SafeNet has expanded its authentication portfolio by acquiring authentication as a service provider Cryptocard. Financial details were not disclosed.

The integration will mean SafeNet will be able to offer authentication and access control services, delivered on-premise of via the cloud. SafeNet said the combined offering will be aimed at mobile and telecom service providers as well as IT system integrators and service providers.

Chris Fedde, CEO of SafeNet said the acquisition will enable it to add the benefits of SaaS to its portfolio.

"New business efficiencies, infrastructure scale, and cost savings are being driven by virtualisation and cloud services adoption, but this changing paradigm has challenged organisations to make the move to the cloud securely and smoothly, without disruption to their business, and without compromise to the protection of their sensitive data," he wrote on the company blog.

"This acquisition extends SafeNet’s leadership in authentication, supports our vision for delivering data protection both to and from the cloud, and changes the way organizations can deploy and manage their authentication strategies and platforms today and into the future," Fedde added.

"As data continues to proliferate and move beyond traditional perimeters, both enterprise and government customers are demanding solutions that protect and control data and identities across networks, mobile devices and to and from the cloud," Fedde added in a statement.

"By joining forces and engaging SafeNet’s global scale, we are uniquely positioned to help customers around the world accelerate the migration to and from the cloud in the most secure and cost effective manner," he said.

Cryptocard was founded in 1989 and is jointly headquartered in the UK and Canada. Its clients include HP, the NHS, P&O, Harrods and British Transport Police.

SafeNet, established in 2983, is headquartered in Maryland, USA and employs around 1,600 people.

In November last year Cryptocard acquired the patents and IP of troubled tokenless authentication firm GrIDsure.

Jason Hart, managing director at the firm, recently wrote exclusively for CBR on smartphones in the enterprise and the security issues raised by the consumerisation of IT. CBR also spoke to Cryptocard CEO Neil Hollister last year.