e-Smart and Samsung SDS Team to do Business
08 March, 2004
category: Biometrics, Contactless
Companies Plan to Provide Biometric Security to Korea
LAS VEGAS, and SEOUL, Korea, March 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ – e-Smart Technologies, Inc. (OTC Pink Sheets: ESMT) (“e-Smart” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, e-Smart Korea, has entered into a “Master Teaming Agreement” with Samsung SDS Co., Ltd. Samsung SDS is the leading global IT solutions provider in Korea with an annual revenue of in excess of US $1.43 billion. e-Smart is the exclusive supplier for Asia and the USA of the Biometric Verification Security System(TM) (“BVS2”)(TM), featuring the Super Smartcard(TM), believed by e-Smart to be the world’s only commercially available smartcard with a full on-card system for biometric ID verification.
When asked, Mr. Kanghoon Lee, General Manager of Samsung SDS said, “Despite the clear need to protect the Korean public from identity theft and other ID related crimes, the notion of a national ID card with a biometric system has stirred controversy regarding privacy amongst both legislators and privacy groups. These fears, coupled with the failure of other biometric systems tested in the Korean public arena, have prevented the introduction of a biometric national ID card in Korea.” Mr. Lee quickly added, “However, e-Smart’s biometric system, when configured as a multi-application national ID card, provides both the identity verification necessary to protect society and the identity verification necessary to prevent ID theft crimes, all while uniquely protecting the privacy and civil rights of each and every person enrolled. We believe that by incorporating e-Smart’s advanced biometric technologies into our offerings we can bring vital protection to the Korean people while giving them a tool to protect and enhance their privacy and civil rights.”
Pursuant to the terms of the Master Teaming Agreement, the parties have agreed to work together to identify projects, particularly Korean domestic projects (though not limited to), that capitalize on the unique biometric and other security technologies and systems developed by e-Smart and on Samsung SDS’s strength as a large scale system integrator and software developer, and its history of IT success. Upon jointly agreeing to pursue a potential project, a project specific agreement will be entered into on terms to be negotiated on a case by case basis. The Master Teaming Agreement specifies three projects that the parties have already identified as being of mutual interest.
After thanking Mr. Lee for his kind words, Ms. Mary Grace, e-Smart’s Chairman and CEO, went on to say, “It takes a company with the foresight, experience and know how of Samsung SDS to appreciate the difference between e-Smart’s technologies and all of the others. We at e-Smart look forward to a close, long term and very successful collaboration with Samsung SDS.” Ms. Grace then added, “In my opinion, the wedding of e-Smart’s BVS2(TM), Super Smart Card(TM) and related technologies with Samsung SDS’s systems, software and integration expertise will create a perfect union that will last for many years to come.”
Safe Harbor Statement:
Statements in this news release that relate to future plans, financial results or projections, events or performance are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. While these statements are made to convey to the public the Company’s progress, business opportunities and growth prospects, readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements represent the management’s opinion. While management believes such representations to be true and accurate based on information available to the Company at this time, actual results may differ materially from those described.