A BearingPoint spokesperson described the deal as "very big" for the Irish arm of the global consulting and IT integration firm. BearingPoint employs 16,000 globally and 120 in the Republic.
"The proposed system will greatly extend the level of automation in the Passport Office, providing an enhanced level of security and service to the public," said Paul Toner, managing director with BearingPoint Ireland. Toner noted that the company would work with important partners in the process, such as Netherlands-based Encheder SDU and Industrial Automation Integrators BV, as well as Minnesota-based DataCard.
DataCard's role in the contract will see the company provide the computer systems and laser engraving machines that will form important central roles in the new passport automation process.
"I have every confidence that BearingPoint and their consortium members will deliver a passport system that will meet the needs of Irish citizens in the 21st Century and showcase Ireland's commitment to be at the forefront of international technological developments," commented Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, T.D. on the back of the announcement.
It is expected that the new passports will have a similar look to existing Irish passports, although reports have said they will come with a slew of technological advances. The BearingPoint spokesperson confirmed many of the advances, including the passports' capacity to hold microchips that can be loaded with important personal details. Laser engravings and holograms will also make the new Irish passports more difficult to fake.
The spokesperson also told ElectricNews.Net that new passports would be made from Polycarbonate Data Pages, upon which lasers can create markings that are virtually impossible to counterfeit. The new system will be capable of producing about 100 passports per hour, and in conjunction with the on-line application process, the passport issuing process will become far more efficient.
This should help to ease the massive rise in demand for passports. Last year, about 530,000 passports were issued, twice as many as in 1995 and about 13 percent more than last year.
Quelle: electricnews
