Datasonic to Provide Biometric e-Gates for Malaysian Border

Datasonic will be outfitting the Malaysian Immigration Department with 16 biometric e-gates after securing a new contract with the country’s Home Affairs Ministry. The one-year contract is worth 6.97 Ringgit (approximately $1.7 million USD), and will go into effect on February 15.

The biometric e-gates will be placed at the border between Malaysia and Singapore, and will use facial recognition technology to screen foreigners coming into the country. Datasonic will provide the software and the physical equipment for all 16 gates.

Datasonic landed the Home Affairs contract after besting 18 companies in an open tender process that took place in October. According to the terms of the contract, Datasonic must post a 348,656 Ringgit (roughly $85,000 USD) performance bond to the Ministry for a two-year period that concludes on February 14, 2022.

The news comes shortly after Datasonic teamed up with Digent to form a new joint venture company that will focus on the development of biometric applications. Datasonic is already one of the leading biometric companies in Malaysia, with a portfolio that includes the Malaysian passport and the country’s MyKad national ID card.

The contract is in keeping with Malaysia’s ongoing enthusiasm for biometric border screening. AirAsia previously launched a biometric border system with facial recognition, while Malaysia Airports recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SITA that would bring biometric passenger processing to the country’s airports.

–

February 4, 2020 – by Eric Weiss