Vision-Box’s Happy FlowTM Inaugurated at Aruba Airport
Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport is the first airport in the world to provide a 100% self-service passenger experience. Today, the airport was in the spotlight of the Aviation world, inaugurating Happy FlowTM, the revolutionary Airport platform developed by Vision- Box, in collaboration with the Aruba QBI Airport, the Aruba Government, Schiphol Airport, the Dutch Government and KLM.
Aruba, May 28, 2015 – Secure, quick, easy: this is Happy FlowTM, the first 100% self-service way for passengers to cross the airport, from the curb to boarding the aircraft. Up and running at Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport and tested by the first happy passengers, the solution was unveiled today at the much anticipated launch ceremony.
Presided over by Aruba’s Prime Minister Mike Eman, and attended by the working group that made Happy FlowTM possible, including Aruba Airport Authority N.V., the Aruba Government, the Dutch Government, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Authority, KLM officials, and Vision-Box representatives, the unveiling brought together all the major contributors of the Happy FlowTM accompanied by high level ranked representatives from different Government and Aviation organizations.
Vision-Box, the company selected after a rigorous tender process to deliver this cutting-edge solution and put the 2-year pilot program in place, believes that this unique and life-changing initiative will revolutionize the synergy between passengers and airports. Miguel Leitmann, Senior Vice- President of Vision-Box, said, “Having initially accepted the challenge in 2013, Vision-Box is truly proud of the inauguration of the first 100% self-service passenger flow based on passenger- centric biometric technology. This amazing pilot, result of an exceptional collaborative effort, represents the onset of a new era in the Aviation Industry, reshaping the future of identification processes and passenger experience not only in airports, but at borders around the world”.
Happy FlowTM has two clear goals as a pilot: a) Evaluate the first pre-clearance border control process, travelling from Aruba to the EU-Schengen space, and b) to streamline passenger processing by substantially improving the travel experience, in a visionary way.
The concept easily resembles a futuristic scene from a sci-fi movie, but Vision-Box has turned what may seem fantasy into reality, as participants in the opening ceremony experienced an unparalleled journey first-hand. Throughout their airport progression, passengers have to show their passport
only once at check-in, afterwards moving swiftly through the airport, simply looking at a face camera smoothly embedded in the different self-service passenger touch-points that recognize their facial features on the fly.
Replacing outdated clearance procedures traditionally performed by border and airport agents, face biometric authentication at self-service touch-points is the main identification token throughout the passenger journey: no waiting in lines, no burdensome identity verification processes, promising a secure, quick, easy and happy journey all the way to boarding!
Aruba Happy FlowTM: a passenger-centric approach revolutionizing the airport ecosystem
Happy FlowTM is an extremely innovative and important step in the transportation industry for passengers, not only for Aruba but worldwide. Aruba is very proud to launch this unique concept by bringing together public and private parties. Happy FlowTM is another milestone in creating a sustainable knowledge economy in Aruba and fortifying the development of Aruba as a hub." said Jos Nijhuis, president & CEO of the Schiphol Group.
The uniqueness of this initiative is based on the implementation of the most innovative self-service biometric touch-points available to the traveler and on a comprehensive, holistic approach to passenger processing. Vision-Box’s unified border management software suite, the vb i-shieldTM, is a powerful and modular platform created under the principles of Privacy by Design. The new framework delivers a groundbreaking orchestration engine focused on optimization of all passenger handling operations directing flow management, thus combining all the complex, security-critical Border Control and Common Use solutions into a comprehensive set of intelligent layers, where data can be shared among the different stakeholders in a privacy responsible manner.
The pre-clearance initiative between Aruba and The Netherlands also represents a significant step towards a broad-based legal vehicle for cooperation between countries to exchange intelligence and improve security. The aim is to ensure that a passenger departing from Aruba and intending to enter the EU-Schengen space is pre-cleared before take-off, meaning that if a passenger is not cleared to enter the EU or is unable to fly because of other safety concerns, the appropriate measures can be immediately triggered and the respective authorities notified anticipatively.
At the end of the day, it is up to passengers to decide if they want to take advantage of Happy FlowTM. However, it seems inevitable that an airport, without waiting lines and a stressful environment, is definitely catering to their customers’ comfort, offering a much happier journey and a stunning, stylish experience for passengers, leaving time to discover the modern amenities offered at airports in a relaxed, family-friendly, and happy atmosphere!
Lisbon International Airport first to trial European Commission Smart Borders Program, using Vision-Box® technology
Portugal was the first country in Europe to launch a trial of the European Commission Smart Borders, a pilot program studying the Entry/Exit control procedures of Third Country Nationals into the Schengen Area through Automated and Manual Border Control Check Points at airports, land, and sea borders.
Vision-Box® delivered the solution to the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service SEF, in collaboration with ANA/Vinci Airports.
Lisbon, Portugal - May 14, 2015 - An innovative European Commission Smart Border pilot program to enhance Third Country Nationals Entry/Exit processes into the Schengen Area went live on March 15 at Lisbon International Airport. The project is being coordinated by the European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice (eu-LISA), selecting Lisbon’s International Airport as the first EU site to inaugurate the pilot program that will run until the beginning of June, in direct collaboration with SEF, who is responsible for project management at national level in liaison with EU-LISA, ANA/VINCI Airports and Vision-Box®.
The 12 EU Members States participating in the program are Portugal, Spain, France, Netherlands, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Hungary, Greece, Italy and Romania. Each of these countries will perform tests with Third Country Nationals (TCN) passing through immigration checkpoints at various airport, land, and sea borders, experimenting with different facial, fingerprint, and iris biometric verification methods.
The main purpose of the program is to identify the best technical solutions for each specific type of border using multi-modal biometric identification and verification processes and comparing the metrics and usability of each solution through specific reporting methods. The results of the pilot programs will set the foundation for a common, standardized platform used to manage European borders, namely for an Entry/Exit System (EES) and a Registered Traveler Program (RTP). By combining these initiatives, European Member States will be able to monitor traveler flow using a EU-unified system, proactively identifying irregular situations such as travelers overstaying their visits.
The first test case in Portugal consists of testing exit/departure ABC eGates by TCN visa-exempt passengers. In fact, this is an unprecedented worldwide program: the state-of-the-art Automated Border Control (ABC) eGates from Vision-Box® are now processing citizens from Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Macedonia, New Zealand, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Venezuela and Brazil. The close collaboration between eu-LISA, SEF, ANA/Vinci and Vision-Box® is crucial in evaluating the overall feasibility of the system and a key factor to validate the concept, processes and future solutions of the program.
Travelers’ impressions upon encountering Vision-Box®’s ABC eGates were extremely positive, exceeding all expectations. The first user, a Brazilian traveler flying to Sao Paulo, was quite surprised with the opportunity to utilize the Automated Border Control eGates in Lisbon. Already installed at
Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paulo, the same solution, also deployed by Vision-Box®, gives travelers the benefit of avoiding long lines at manual border control checkpoints, substantially decreasing the time it takes to go through immigration.
The project also has a secondary objective in raising awareness of the mechanisms used to ensure the integrity and privacy of all captured biometric data, in compliance with the EU regulations. Vision- Box® ensures the security of all data through the cutting-edge Privacy-by-Design principle, which guarantees full confidentiality of the travelers’ data.
Lisbon International Airport is also testing two additional cases at entry points, the first comprising of an iris enrollment process to measure the capability of this modality in Europe and the second consisting of pre-registering arriving travelers using a Vision-Box® Automated Immigration Control Kiosk. The aim of this test case is the future use of automation to combine into a single family-friendly process the following set of controls: authentication of the passenger’s travel documents, verification of the validity of their Visa and pre-enrolled fingerprints against the central EU VIS system in Brussels and capture of a high-quality ISO-compliant photo for potential use at ABC eGates once exiting the Schengen Area.
At the Lisbon Smart Border pilot launch event, which brought together high-ranking officials from eu-LISA and Portugal to witness the official unveiling of the Smart-Border Program, Joao Almeida, Portuguese Internal Administration State Secretary, stated that, “This kind of projects (...) allows, on the one hand, for better information for countries to control the entry/exit of third country nationals (...), but even more importantly, it allows citizens who visit the EU to register first (...), in order to go through borders even more rapidly”.
The European Commission will analyze the findings of the eu-LISA Smart-Border Pilot Program with the expectation that biometrics and Automated Border Control will be part of a solution for a common
European Border Control Strategy, shielding it from terrorism and fraud.
Nationwide roll-out of Automated Border Control awarded to Vision-Box®
Eight major international airports in Australia will automate traveller processing at departures, with the implementation of self-service Automated Border Control departures SmartGates based on Facial Recognition. The initiative by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection aims to strengthen security at Australian borders. As a result of a tender procedure, Vision- Box® has been successfully selected as the preferred partner to deliver the solution.
Sydney, Friday, 24th April 2015 – Australian borders face increasing security challenges, as the number of travellers arriving and departing the country continues to grow at a fast pace while the state of alert for possible terror acts has strongly intensified.
Following a national plan to combat terrorist activity, the Australian Government is committed to the modernization of security infrastructure, namely passenger clearance processes, through the use of biometric-based solutions at departures, in order to bolster security measures and help manage increasing traveller volumes.
As an outcome, eight Australian Airports will soon have their processes renovated during the nationwide roll-out of departures SmartGates between June 2015 and July 2016: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Cairns and Darwin. The tender procedure was preceded by a successful trial at Brisbane International Airport in a partnership with IBM Australia, proving that Vision-Box® was the right partner to deliver this large-scale project, which includes the deployment of 92 Automated Border Control SmartGates at Departures Terminals. vb i- match® ABC eGates are developed by Vision-Box®, the industry leader with more than 800 Biometric-based Automated Border Control solutions installed worldwide. The eGates will expedite each traveller’s clearance in just a few seconds, providing a fast and user-friendly experience, while guaranteeing accuracy in the identification of passengers before their departure from Australia.
vb i-match® ABC eGate from Vision-Box® at Brisbane International Airport
The process is very fast and intuitive at the eGates: the first step is to present the Electronic Passport – to be automatically authenticated - and the second step is to look at a camera. The face image is captured and matched against the biometric data stored in the document. While the identity of the traveller is being verified at the departures SmartGate, Border Protection Officers will be monitoring the information in real-time, whether through a stationary border control station or mobile devices, which will display any alerts to facilitate a prompt reaction by the Officers to imminent threats.
Jean-François Lennon, Vision-Box’s Vice-President for Global Business Development & Sales reinforces the significance of this project: “The implementation of a new generation of Automated Border Control technology is a great step forward for Australia, meaning a boost in the country’s national security measures at departures, adopting a hassle-free approach. Furthermore, by monitoring borders through the extended use of facial recognition, taking full advantage of our last generation passenger-centric solution, controlled through user-focused supervision software, Border Protection Officers may focus on added-value duties, such as profiling and surveilling high-risk travellers. This not only enhances national security but creates more effective and efficient processes. Of course, not to mention the users: travellers will certainly notice the difference, taking advantage of a happy flow when leaving Australia!”
There are no current nationality exclusions. Most travellers will be able to use the departures SmartGates.
Due to the design of the departures SmartGates, travellers must be a minimum height of 120cm and able to understand and follow the processes without assistance.
In order to deploy this world reference project, Vision-Box®, as prime contractor, counts on the collaboration with service partners IBM Australia and ESP Global Services.
Lisbon, January 13th, 2015 – A new Automated Border Control solution has been inaugurated at the Varna and Burgas International Airports by the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior. Any passengers holding electronic machine-readable travel documents, citizens of EU, EEA and Switzerland over 18 years may now enjoy a seamless border crossing experience in both airports. The associated contract is co-financed by the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior and EU, under Action 5 – ”Establishing automated border control for EU citizens”, Annual Program 2012-2013 of the External Borders Fund.
Accounting respectively for an estimated traffic of more than one and two million passengers per year, Varna and Burgas International Airports, the busiest in the country after Sofia’s, are now using Vision-Box®’s latest generation of Automated Border Control eGates to optimize passenger processing. The implementation of ABC technology represents a shift from the traditional border control to a new paradigm where biometric technology and self-service offer the perfect match. Passengers are in control of their own immigration process at the eGate, having their travel documents authenticated and their identity checked by way of face recognition and match against the biometrics templates embedded in the chip of the travel document (soon fingerprint will be available as well). No need to interact directly with the authorities at the border control point, which clears manual immigration lines.
Jean-François Lennon, Director of Global Business Development, Sales and Marketing at Vision-Box® believes that "In modern airports like Varna and Burgas, facing constantly increasing flows at the border, it is imperative to embrace new technologies that concede the traveler more control and better convenience during his journey, while delivering the most efficient and effective tools to the Border Control Authorities to increase their capacity". He added "Vision-Box® vb i-match® 5 offers a complete passenger experience package, combining intuitive and user- friendly interfaces with instructional animations and quick proactive adjustments to each traveler, which will make security processes less time-consuming and the Bulgarian Airports more welcoming and attractive for travelers. Everyone benefits!".
Automated Border Control eGates were deployed at Varna and Burgas International Airports.
In fact, this means a clear improvement of the experience felt not only by the passengers who use the airports, but also by the Border Control authorities. Instead of following the traditional manual verification, more vulnerable to errors, Border Control officers are now taking advantage of highly dependable technology and transferring their focus to security procedures with greater added-value. Having real-time access to all processes happening at the eGates, by means of a fully integrated software platform, they overrule the system and act only in case of any issue is detected by the eGates (i.e. fraudulent Passport, unruly passenger...).
Furthermore, this single-sourced ABC solution is strengthening the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior with a self-integrated software platform, including improved levels of document authentication and biometric verification, supported by an advanced passenger monitoring application, which delivers relevant operational and analytical information to border authorities, help them reduce errors, correctly assess security risks and effectively monitor who enters and exits the country.
As for future developments, fingerprint will be activated to complement facial verification, making it the first multimodal biometric solution implemented in the Balkans! Meanwhile, Burgas Airport will expand the solution, adding more eGates to expedite passenger processing during 2015.
To better support the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior, Vision-Box® has celebrated a partnership with a national experimented, well established technology and service-driven company called Printec, which is providing local support services.
Recently opened and already a reference for innovation and passenger experience in the whole of the Middle East, Hamad International Airport is now the airport with one of the largest number of ABC eGates in the world.
Doha (Qatar), September 14th, 2014 - The new ground-breaking Hamad International Airport (HIA) in Qatar was designed with customer experience to the fore. The result is a world-class facility, where the concept of hospitality underpins everything. Unsurprisingly, a seamless, memorable passenger journey was also the motto for the implementation of a state-of-the-art Border Control process at the Airport. Vision-Box®, leader in Automated Border Control solutions and expert in Passenger Experience, was contracted by the NDIA Steering Committee as the partner in charge for the implementation of one of the largest number of eGates in one single airport in the world.
The 62 vb i-match® eGates are already in use at the HIA, operated by Vision-Box®’s front-end Border Control application, the vb inspector®, and totally integrated with the advanced Identity Management Infrastructure of the Ministry of the Interior of the State of Qatar, ensuring the highest levels of security and efficiency.
Vision-Box® recently opened Multibiometric eGates at Hamad International Airport
The Vision-Box® eGates were exclusively designed to meet the Hamad International Airport performance and meticulous design requirements. The multimodal capabilities allow for the use of face, iris and fingerprint as biometric identifiers. They ensure a speedy passage time with maximum accuracy, offering state-of-the-art Automated Border Control to several different traveler profiles, while making sure that the border is secure and that the passenger has a pleasant experience.
Jean-François Lennon, Director Global Business Development, Sales & Marketing at Vision- Box®, emphasizes that this implementation represents the largest deployment of multimodal ABC eGates in the world, and on a single airport. Vision-Box® feels honored to be part of this world premiere airport project. “The Middle-East continues to represent an enormous potential. We’ve been witnessing an outburst of initiatives by Governments, Airports, Airlines and private sector adopting digital identity as a means to improve security and efficiency, and also to provide value-added services to their citizens. We look forward to further contributing to their success, both through on-going Identity Management programs and other GCC initiatives, by continuously delivering stunning innovation and investing in local resources”.
