BIO-key Partners with California Ed Tech JPA to Make its Identity and Access Management Solutions Available to 195 Member Institutions Serving Over 2.6M Students

Core Insights - BIO-key International, Inc. has partnered with California's Education Technology Joint Powers Authority (Ed Tech JPA) to provide its PortalGuard identity management solution, which offers secure multi-factor authentication without the need for phones or tokens [1][5][6] Group 1: Partnership and Product Offering - The partnership allows Ed Tech JPA's 195 member schools, serving over 2.6 million students, to access BIO-key's PortalGuard platform, which is now an approved identity management solution following a rigorous review process [1][2][5] - PortalGuard provides a comprehensive identity provider (IdP) and multi-factor authentication solution, enabling seamless login experiences across multiple applications while protecting sensitive educational data [5][6] Group 2: Competitive Advantages - PortalGuard's phone-less and tokenless authentication options are particularly relevant given California's regulatory environment, including the Phone-Free Schools Act, which limits smartphone use in schools [4][5] - The solution offers up to seventeen authentication methods, including privacy-compliant biometrics and challenge-response options, enhancing security while providing flexible login choices [5][6] Group 3: Industry Context - The Ed Tech JPA centralizes software procurement for member institutions, ensuring compliance with data privacy laws and facilitating access to high-quality digital products [2][3] - BIO-key has a long-standing track record in providing enterprise-grade IAM solutions tailored to the unique needs of educational institutions, having previously partnered with California Community Colleges [6][8]