NEC’s Bio-IDiom multimodal biometrics suite, which incorporates advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and also embraces low-cost, powerful, mobile technologies, recently drew the interest of South Africa’s Minister of Home Affairs at ID4Africa.
NEC XON, NEC Africa’s systems integrator throughout Africa, demonstrated several advanced biometrics solutions from the suite at ID4Africa and showcased the technology’s field trials currently being undertaken in Kenya to advance vaccinations and mother-child healthcare provision.
“The pilot project in Kenya demonstrates the advanced state of development of this technology,” says Carel Coetzee, CEO of NEC XON. “Immunising children and providing lifelong healthcare is just one application among many for biometrics during the fourth industrial revolution. It’s a new era for biometrics solutions that help to overcome real-world socioeconomic, sustainability, safety and security challenges.”
Multimodal biometrics include multiple source authentications, including face, iris, fingerprint, palm print, finger vein, voice and ear acoustic information.
NEC has developed its capabilities since the 1970s so that it is now recognised as the world’s most accurate face, fingerprint and iris recognition platforms, according to the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Its platform is used in more than 700 systems, including for police, immigration control, national ID and entertainment, in more than 70 countries.
The Bio-IDiom suite recently won the Good Design Best 100 award in Japan. Its advanced capabilities are among the many reasons for the award. For example, accurately recognising the fingerprints of children is especially difficult, since their fingers are softer and that blurs the prints, a capability demonstrated by the Kenya pilot project. The capability could soon provide lifetime healthcare services that overcomes a number of service provision challenges.
“NEC has optimised the software based on real-world experience and advanced R&D capabilities in this field,” says Coetzee. “The business also collaborates with a number of partners who play leading roles in this field, including the University of Nagasaki, global police agencies, and several other commercial operations, as well as the top security consultants from around the globe.”
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NEC XON
NEC XON is the combination of XON, a Systems Integrator providing custom ICT and security services and solutions in Southern Africa since 1996, and NEC Africa, the African business of the global technology giant NEC Corporation. NEC Corporation implemented its first communication solution in Africa in 1963 and established NEC Africa in 2011 to grow its business ICT and public safety.
Kapela Capital (Pty) Ltd, XON’s B-BBEE partner since 2010, continues as NEC XON’s B-BBEE partner in South Africa, with Israel Skosana as chairman of the board of directors of NEC XON.
NEC generates global revenues in excess of $30 billion by orchestrating a brighter world for public entities, enterprises, telecoms carriers, and providing system platforms for businesses.
The combined NEC Africa and XON (NEC XON) operations seek to more fully explore the opportunities for safe city, energy, cyber security, telecommunication solutions, retail, managed services, cyber defence services and cloud (both public and private), among others in sub-Sahara Africa.
NEC XON maintains its head offices in Gauteng, South Africa with a footprint that covers all nine provinces in South Africa and 16 countries in sub-Sahara Africa.