Gemalto's biometric authentication technology revolutionizes automated border control in Colombia
Amsterdam, May 3, 2018 - Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security and INCOMELEC SAS, a Colombian partner, are transforming the immigration and border crossing in Colombia through biometric iris verification implemented by Migración Colombia, the country's border control agency. This innovative solution was launched in February with a pilot program at Bogota's El Dorado International Airport. The Automated Border Control (ABC), known locally as "BIOMIG", is benefiting both citizens and border officials. Gemalto's ABC speeds identity authentication and significantly reduces bottlenecks in the immigration process while maintaining strong security control for each traveler.
Gemalto ABC Iris solution secures and speeds immigration
A growing majority of airport arrivals in Bogota – up to 60% - are Colombian citizens re-entering the country. This often results in long immigration queues, congested waiting areas and travel weary citizens. "BIOMIG" mitigates these challenges while complying with Colombia's stringent border control security requirements.
How does it work?
The solution integrates a highly intuitive iris recognition terminal that allows swift long range iris capture from 35 to 45 centimeters away. This eliminates physical contact with the terminal and improves comfort and ease of use. To use the service, Colombian citizens aged 12 and older only need to visit one of 30 BIOMIG enrollment stations at the airport as they exit the country. In less than one minute, their unique iris scan is securely registered with Colombia's Border Management System (BMS). When re-entering the country, previously enrolled citizens simply enter their national ID number on a touchscreen integrated with an automated door barrier by INCOMELEC, SAS. After a quick glance at the iris reader terminal, identity is validated via a secure digital process and the automatic doors swing open.
Gemalto has supported Migración Colombia with state of the art solutions for secure document authentication, biometric solutions and software integration for their border operations.
"The challenge with border control solutions is to minimize and simplify immigration procedures while improving ease, speed and convenience for end users - without compromising security. This is exactly what the ABC Iris solution achieves," said Francesc Ortodo, Sales Director for Government Programs Latin America at Gemalto. "Colombian citizens can now benefit from strong biometric security within a trusted environment."
