It can be difficult to use Webmail on the iPhone (less so on the iPad) due to the limited screen real estate. (Military and DOD and government personnel will like that the PKard Reader app lets you bookmark commonly used CAC-required sites, organized in service favorite folders such as Navy Sites, Army Sites, Air Force Sites, DOD Sites, Marine Corps Sites, Coast Guard, and Federal Government.) In order to facilitate browsing of websites that authenticate using smart cards or CACs, Thursby's PKard Reader and Precise Biometrics' Tactivo both include Thursby's free PKard Reader app. Note, however, that the Safari browser on the iPhone and iPad does not support smart card authentication. As prices fall, these workers will be sorely tempted to buy one of these readers - and so will many iPhone and iPad users in private sector companies that require smart card authentication.Ĭommon capabilities and limitationsThursby's PKard Reader and Precise Biometrics' Tactivo worked as advertised, allowing me to successfully check email on both the Navy Marine Corps Email and the Army Email AKO sites. Until the PKard Reader and Tactivo devices arrived for the iPhone and iPad, military and DOD personnel had to use either a PC or Mac to remotely access CAC-secured sites, even for Webmail, travel, and unclassified administrative tasks.

Thursby smart card reader