HID Global will be one of the finalists at the inaugural Microsoft Security 20/20 Partner Awards. Microsoft is launching the awards program to honor corporate partners that have developed security solutions that leverage Microsoft platforms and services.

The nominees were selected based on technology that was developed in the past year. HID Global will compete as a finalist in the Identity Trailblazer category, where it is being recognized for creating security keys that meet the FIDO2 authentication standard.

“We have aligned with Microsoft to bring our customers smart cards and keys that extend the benefits of passwordless FIDO2 authentication to provide users a single credential for access throughout the workplace,” explained HID Global VP Brad Jarvis. 

The Identity Trailblazer award is one of the 16 awards that will be handed out through the Security 20/20 program. Microsoft is hoping that the awards will promote further collaboration, noting that the entire security ecosystem will be stronger if tech companies can work together to protect the data and the personal information of their customers.

“There is no vision for the future that doesn’t involve security partners,” said Microsoft Threat Protection CVP Rob Lefferts. “We are hosting the awards to honor security partners that are making an impact through technology development and customer enablement.”

HID Global first announced that it was working with Microsoft to develop a FIDO2 card credential for Windows systems back in 2018. The company’s Crescendo 2300 line of smart cards would later achieve FIDO2 compliance in the summer of 2019, and HID Global launched a complementary Crescendo Key Series at that time.