IRIS claims tender win in Egypt

IRIS Corporation (IRIS) claims to have clinched a contract for the supply, delivery and maintenance of equipment to upgrade the national ID production centre of the Arab Republic of Egypt for the production of a contactless smart ID card.

General Moustafa Rady, Deputy Minister for Central Status Organisation (CSO), representing the Ministry of Interior of Egypt and Dato’ Tan Say Jim, Managing Director of IRIS signed the agreement in Cairo on the 27th August 2008.

The contract is for the purchase of new equipment as an upgrade of the existing production facility, enabling the facility to be upgraded with state-of-the-art contactless smart cards equipment. Currently, the National ID card of Egypt is made of polycarbonate plastic card with security design, and has been produced by CSO since 1998.

With the introduction of a contactless micro-processor chip in the ID card, the security of the ID card will be enhanced while at the same time, paving the way for additional potential services to be extended to the card holder through its multi-applications capability.

The contract includes amongst other things consultancy, installation, maintenance, support and service, as well as the transfer of technology and know-how for the production of National ID cards based on contactless smart card technologies. In addition, IRIS will also supply materials needed for the initial production of 100,000 contactless smart cards based on polycarbonate materials. This contract was awarded through a tender in 2007 and IRIS was among three bidders shortlisted. The other bidders are from Europe.