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| Africa’s unique environment is a major market for Integrated Biometrics’ products |
Integrated Biometrics LLC, developers of the most compact, lightweight, reliable and energy-efficient FBI-compliant fingerprint scanners in the world, is sending an experienced team of biometrics industry professionals to Kigali, Rwanda May 24-26 to participate in the highly respected ID4Africa international conference.
Biometric solutions for Africa-specific issues
ID4Africa focuses on biometric solutions for Africa-specific issues such as national ID, civil registration, digital identity in social protection and labour, elections, health care, mobile payments, improving national security, border management and population management of refugees and other migratory groups.
“Africa both enjoys, and is challenged by, its economic and population growth and is finding relief through the use of mobile biometrics to enroll and verify citizens of its many nations,” said Jim Seaborn, Integrated Biometrics VP.
Seaborn, Integrated Biometrics African fingerprint market specialist, has witnessed a steadily increasing interest in biometric solutions from both integrators and end-users involved in the many programmes enacted by international organisations, governments, law enforcement, military and commercial entities.
“Integrated Biometrics understands the unique needs of the African marketplace, thanks in part to our Johannesburg based, strategic partners at Idversol Integrated Solutions,” he explained.
Expanding biometrics in Africa
Idversol Integrated Solutions is the exclusive distributor for Integrated Biometrics products in Africa including its suite of FBI-certified scanners such as the FAP 30 Columbo Single-Finger Scanner; Watson Mini FAP 45 Two-Finger Roll Scanner; and the brand-new Kojak FAP 60 10-Print Roll Scanner.
Integrated Biometrics technology experts will be on-hand at the ID4Africa and will be conducting detailed, one-on-one meetings and product testing at its exclusive Resource and Education Suite at the Kigali Serena Hotel throughout the event.
The push for biometrics in Africa began over a decade ago, as nations looked to create new civil registers or re-create ones that had been destroyed or lost in periods of prolonged conflict. Without governments knowing who their people were, they were unable to effectively engage their populations in voting or social programmes. Initial census attempts met with limited success, due to challenges related to remoteness of population centres.
Optical-based fingerprint scanners
Africa’s unique environment is a major market for Integrated Biometrics’ products, thanks to IB’s advantages over optical-based fingerprint scanners with regards to size, weight, and performance. All Integrated Biometrics’ scanners employ its patented light emitting sensor (LES) film which is the only biometric technology that meets the stringent image performance requirements of the FBI in a “thin” form factor (less than 1 mm thick).
The unique attributes of LES film allow for integration of FBI Certified fingerprint scanners into smartphones, tablets or other mobile solutions. Remote African villages are made accessible via compact, rugged, low power consuming devices, furthering economic and social development across the continent.
Integrated Biometrics provides enrolment and verification fingerprint sensors to hardware integrators, software and database providers, and contractors serving government agencies and commercial markets worldwide to address issues related to homeland security, border patrol, law enforcement, background checks, military and defence, social services, national ID programmes and elections. The company’s fingerprint solutions work in direct sunlight on dry or moist fingers, resist abrasion, and are 90-95% smaller and lighter than optical scanners.
