Biometric solution for the Portuguese ID card
(13/12/2007)

The new Portuguese ID card contains biometric information and replaces five previous cards: the health care card, voter's card, tax payer's card, the social security card, and the traditional ID card. The roll-out of the new Citizen Card started during spring this year and over a seven-year period 14 million cards with fingerprint information will be rolled out to the Portuguese citizens.

Precise Biometrics recently won the procurement for a biometric solution for the Portuguese ID card, and now a follow-up order linked to the project has been received from its partner Zetes Burótica. 1,400 units of Precise Biometrics' fingerprint reader Precise 250 MC will be delivered by the end of the year.

The order involves Precise 250 MC, a combined fingerprint and smart card reader, and will be used amongst other during the activation card process, when the Portuguese citizens collect their new Citizen Card verifying their ownership of the card. Delivery is planned before the end of the year.

Precise Biometrics is working together with its partner Zetes Burótica, which distributes and integrates hardware, and is also a key supplier of various components and services (amongst other the Middleware) of Portugal's national ID card program.

The reason why Zetes Burótica chose Precise Biometrics' fingerprint reader is understandable according to Pascal Fevry, General Manager, of Zetes Burótica. he said: "Precise Biometrics is a well known supplier of Match-on-Card solutions and has previous experience from the Portuguese Citizen Card project. But above all they could offer a fingerprint reader that supports Mach-on-Card at an attractive price level in combination with exellent performance."

Precise Biometrics has previously communicated that it believes in a large aftermarket for the Portuguese ID card, which has been confirmed by this new order. Precise Biometrics' President and CEO, Thomas Marschall, sees the follow-up order as a positive signal. "This is the first follow-up order from Portugal, and of course it means a lot to us. It's also a confirmation that our cooperation with Zeter Burótica is working really well. Zetes Burótica has a very large network in the region and we hope that our joint efforts will generate further business opportunities," says Thomas Marschall.

Apart from the Portuguese national ID card, Precise Biometrics has also won ID card projects in Asia and the Middle East. There is expectation of a valuable aftermarket in each individual case.