the widely used x86 versions, ELinOS also supports PowerPC, ARM, MIPS, XScale and SH platforms.

More information at www.sysgo.com/elinos

About Thales

Thales' e-Transactions division provides system solutions for secure electronic transactions. The product range includes fixed, mobile and integrated payment systems, healthcare and self-service solutions and security PINPads for use in ATMs. Thales' expertise is recognised worldwide. With operations in Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK, the e-transactions group is a European leader in cashless payment systems.

For more information about the e-Transactions division, please visit www.thalesgroup.com/etransactions

Thales is a leading international electronics company and systems house with worldwide activities in the defence, aerospace and security markets. With 22,000 engineers in research and development, Thales guarantees the leading edge of its technology and has capabilities in the field of mission-critical IT systems that are unmatched in Europe. By simultaneously developing military and civil activities and using a common technology base, the company pursues one goal: The security of people, property and nations. Thales Group's growth is based on a unique multinational strategy that fosters trusted partnerships with national customers and market leaders. This leverages the Group's global expertise to support technology and industrial development at the local level. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries. In 2007, the Group achieved sales of over twelve billion euros.