Technology

Posted on September 7, 2017 by staff

Biometric passports enabled in over 30 countries

Technology

Gemalto, a world leader in digital security, has announced that its advanced ePassport technologies are now being used in over 30 different countries.

Thanks to their outstanding security and the faster, more convenient border crossings they facilitate, the company’s solutions help authorities strengthen homeland protection and improve the traveller experience.

New ePassport trends will include growing deployment of eVisa information, smartphone-based digital identities and fully automated, biometric self-service passenger facilitation.

“Over the past decade, Gemalto has helped develop some of the world’s most secure and attractive ePassports,” said Youzec Kurp SVP ID document solutions, government business unit for Gemalto.

“These include landmark projects in Algeria, Denmark, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Korea, Morocco, Peru, Portugal, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and the USA.

“Our success is based on close collaboration with partners, ensuring that the unique requirements of each project are always fully realized.”

Gemalto’s leading position has been built on the supply of complete travel documents and key components such as polycarbonate data pages, visible and hidden document security features, electronic passport covers and ICAO-compliant embedded software.

In addition, the company’s secure embedded software has consistently outperformed the competition in international tests on speed over the last decade.

Gemalto is also making an active contribution to the definition of international ePassport standards.

Introduced in 2005, the ePassport – which now represents 57 per cent of passports in circulation – delivers enhanced fraud protection by incorporating a secure microprocessor that stores the holder’s personal data and digital photo.

Electronic passports include a standardized electronic portrait of the holder for facial recognition, which opens the door to a comprehensive range of automated, self-service airport services for passengers.

This extends from check-in through to immigration control and boarding, resulting in an enhanced experience on arrival and departure.

A new generation of ePassport will digitally store travel information such as eVisas and entry/exit stamps to support even more efficient immigration control.

The key trends in travel documentation identified by Gemalto include tamper-proof pages to reduce risk of fraud, sensitive data being stored on smartphones, and faster arrival of smart borders and airports.