Morpho (Safran) launched the SmartGate Plus trial at Auckland International Airport in New Zealand in June 2013. SmartGate Plus is Morpho’s next generation automated border control solution based on the use of biometric technology. New Zealand Customs Service (NZCS) will be testing the system during an operational trial at Auckland Airport with over 2,000 passengers per week expected to trial SmartGate Plus.
Since 2009, New Zealand’s Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch airports have been using SmartGate to give eligible travellers the option of self-processing through passport control. The system uses facial recognition technology to compare facial images of the traveller against the data contained in the e-Passport’s chip. The project has been a great success with the travelling public, with six millions travellers having used SmartGate, and over 70 % of eligible travellers currently using the system.
SmartGate Plus brings additional convenience as it speeds up traveller processing with a one-step process, eliminating the kiosk and ticket part of the current system. It uses e-gates that have a smaller footprint to meet the space constraints of airports whilst also having Morpho’s latest workflow and biometric matching software. In addition to this, is the solution’s ability to add other biometric capabilities such as fingerprint and iris recognition at a future stage.
“The success of SmartGate in New Zealand has been phenomenal with 6 million people having successfully used the technology since it was introduced in 2009, says Geoff Wilson, Customs Manager Passenger Facilitation at New Zealand Customs Service. “The biometric self-processing technology has streamlined passenger processing and provided a secure, efficient way to clear passport control and we are pleased to be involved in testing the next generation SmartGate Plus.”
“SmartGate Plus is a clear reflection of our collaborative approach with New Zealand Customs to create, build and deploy the next generation in border control solutions”, stated Bruno Pattyn, Managing Director of Morpho’s local subsidiary, Morpho Australasia. This new technology has the capability to further simplify and speed up border processing in order to meet ever-evolving border challenges across the region.”
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