Korea Smart ID to provide fingerprint smart cards for UN

Security solutions provider Korea Smart ID (KSID) has been selected as the exclusive provider of fingerprint smart cards for the UN and affiliated organizations, according to a report by The Investor.

In February, the UN International Computer Center began its search for suppliers for fingerprint recognition-based ID cards.

The organization was specifically looking for solutions which would enable its employees to access their computers and grant entry to its headquarters and affiliated organizations.

The KSID fingerprint smart cards and readers will be initially issued to 18 affiliated organizations including the UN Geneva office. The company expects to later expand this application to 57 other UN organizations.

The UN refugee agency is also looking into ways to use fingerprint smart cards for its refugee and hunger welfare projects as paper cards are being issued, which are more susceptible to forgery and theft.

KSID marks the first company to succeed in commercializing fingerprint authentication credit cards, which is currently being used by Woori Bank for bidding at the National Market Agency of the Public Procurement Service.

In addition, KSID will apply its technology to driver’s license for taxi drivers in Istanbul, Turkey for a US$4.5 million contract it won in February.

Earlier this year, Elan Microelectronics partnered with smart card integrator Jinco Universal and KSID to develop smart cards with an embedded fingerprint sensor.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  fingerprint authentication  |  smartcards  |  United Nations