RIM To Offer Smart Card Security

The company said the reader, which will be available as a beta in July, is aimed at government users. It supports the U.S. Department of Defense's Common Access Card standard as well as S/MIME encryption.

"BlackBerry is the leading wireless data platform for government organizations and the BlackBerry Smart Card Reader will be an attractive choice for those organizations that require smart card support and want a less bulky and more user-friendly solution," Don Morrison, RIM's COO, said in a statement.

The company did not say when the reader would be commercially available or what it would cost.