Smartrac is a market leader in the government ID inlay business, according to the new study from ABI Research. ABI’s competitive assessment of this sector places Smartrac top overall, with an estimated 40 million units shipped during the first half of 2014, for a market share of nearly 15%.

The ABI report also scores Smartrac highly 9 out of 10 in terms of market influence, largely based on its strong partnership position, which boasts the leading, active vendors within the government ID segment globally.

Commenting on the report, Clemens Joos, CEO at Smartrac, says, “We are extremely pleased that our products have been adopted by so many governments worldwide, taking us to the number one position in this market sector, especially after many years of investing in the development of secure, reliable and future-proof eID inlays. It’s a very welcome affirmation of the trust placed in Smartrac by so many government agencies, which typically demand the very highest standards from their suppliers.”

“Smartrac has been a pioneering manufacturer of contactless inlays and it is now expanding with multi-applications enablement to build out its portfolio and meet the future needs and demands of the government sector,” says Phil Sealy, senior analyst, ABI Research.

Smartrac serves the government ID market through the deployment of eID inlays, which are used within e-passports, national ID cards, driver licenses, visa documents, healthcare, social security and permanent resident applications, covering pure contactless and dual interface solutions. Today, Smartrac is involved in more than 70 different eID government projects globally.

Alongside Smartrac’s tailored government inlay solutions, it also offers hard tags, a variety of contactless card and dual interface solutions, and ticket and label inlays in LF, UHF and HF bandwidths, including NFC (Near Field Communications). Smartrac’s experience means it can provide customized solutions suitable for a variety of applications.

Since its foundation in 2000, Smartrac says it has pioneered contactless inlay manufacture and has production facilities worldwide. Pure contactless card inlays are provided by Smartrac including an ultra-thin solution designed to accommodate additional physical security qualities. Inlays can be supplied in HF or UHF formats, and adhere to ISO 14443, 15693 and 18000. This latest technology will also be featured in the next-generation of e-passport inlays.

Smartrac’s manufacturing facilities have been certified according to Common Criteria EAL 5+. Its products for government ID are also NASPO security assurance accredited. For standards and security, Smartrac scores 14 out of 15 for global reach and penetration, according to ABI.

Within the access eco-system for e-government services, whether that involves tapping a tag to guide a citizen to a website or portal, or using a tag to authenticate identity, NFC will likely form a future standard. Smartrac scores 100% in terms of ABI’s contactless interface readiness criteria, demonstrating the company’s in-depth understanding of the future market for NFC applications.