SALTO Systems, a leading manufacturer of electronic access control and operating system solutions, is investing in the Dutch company Bluefield Smart Access, a Dutch company that specializes in the development and implementation of physical identity and access management and integration solutions for corporate, industrial, real estate, and other markets.

The unique solutions developed by Bluefield Smart Access focus on automating the registration, authentication, and authorization processes of persons, identifiers such as access cards, cell phones, license plates and access authorizations.

“We’re convinced that with SALTO’s support, Bluefield Smart Access will take another step in the further growth of our company and its capabilities,” says Hans Stegeman, CEO of Bluefield Smart Access. “I was already proud of what we have achieved as a team in a short time, but now even prouder with this international cooperation. I’m very much looking forward to this partnership.”

“We’re very pleased to announce our investment into the forward-thinking Bluefield Smart Access company, which, like SALTO, was founded by a team of talented entrepreneurs,” says Marc Handels, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer at SALTO Systems.

SALTO is a leading manufacturer of electronic access control solutions with an extensive network of international SALTO companies and resellers. SALTO’s access control solutions can apply to almost any access point in a building and the area around it.

In addition to Bluefield Smart Access, SALTO has added Gantner (Austria), Clay (Netherlands), Conlan (Denmark), and Danalock (Denmark) to its portfolio in recent years, strengthening its position in cloud solutions, identity, and access solutions, and integrations, mobile access, and customer-centric solutions.

While Bluefield Smart Access will continue to operate independently and execute its solutions and services as they currently do, SALTO and Bluefield Smart Access look forward to combining competencies and leveraging both companies’ technical knowledge and expertise.

The global biometric system market is expected to grow from USD 42.9 billion in 2022 to USD 82.9 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 14.1%, according to a new report from Marketsandmarkets. Increased advancements in biometric technology across various sectors and rising demand for authentication and identification solutions as well as security and surveillance solutions in various application areas are the primary factors driving the market growth. Growing adoption of biometric systems in consumer electronics, BFSI and automotive verticals are factors that will drive the demand for this technology in the near future.

The researchers found that the market declined slightly in 2020, mainly due to the impact of Covid-19. The supply chains were disrupted in March and April 2020 due to the lockdowns imposed by various governments and labour shortages in these industries due to travel restrictions. However, the analysts expect the sector to fully recover by mid 2022.

Single factor authentication takes the major share

Single-factor biometric systems are cost-effective and fast. The systems with single-factor authentication are much faster and simplified, although they can be prone to high-security risks. Nevertheless, technologically improving hardware and software solutions and biometric systems integrated with AI have increased the level of accuracy and security offered by single-factor authentication in recent times. Fingerprint recognition technology is the most used modality. The growth of the market for fingerprint recognition is attributed to the increasing demand for solutions based on this technology in travel and immigration security verticals for e-passports and e-visas, as well as in the government sector for issuing driving licences.

Biometrics in consumer electronics

Biometrics in the consumer electronics sector is a strong area, owing to its security and cost-effectiveness. In the consumer electronics industry, smartphones are significantly contributing to the growth of the adoption of biometrics technology. Consumer electronic companies are increasingly developing and deploying advanced and cost-effective biometric security features. There have been rapid advancements in the designs of chips and algorithms of voice and facial recognition. Also, the declining cost of biometric technologies installed in consumer electronics is playing a key role in driving market growth.

Asia Pacific predicted for high growth

The market in APAC will grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, according to Marketsandmarkets. The biometric system market in APAC is segmented into China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, and the Rest of APAC. The presence of prominent biometric system manufacturers including Fujitsu and NEC Corporation, is expected to contribute to the revenue share of this region owing to the rapid economic growth in major countries such as China, Japan, India, and South Korea The growth of the biometric system market in APAC is also attributed to technological advancements, increased awareness among the masses regarding the use of biometric systems for security purposes, and lowered the cost of devices based on these technologies.

Major players in the biometric system market include Thales Group, Idemia, Assa Abloy, NEC, Fujitsu, Precise Biometrics Secunet Security Networks, Stanley Black & Decker, Aware Inc., and Cognitec Systems amongst others.

The Management Board of Mobotix, a company owned by Konica Minolta, has presented an updated midterm strategy including corporate planning for the next three years after pandemic and the new market conditions. This plan is based on detailed analysis and outlines revenue target of min EUR 90 million by fiscal year 2023/24 and an EBIT margin around 9% which corresponds to an annual average revenue growth rate of 11 %.

The growth drivers of the 3-year plan is based on a solution approach for 6 vertical markets to be addressed by a new high-performance camera platform with corresponding analytical software applications based on artificial intelligence, including cloud-based software applications. The artificial intelligence and big data integration with cameras open several new market opportunities also outside the traditional security markets in especially US and EMEA – hence focus on video surveillance referred to as “Beyond Human Vision”.

The product strategy includes expansion of the complementary product line Mobotix Move and a high-end expansion of the existing 7-series camera platform as well as contract developments in the hardware and software area for the majority shareholder Konica Minolta within the framework of the new IoT sensor platform Forxai.

The sales focus is based on developing Konica Minolta and Mobotix value proposition in selected vertical markets to end-users in co-operation with existing and new partners in US markets as well as EMEA, DACH and APAC. It furthermore includes additional development of Konica Minoltas global market presence.

M&A activities may be included as further drivers of this strategy following recent acquisition of Vaxtor Technologies in Spain.

Key points of the 3-year plan will be presented at the Equity Forum spring conference in Frankfurt in May 2022 but will already by March be introduced to key shareholders. The capital market advisor Montega will also publish an update of its study on the company in May 2022.

The board also included a statement about the Ukraine-Russia situation and stated. “We hope in the meantime for peace and send our most sincere thoughts to the people of Ukraine”. Mobotix has separately confirmed that all sales to Russia have been stopped with immediate effect.

In recent years, we have experienced extraordinary change and evolution in digital transformation globally. Digital credentials, digital identities and facial recognition are becoming the new standard across all industries, making Automatic Face Recognition a key technology to address the market’s needs.

Cognitec, a major and growing player in the Face Recognition arena, delivers via its proprietary technology, reliable identity, privacy, and security policy implementation. Investing in Cognitec allows SALTO to control the technology from its very origin, with a broad range of applications both for existing and future SALTO clients.

Cognitec, headquartered in Germany, has offices in Australia, Spain, and the US, including a large team of scientists and engineers dedicated to R&D at its German headquarters. Cognitec’s portfolio includes solutions for face image database search, recorded video investigation, real-time video screening and people analytics, border control, ICAO compliant photo capturing, and face image quality assessment. The company’s flagship FaceVACS algorithm has been continuously validated by NIST (National Institute for Standards & Technology) performance tests.

Since its founding in 2002, Cognitec has partnered with government entities, law enforcement agencies, and commercial clients in more than 50 countries. For example, the German Border Police use Cognitec technology to facilitate automated passport checks and biometric photo capture within the European Entry-Exit System (EES).

“Working with Cognitec gives SALTO the opportunity to integrate emerging biometrics, face recognition, and artificial intelligence technologies into our Group products and platforms to create new solutions and services that benefit all of our clients,” said SALTO Systems Chief Technology Innovation Officer Marc Handels.

“Cognitec’s technology is highly compatible and integrable across the SALTO product portfolio of access control, smart lockers, and booking and ticketing solutions. Incorporating applications like frictionless check-in and hands-free access into our applications will improve the SALTO customer experience whether it’s used in business, residential, or leisure and fitness,” said Handels.

Cognitec Chief Executive Officer Alfredo Herrera said he welcomes the partnership that will benefit both companies and all customers.

“SALTO is a strong company and is globally well-positioned. Their expanding footprint offers us an incredible opportunity to reach the fastest-growing markets in face recognition and at the same time, expand our established business with our mature face recognition products,” said Herrera. “Since our founding, Cognitec has been the only company worldwide that has worked exclusively on face recognition technologies. Because we’re innovators, it makes sense for us to join with a partner like SALTO, a respected leader in the security industry.”

The estimated market for security screening currently sits at around US$ 7.8 billion, and according to the latest research, released by Future Market Insights Inc, it is highly likely that this sector could approach revenues worth US$ 10 billion in the next two years.

The ESOMAR-certified research firm suggests that more than half of the total demand for security screening is being accounted for by the developed regional markets. East Asia however is cited as the most lucrative market for investors in security screening systems and solutions.

Rapid growth in the economy, necessitating increasing expenditure on the national and infrastructural security, will continue to push deployment of reliable and advanced technology enabled security screening systems. While analysis identifies an impressive rate of adoption within emerging economies, China, India, and Russia are more likely to be at the forefront of this growth, in the security screening market.

Airports generate maximum demand

Over 2/5th of the global security screening demand is accounted for by airports, which say the analysts, will remain the dominant application area for security screening systems manufacturers and suppliers. As government buildings are highly vulnerable owing to the voluminous sensitive information that they procure, public recreation areas such as malls are also cited as the next sensitive area for implementation of effective security screening. Border check points are also expected to emerge lucrative through the coming years, in the security screening market.

Explosive trace detectors, currently accounting for nearly 1/4th share of the total sales of security screening systems, will reportedly witness strong growth in demand through the coming years. According to the report, x-ray screening systems and biometric systems are also highly popular among the end-use application areas in security screening market. The collective market value share of the aforementioned security screening systems is just-under 50% and the report expects attractiveness of the latter to surge – with growing adoption of fingerprint and face recognition technologies.

Smart security screening trends

Looking at the loopholes in current security screening models in terms of efficiency and sustainability, airports have been accelerating the industry’s shift to smart security screening solutions, over the recent past. A combined initiative of Airports Council International (ACI) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), smart security is emerging as a streamlined solution for airlines, passengers, and their belongings. Recently, Australia’s first-ever smart security screening checkpoint was unveiled at the Melbourne Airport.

Some of the most prominent companies operating in security screening market landscape, are Westminster Group, American Science and Engineering, Inc., Analogic Corporation, Argus True ID, Aware Incorporation, Digital Barriers, Mangal Security Systems Ltd., OSI Systems, Inc., Smiths Group plc, Laxton Group, Next Biometric, Aratek, NEC Corporation, and Cognitec Systems GmbH.