Fujitsu Frontech North America acquires Fulcrum Biometrics to expand multi-modal authentication business

Fulcrum Biometrics has been acquired by Fujitsu subsidiary Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc. to expand the latter’s biometric authentication business domestically and globally.

The close of the deal creates a new premier industry provider of biometric authentication and access management solutions, according to the companies. The deal also represents a commitment by Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc. to boost its biometrics business in the region and globally, supporting multi-factor authentication mandates being imposed by lawmakers and regulators.

Merging Fulcrum’s cutting-edge biometric authentication solutions with Fujitsu’s products allows the expansion of the business beyond palm vein authentication to allow a wider range of multi-modal biometric offerings for high accuracy and security, as demanded by North American global customers, according to Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc. President and CEO Michi Sugawara.

“The acquisition of Fulcrum Biometrics, LLC will further strengthen our competitiveness in a market where digital innovation is advancing at an unprecedented pace,” comments Sugawara.

Fujitsu plans to upgrade its product offerings for financial institutions and healthcare providers, and expand the business globally with hygienic identification technology for governments and businesses. The company emphasizes the hygienic advantages of its contactless PalmSecure palm vein recognition technology.

“We are extremely pleased to partner with Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc. as we push to simplify the inclusion of biometrics into any new or existing mobile, desktop, or web-based application. This transaction and Fujitsu’s commitment to aggressively pursue multi-modal biometric solutions in partnership with Fulcrum paves the way for both companies to excel as the leading providers of cutting-edge biometrics. This partnership will not only benefit the companies’ customers, but will also strengthen Fulcrum’s longstanding partnerships with its technology providers as we create a formidable alliance that will allow Fulcrum to gain market share and aggressively expand into new markets,” says Fulcrum Biometrics, LLC President and CEO Ken Nosker.

Nosker will continue to lead Fulcrum in his CEO role, and the company’s portfolio will play a key role in building applications to combine Fujitsu PalmSecure with other biometric modalities such as fingerprint, face, iris and voice recognition, according to the announcement.

Fujitsu Frontech Limited President and Representative Director Hiromu Kawakami says he is delighted with the strengthened relationship, noting the companies have long worked together.

“As a result, we can expect to further expand our solutions business in North America by taking advantage of the state-of-the-art information and communication technology developed by both companies. By combining Fulcrum’s strengths in biometric authentication and advanced integration with their customer base, with palm vein authentication technology and know-how of the Fujitsu Frontech Group, we are in a great position to challenge new business models and markets,” Hiromu states.

The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Article Topics

access management  |  acquisitions  |  biometrics  |  Fujitsu  |  Fujitsu Frontech North America  |  Fulcrum Biometrics  |  multifactor authentication  |  PalmSecure