Keyware Technologies, a worldwide provider of biometric identification solutions, announces the acquisition of Alacarte Engineering, one of Europe’s foremost suppliers of smart card applications. According to the company, the acquisition is part of an aggressive growth strategy designed to bring biometric solutions to mainstream applications. The transaction will form a new business unit, KeywareCards, which will focus on integrating biometric authentication systems into Alacarte’s smart card software. Keyware believes smart cards will become a significant platform for biometric authentication technologies, playing a major role in the protection of confidential transactions. Alacarte currently specializes in payment and customer loyalty smart card systems.
“Biometric technology is a security application ideally suited for smart cards,” contends Jean Claeys, president and CEO of Alacarte. “When a smart card carries its rightful owner’s bio-prints, carriers can identify themselves before using the card. This means both users and organizations distributing the cards are protected from fraud-related activities.” Alarcarte is Belgium’s leading chip-based card systems development center and manufacturer. Keyware is a pioneer in the field of biometrics.