Macau turns to Giesecke+Devrient for smart ID cards

The government of the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China has chosen Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) to manufacture and deploy its new multifunction contactless, smart ID cards.

The new ID card is expected to be introduced from October of this year, and can be used as a conventional ID. According to the company, personal data and biometric features such as cardholder photos and fingerprints can be stored securely on the card’s embedded chip.

“Macau’s decision to introduce purely contactless smart ID cards sees it once again assuming a pioneering role in the areas of cutting-edge technology and public services,” Hand Wolfgang Kunz, Head of the Government Solutions business unit at G&D said. “Not only does the card offer the ultimate in security and comfort, but faster data rates when reading the card will help speed up processing of the large number of people traveling between Macau, Hong Kong and China.”

According to the company, the ID card allows citizens to handle dealings with the authorities electronically, saving time and adding convenience. In addition, as G&D will be supplying its newest JavaCard operating system, Sm@rtCafe Expert 7.0, the new card is capable of supporting contactless payment using NFC.

Reported previously, G&D recently was selected to provide biometric voter registration kits for Cameroon’s upcoming election.

Article Topics

biometric cards  |  civil ID  |  government  |  government purchasing  |  national ID