Gemalto enables biometric passports in over 30 countries
Amsterdam, September 7 2017 - Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, announces 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 traveler experience.
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% 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.
The future ePassport
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:
- Swift migration to tamper-proof polycarbonate data pages, which dramatically reduce the risk of fraud.
- Rapid growth in secure digital identity credentials. Sensitive ePassport data is stored on the holder's smartphone to create a secure companion to the physical passport, making life easier for travelers.
- Smart borders/smart airports to emerge at a faster pace. Combined with the hundreds of millions of ePassports now in circulation and a strong push behind biometrics (particularly facial recognition), they offer travelers quick and secure cross-border movement.
"Over the past decade, Gemalto has helped develop some of the world's most secure and attractive ePassports, including landmark projects in Algeria, Denmark, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Korea, Morocco, Peru, Portugal, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and the USA." said Youzec Kurp SVP ID Document Solutions, Government Business Unit, for Gemalto. "Our success is based on close collaboration with partners, ensuring that the unique requirements of each project are always fully realized."
Sources: Gemalto May 2017
More resources:
How Digital Travel Credentials could make travelers' lives easier
LDS2: the Next Generation of Machine Readable Passport
A 7-step guide to passport security design
The electronic passport in 2017
Virtual passport: your passport in the cloud?
