Your piece of Conamara!

Have you got a piece of Conamara in your pocket! Take a look at your eID passport or credentials.

HID Global, trusted leader in solutions for the delivery of secure identity has shipped over 150 million high-technology eID (electronic ID) solutions to governments for citizen IDs around the world. The company’s management team and employees, along with local political and business officials, celebrated this milestone in a special ceremony today just down the road from the Read-out Offices in Conamara (IRL).  HID Global’s Ireland center is a high security, state-of-the-art eID credential facility that creates products for access and identification-related applications such as electronic passports and contactless swipe ID/access cards.

The US Green Card

“We are proud to be a key provider of secure contactless technology to governments for eIDs worldwide,” said Anthony Ball, senior vice president, Identity and Access Management (IAM) with HID Global. “More than 150 million people worldwide, almost a third of all citizens using high-security electronic passports and identity credentials, carry our technology with them. We are exporting technology and know-how to every continent, and our local workforce and the entire community can be very proud of this milestone, as well as our contribution to a critical aspect of the world’s security.”

HID Global has shipped over 100 million components used in e-passports by travelers in 30 countries, which comprises approximately 28 percent of the world’s market. According to the International Civil Aviation Association, as of December 2011, a total of 355 million e-passports have been issued globally. The vast majority of EU countries, as well as numerous countries outside of Europe, are now issuing machine-readable electronic passports. The company has also shipped over 50 million microchip-based inlays used in eIDs by citizens in 22 countries. Other notable achievements include providing tens of millions of units for a variety of European e-passports.

Originally established 15 years ago, the Ireland facility was acquired in 2007 by HID Global. In 2010, the operation was expanded and engineered into one of Ireland’s most advanced secure technology facilities to accommodate the growing global trend toward eIDs and e-passports. Now one of Connemara Gaeltacht’s largest employers, the operation is dedicated to e-government product research, development and manufacturing, and includes a world competence center for HID Global’s high technology RFID-enabled components.

By 2015, it is estimated that worldwide, 85% of all credentials issued annually will be eIDs, according to a recent Acuity Market Intelligence report. The number of countries issuing eIDs is expected to exceed the number of countries issuing traditional national IDs by 4 to 1. With more and more airports deploying Automated Border Control schemes (e.g. Helsinki, Frankfurt, London, Munich, Paris, Portugal and others), HID Global’s e-passport and eID technology allows the possibility for travelers to cross borders quickly, enabling them to avoid long immigration queues while providing highly secure ID authentication and validation.

“HID Global is at the center of an important global trend,” said Craig Sandness, vice president of sales with HID Global’s Government ID Solutions. “Governments worldwide are shifting to eIDs to dramatically improve the security, privacy, convenience and confident authentication needed in border and access control, and other important identification-related applications such as national IDs, driver licenses, electronic voting, and health care. As a leading high security e-passport and eID component producer, we are able to provide the complete assembly of these critical components from one source.”

The company’s secure contactless technology inlays and prelaminates allow governments worldwide to make e-passports and other electronic documents more secure. HID Global’s microchip-based inlays are tamper-proof and highly secure, and reduce authentication error and documentation falsification. The company’s products are designed to extend the life of e-documents, while withstanding daily wear and reducing incidents of tampering and fraud.