In line with its strong corporate commitment to providing “Trusted. Communication. Always.”, Commend invests a lot of care and attention in ensuring product security both on the hardware and software level. Commend components, products and solutions are developed and manufactured from the ground up on the principle of “Privacy and Security by Design”. This is evidenced by a series of relevant audit-based certifications. They range from full ISO 27001 certification of the entire R&D and production environment to IEC 62443-4-1 for specific development processes.
Existing or potential customers of Commend Americas that rely on this high level of product security include governmental agencies such as the U. S. Department of Defense or its affiliates. To them Commend USA is pleased to confirm that its entire product portfolio is in full compliance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the Trade Agreements Act (TAA). Full NDAA/TAA compliance is ensured on several levels:
- All products are produced exclusively at the Commend facilities in Salzburg, Austria, which eliminates the need for OEM sourcing.
- Commend has extensive product development policies and guidelines in place, which explicitly cover the NDAA requirements (among many others).
- All software used for and in Commend products is developed and implemented in-house in accordance with stringent and regularly audited cyber-security standards.
Commend USA, through its related company, Commend International GmbH in Salzburg, Austria, certifies compliance of its product portfolio with all applicable requirements under NDAA/TAA.
What is NDAA?
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), specifically under Sections 889(a)(1)(A) and 889(a)(1)(B), imposes a prohibition on federal agencies, their contractors and grant or loan recipients to procure or use certain “telecommunication and video surveillance equipment or services” from specific Chinese companies. The banned items must not be used in “a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system.” This ban covers telecom products produced by (among others) Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE Corporation, and video surveillance and telecom equipment produced by Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, or Dahua Technology Company (( mention/replace by others here as needed )).
What is TAA?
The Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (TAA), as amended, 19 U.S.C. § 2501 et seq., requires the federal government to procure only goods that are “domestic end products,” or “designated country end products,” unless an exception applies.
TAA compliant products are those that are manufactured or "substantially transformed" in the United States or in a TAA designated country with which the U.S. maintains a trade agreement and regards as a reliable or acceptable procurement source.
Want to know more?
For further details, including compliance declarations and certificates as required for proposal, procurement or contract assurances, please reach out to Commend USA at office@commendusa.com.