Gemalto Launches Identity Management System to Make Sure Everyone Gets an ID

Gemalto is launching a new biometric Identity Management System (IDMS) that was built to raise inclusion and reduce the number of people with no official ID. The program is being pitched towards governments and other public institutions in the hope that it will give more citizens access to essential civic services.

“A unique legal ID is a basic human right that can unlock access to many more – including education, welfare and participation in the democratic process,” said Frédéric Trojani, the SVP of Identity and Biometric Solutions for Gemalto’s parent company Thales.

According to Gemalto, there are globally more than 1 billion people without a legal identity, including one out of every three children. The United Nations is hoping to lower that number to zero by 2030.

Gemalto’s IDMS moves closer to that goal by creating a Foundational Identity using biometric data and a unique individual identifier. The end-to-end solution is designed to be compatible with existing identity schemes, and uses mobile technology to perform easy registration and biometric enrollment in some of the most remote places in the world.

Once created, the IDs are sent to a central database, and can then be used to open a bank account or access other public services, including healthcare. IDMS is less vulnerable to fraud and removes the need for repeat enrollment with different organizations.

Of course, Gemalto has considerable experience with both governments and inclusion. The company recently provided a fingerprint identification system for the Canadian Department of National Defense, and also provided biometric identification technology for an election in the Philippines.