Cognitec facial biometrics enhance Dutch drivers’ license renewal platform

The Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW) will use biometric facial recognition technology from Cognitec to support its digital application platform for drivers’ license renewals.

The platform is already operational in 15 municipalities, according to the announcement, with 15 more launching during 2019, to bring the convenient renewal system to 25 percent of Dutch residents. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management plans to evaluate the service in 2020 to decide if the system should be rolled out nation-wide.

Applicants submit a new photo, which Cognitec’s technology matches against the last stored image for the individual in the Central Driving License Register. Cognitec’s biometric software also checks the image quality for ISO/IEC biometric photo standards compliance. Cognitec also provided de-duplication of the 12 million images in the database at the start of the project.

“We have been using face recognition for more than a year to increase the overall quality of the license renewal process, and have just begun to apply the deduplication capabilities of the Cognitec system. This extensive N:N matching process takes time, and needs to be monitored carefully, but it ensures the quality of our database, and prevents false matching errors during future application processes,” says Gert Jan de Nijs, Senior Project Manager at RDW. “We are excited to move toward a fully secure, convenient digital process that provides our citizens with a future-proof ID management system.”

Cognitec was recognized with a 2019 Global Customer Value Leadership Award from Frost & Sullivan in March.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Cognitec  |  deduplication  |  driver's license  |  facial recognition  |  identity verification