Identive Group today announced that it has formed a new product group focused on addressing the growing need for standards-based, integrated access control from the door to the network. The new Converged Access group aims to build on innovative technology specially developed for the Identity as a Service / SaaS offering of idOnDemand as well as the traditional strength of Identive in network access smart card reader technology. The new group will be headed by access control industry veteran John Menzel, as vice president Access Control ID Solutions.

"The uniqueness of our SaaS offerings from idOnDemand lies, in addition to our exceptional software and infrastructure backbone, in a new range of converged readers and credentials; we needed to develop readers and credentials that work across a large number of different technologies to be able to offer a truly pioneering SaaS solution covering both physical and cyber access. It is these unique, patent pending, product technologies that we now launch to the wider industry as part of our ID Infrastructure offerings," said Ayman S. Ashour, CEO of Identive. "John Menzel is a true visionary in the ID industry and was amongst the first to pursue a standards-based approach in the physical access world. I am thrilled that John is joining us as we apply our traditional strength in network access products to the larger market for physical access control and the rapidly growing market of converged access products."

John Menzel has over fifteen years of senior management experience in a range of successful enterprises. In 2003 he co-founded XceedID, an innovative, high-growth secure RFID reader and credential company, where he served as CEO and President until its acquisition by Ingersoll Rand in 2008. Following the sale, he continued with Ingersoll-Rand Security Technologies in General Manager and Director of Marketing Strategy roles. Prior to XceedID Menzel held senior executive positions with major security industry companies, including Director of Business Development & Technology Integration for embedded proximity technology and Product Marketing Manager for iCLASS® smart card products at HID Corporation, a division of Assa Abloy. Most recently he was Vice President of Marketing for CNL Software, a leading provider of physical security information management software. Menzel earned a B.S. from the College of Architecture, School of Building Construction, at the University of Florida.

"After decades of proprietary systems dominating the physical access market, there is a permanent trend towards standards-based solutions, which is helping to fuel the convergence of cyber and physical access credentials within organizations," explained Menzel. "This has created a very natural opportunity for Identive to provide converged solutions that draw from a robust and growing IP portfolio and years of experience with delivering tens of millions of smart card readers, in order to leverage the new wave of highly secure identity credentials. I am excited to join Identive, be reunited again with several colleagues from earlier years and to be able to deliver next generation converged access solutions."