NEC APAC Builds Vietnam’s National Identity Database

Vietnam has overhauled its national identity infrastructure with the help of NEC. The country’s Ministry of Public Security (MOPS) started rolling out the new biometric identification system last July, and has now issued more than 50 million chip-based digital ID cards to Vietnamese citizens.

The technical work was carried out by NEC’s Asia Pacific (NEC APAC) division, which handles regional operations in Southeast Asia for the larger NEC Corporation. MOPS, meanwhile, was looking to modernize its identity system as part of a broader digital transformation plan. The new digital IDs will make it easier for Vietnamese citizens to gain access to government services, while simultaneously making it more difficult to carry out identity fraud.

In that regard, MOPS has put together a national biometric database using NEC’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS). The multimodal NEC system links each citizen’s identity card to their face and fingerprint biometrics, thereby enabling biometric authentication for those trying to take advantage of online services like the country’s social insurance program.

The new ABIS is intended to replace MOPS’ paper-based filing system. The new, electronic solution will help the country centralize its identity records (NEC has already migrated 16 million documents), which will in turn make management simpler and allow the country to scale its identity program in the future. The cards themselves will also give people a secure way to prove their identity in a range of situations.

“NEC is proud to play a part in supporting Vietnam’s digital transformation efforts with the modernization of the country’s national ID,” said NEC EVP Masakazu Yamashina. “We remain committed to developing cutting-edge solutions to support and advance global digitalization efforts to realize safer, sustainable and prosperous societies and contribute to making lives better for everyone.”

NEC’s identity technology has proven to be particularly popular in the travel sector. The company has teamed up with SITA to enable face-based identification for Star Alliance members, and carried out facial recognition boarding trials at multiple airports in Japan.

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March 9, 2022 – by Eric Weiss