Australian airports receive Digicon equipment for border control
Through a partnership with the company Idemia, Digicon has provided equipment and Smart Gates technology to update the border control system in arrivals at eight Australian airports. The dFlow model, a high-tech device with a high level of security required for this type of operation, was chosen for this project.
Idemia, a company recognized worldwide for biometric identification technologies, encryption, systems, data analysis, and smart devices, won the contract to update the arrivals system at eight of Australia’s major airports: Darwin, Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, with 3 already in operation.
According to Peter Elbling, President of Digicon, “border control projects require a high degree of customization and security, as it is increasingly apparent that these two aspects must be compatible with a more humanized experience for the passenger. Each country has its own entry rules, and systems and equipment must comply with the legislation. The Australia project, in particular, involved customization of the dFlow equipment both in terms of mechanics and software. For example, the end customer, the Australian Border Force (ABF), wanted to generate visual alerts for specific use cases that were discreet for the passenger but highly visible to ABF.”
The solution presented by Idemia went through rigorous systemic and user experience tests, applied by competent Australian authorities, such as the Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force (ABF). A controlled operation with real boarding was also carried out. After all government approvals, dFlows integrated with Idemia’s MFACE were deployed.
“Idemia Australia wanted to meet the desires of ABF for a differentiated solution worldwide. The choice of dFlow attests to the innovation that this product brings to the border and passenger control market in general. Digicon was also chosen for the ability to deliver a quality product with the required customizations within the deadlines demanded by ABF. Without a doubt, the support of the Digicon engineering team has created a bond of mutual trust between Idemia and Digicon,” said Elbling.
With the equipment update, airport passengers go through a deeper check at the ‘Gen3 Kiosk’ terminals, a few meters away from the dFlow eGates. Then the passenger can use any dFlow eGate for final validation and entry into the country. This final check is done through biometric face identification technology of the passenger, using Idemia’s MFACE.
With this application, there is no need for a passport at the eGate, as the passenger’s face is used as a token and proof of identity, raising the level of monitoring at the borders, ensuring more security, and a better user experience with more agility and comfort.
“This project and its success were very important for dFlow and Digicon. ABF was the world leader in automating border entry processes in the early 2000s and was looking for a solution that would bring innovation to the process with much higher levels of hospitality and security. The solution is innovative and can significantly reduce the immigration process time. ABF is once again a world reference in automated border processing, and Digicon extends its participation in the airport market, also providing dFlow technology for immigration and emigration border control,” Elbling added.
For Digicon’s Commercial Coordinator, Adilson Santos, the dFlow innovation provided an opportunity to have a passenger tracking solution that can be evolutionary and improved as airports present different scenarios and use cases.
Regarding Digicon being the supplier of such an important project, Santos emphasizes. “Being a Brazilian company that had the opportunity to offer technology to a first-world country in such a relevant segment further qualifies and consolidates Digicon in this airport market”.
Santos adds, “Digicon understands that passenger flow control has not changed much in the past few decades. Meanwhile, the world has changed a lot during this period. Nowadays, customers and users of solutions want to have increasingly fast and personalized experiences when interacting with technology. Digicon understands that it has also earned its place in meeting this expectation. With dFlow, we are able to elevate security levels for both the passenger and airport operations, while maintaining the premise of comfort. This characteristic of Digicon’s solution has created a kind of identity in the market, making the segment more demanding and allowing us to think that it is possible to do better.”
Check out other Digicon solution cases for airports:
- Digital boarding Rio/São Paulo – Brazil – clique aqui
- Airports in Bolivia – clique aqui
- Porto Alegre International Airport – Rio Grande do Sul – Brazil – clique aqui
- Salvador International Airport – Bahia – Brazil – clique aqui
