TECH5, a technology innovator in the field of biometrics, has integrated the T5-IDencode issuance platform – a part of its T5-Digital ID offering – with the MOSIP foundational identity Platform. This new functionality covers biometric enrolment of a person as well as the issuance of secure and private digital IDs with data sourced from a National ID database.
TECH5 has integrated the T5-Digital ID offering with the MOSIP platform, and any country adopting MOSIP can leverage the product with minimal integration efforts. Currently, the new solution is being implemented as a PoC for the first time in Ethiopia.
Implementing a digital-first ID alongside a physical credential using the MOSIP platform will allow governments to reduce the cost and speed of ID issuance as well as streamline and improve the logistics and management of the ID lifecycle. TECH5’s digital ID can be purely electronic or printed and retain the same ID verification functionality. Furthermore, given that there will be neither a need for specialized or purpose-built devices nor internet connectivity because reading and verification of the digital ID can be performed in a completely offline manner, there will also be a consequent reduction in hardware.
MOSIP is a global open-source platform that is designed to help organizations and governments implement a foundational ID system that provides users with unique IDs. With the integration of the T5-IDencode platform with MOSIP, these unique IDs can not only be issued in a secure digital format, but can also be securely authenticated, thus facilitating the effective delivery of services such as healthcare, education, and social security, without compromising a citizen’s data.
The MOSIP platform integrated with T5-Digital ID also allows for enrolment and deduplication prior to issuing a digital ID. As Rahul Parthe, Co-founder, Chairman and CTO of TECH5 explains, “The T5-ABIS BE component that was integrated with MOSIP in 2019 is used for deduplication services during the enrolment process to verify that a user does not already exist in the database under a different name and to ensure that the issued digital ID is unique.”
The credential issuance functionality of T5-Digital ID will significantly increase privacy and security during verification. This is because the digital ID is issued in the form of a secure digital container known as the T5-Cryptograph, which enables biometric authentication using TECH5’s NIST top-ranked face and/or fingerprint recognition algorithms. Furthermore, the data in the T5-Cryptograph is readable only by a verified authority, and only after the identity holder authorizes the reading and verification of its contents.
The total solution enables each user to have full control over their private and personally identifiable information. The credential issued by the Government can be stored on the user’s phone or kept in printed format and used for biometric verification against the holder. This consent-based mechanism afforded by the new solution empowers each user with the ability to seamlessly self-authenticate anywhere in the country and access a wide range of Government and Enterprise services.
“We develop all of our technologies and solutions for identity management around the principles of ID4D and are very passionate about the MOSIP project. The TECH5 – MOSIP technical integration has enabled the creation of a unique solution that can be implemented for digital ID issuance around the world” – comments Mr. Parthe.
“MOSIP believes in innovation. Paperless secure credentialing and enablement of offline identity verification is a strong use-case to demonstrate, especially from the point of view of inclusion and privacy. We appreciate TECH5’s initiatives in embracing breakthrough open-source technology like MOSIP”, says Krishnan Rajagopalan, Head of Country Implementations, MOSIP.