Raiffeisen Banking Group, an Austria-based financial institution, has selected Gemalto’s Ezio Edge Optic e-banking solution to secure its online banking services (view press release). Raiffeisen is allegedly the first Austrian banking group to offer digital strong authentication devices throughout Austria. Rollout began in early 2012 following internal testing and training period. The Ezio Edge Optic leverages the security of CardTAN1-compliant debit cards to authorize and sign e-banking transactions and to authenticate users. The handheld device has optical sensors that detect data from the online banking transaction that is entered and sent from a PC screen. By placing the Ezio Edge in front of the PC screen, the encoded transaction data required for verification by the user and signature generation are read immediately.

 "Mobility and flexibility are keywords in our time. Thanks to the portability of the Ezio Edge Optic our customers can conduct their online banking errands wherever and whenever they want, protected by the highest level of security," says Johannes Schuster board member of Raiffeisen Zentralbank and responsible for Raiffeisen Group in Austria.