Safran Identity & Security and IDEX ASA (Oslo Børs: IDEX), announce significant progress toward commercializing the world’s first ISO standard form factor smart cards with a touch fingerprint sensor. A pilot card series has successfully passed testing.
This joint solution supports the strategic biometric program of a major payment program.
Payment cards with a fingerprint sensor will make it possible to replace the entry of a PIN by simply placing a fingertip onto the card, adding convenience and security. Safran Identity & Security and IDEX have partnered to design an innovative touch fingerprint sensor and develop a scalable process for integration and volume production of ISO ID-1 form factor cards.
Safran provides the biometric card software, security expertise, and manufacturing capabilities. IDEX supplies the customized fingerprint sensor. The result of this collaboration is a significant breakthrough for the smart card industry in the form of a polymer touch sensor integrated into a standard thickness card that can be replicated efficiently in existing card production facilities. Moreover, the cards work with all existing standard POS (point of sales) terminals, foregoing the need of merchants to upgrade their systems.
This partnership combines our patented off-chip flexible polymer touch technology with Safran’s world-leading biometric capabilities and its card manufacturing expertise to make biometric cards a commercial reality. Our integrated solution has successfully passed comprehensive functional and reliability testing on a series of pilot production cards. We are now undergoing qualification of the solution under our strategic partnership in advance of expected trial programs. Subject to customer feedback and adoption, we anticipate the product will be ready for mass production in late 2016.