Welcome to FindBiometrics’ digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today:
Contracts and Orders
The US Army has awarded a contract to Athena Sciences Corporation to provide an unnamed “US Partner Nation” with an Automated Biometrics Identification System. The contract was awarded through the project management office for Department of Defense Biometrics unit (“PM DoD Biometrics”), and requires Athena to install, configure, and operate the ABIS. In a statement, Athena CEO Dan McCaugherty indicated that his firm will work with EPS Corporation, Ideal Innovations Inc., and NEC “to deliver a cost-effective, purpose-built solution.”
Zwipe has received an order for its Zwipe Pay biometric payment card solution valued at approximately $225,000 – the largest commercial order in the company’s history. Zwipe did not name its client, but described it as “one of the world’s largest smart card manufacturers delivering tens of millions of payment cards globally.” Zwipe added that this is an “initial order”, with an even larger one expected in 2023. In the meantime, the company is aiming to ship the current order in Q4.
M&A
ASSA ABLOY has acquired DoorBird, a Berlin-based IP access control specialist offering solutions including door intercoms featuring embedded fingerprint sensors, care of Fingerprint Cards. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but in its announcement ASSA ABLOY noted that DoorBird reported “a strong EBIT margin” for 2021, adding that the acquisition “will be accretive to EPS from the start.” The news comes just a month after ASSA ABLOY’s announcement of its acquisition of Control iD, a biometric time and access specialist based in Brazil.
Certifications
Trust Stamp has been listed as a Software-as-a-Service vendor on G-Cloud 13, the United Kingdom government’s online marketplace through which government agencies and other public sector bodies can procure cloud-based computing services. G-Cloud 13 allows organizations like the police and the National Health Service to award call-out contracts without the need for a tendering process. Such organizations will now have easy access to products in Trust Stamp’s ‘Privtech Certified’ portfolio, including solutions for biometric identity verification and multi-factor authentication.
Corporate Strategy
Aware, Inc. has relocated its corporate headquarters from Bedford to Burlington, Massachusetts. In announcing the move, the company explained that it had been using only a “a limited amount of the available space” at its previous location, framing the move to a smaller office in ESG terms. “Moving to a smaller yet even more cutting-edge facility will allow us to be more nimble for customers, maximize value for shareholders and increase employee satisfaction as workers return to a new state-of-the-art building,” explained CEO Bob Eckel.
BIPA Cases
The first jury trial for a lawsuit under Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) is now underway. The case concerns BNSF Railway’s use of a fingerprint-based physical access system, for which it did not obtain written consent from users. The class action lawsuit encompasses 44,000 truck drivers who used the system to access BNSF’s rail yards.
Product Launches
Dubai-based facial recognition specialist RecFaces has launched Id-Line, a queue management solution aimed primarily at banks and government offices. Id-Line is designed to automatically recognize individuals waiting in line, allowing for speedier service when they reach a service agent. RecFaces is showcasing the solution at this week’s Gitex Global 2022 trade show at the Dubai World Trade Center.
Authorities in Dubai’s financial innovation zone have announced a new “digital vault” based on distributed ledger technology (DLT). Called ‘Tejouri’, the digital wallet was announced by Dubai International Financial Centre Courts, or DIFC Courts. The Dubai International Financial Centre is a tax-incentivized financial hub designed to attract international investment, and is regulated by DIFC Courts, an independent, English-language judicial regime that is meant to complement the UAE’s Arabic-language civil law system. DIFC Courts is looking to further entice international investment and business through Tejouri, which can store a range of digital documents including deeds, wills, and insurance contracts, and is secured with multi-factor authentication, including support for biometrics.
India-based Lystloc has added a facial recognition tool to its time and attendance tracking portfolio. ‘Lystface’ is an Android-based attendance app designed for Android phones. It supports geofencing to enable employers to verify that a given worker is on-site when performing a face scan to clock in and out.
Biometric Time and Attendance
The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has introduced a face-based time and attendance system for a number of government workers. Members of the Indian Administrative Service ranked Secretary or above must now use a face-scanning mobile app to clock in for work. The unnamed app features a Geographical Information System to ensure that officials are actually at their respective offices.
Selfie Onboarding
The United Arab Emirates-based remittances platform Al Ansari Exchange is now using facial recognition to verify users’ identities remotely. The selfie-based KYC system is connected to the Ministry of Interior’s face-based digital verification service. Al Ansari Exchange Deputy CEO Mohammad Bitar explained that the system will provide existing customers with “improved levels of security and comfort” and draw new customers to the service.
Ekemp Fumbles Round 2
The consortium led by China-based Ekemp has failed in its re-evaluation as a potential vendor for Liberia’s biometric voter registration contract, according to a Front Page Africa report. The company was unable to print a voter card on demand, according to the report; but Ekemp’s consortium has since filed a formal complaint with the Bid Evaluation Panel of the National Elections Commission (NEC) and the Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC) arguing that its demonstration was unfairly interrupted with a disruptive technical demand. The Commission has been re-evaluating bidders for the contract after a controversial first round that led to accusations of favoritism toward Ekemp.
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October 11, 2022 – by Alex Perala
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