Brussels, Praia, December 21st 2020 – Last Saturday, the Cabo Verdean authorities officially launched their newly installed border control solution, during an event gathering the Cabo Verdean authorities, headed by the Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, the Minister of Internal Affairs Paulo Rocha, the Cabo Verdean police, Zetes representatives, and the local press. Zetes was appointed to design and execute this project for which the deployment took place in several phases. Zetes’ border control solution includes an online visa and security airport fee (Electronic Travel System or ETS) issuing solution as well as the deployment of 11 Panasonic e-gates featuring facial recognition and is integrated with national and international watch-lists, Advance Passenger Information (API), etc. Travelers and border control authorities alike now benefit from faster and more secure border crossing. As part of the project, Zetes opened a new office in Cabo Verde.
Border control: a country’s figurehead for visiting travelers
With a steadily growing number of passengers crossing its borders (2.8 million in 2019), Cabo Verde needed a secure and automated solution that would allow them to provide travelers with a smooth border control experience, while guaranteeing efficient identity checks. The authorities selected Zetes based on the quality of the offer, presenting a solution which combines the needed reliability together with flexibility in execution.
The first phase of the deployment, focused on a pre-enrollment solution (visa and airport security fee) delivery, which was operational in under 3 months. People who want to visit the islands can now apply online, through a dedicated website. They proceed to payment and are provided with an application number, which allows them to facilitate the border process on arrival. This means travelers are avoiding tedious visits to the consulate.
Crossing the border in about 12 seconds
The second phase focused on the implementation of the Panasonic e-gates in Cabo Verde’s four internationals airports in Praia, Sal, Boa Vista and São Vicente. The third and final phase is the integration of the full Border Control Solution with watch lists and APIs, which is currently ongoing and expected to be completed in 2021. Once fully operational, the solution will enable a reduction in the time spent on border control per traveler from 1 minute 30 seconds to merely 30 seconds using the e-gates. Under ideal conditions, this duration can even be reduced to about 12 seconds per traveler.
A well-orchestrated Zetes-Panasonic collaboration with the Cabo Verdean authorities
Minister of Internal Affairs Paulo Rocha declares: “Zetes, our technological partner, provides top-notch technical solutions and has been in charge of the full execution of this project. We are very pleased and proud of the achieved results. Being able to provide safety and security, creating confidence and well-being is, without a doubt, a country and top touristic destination’s most important intangible asset. It is, indeed, a differentiating factor that we are committed to ensure, alongside competitiveness.”
Alain Wirtz, CEO of Zetes, explains: “Thanks to our ZetesOrbis range of solutions, we are able to support the public authorities of Cabo Verde with top notch, highly secure and reliable solutions for both the identification and authentication of travelers. Since Zetes has been acquired by Panasonic, in 2017, we have been looking at synergies between both companies and we are very happy with this first implementation of Panasonic’s e-gates, which include a high-performance facial recognition engine which is also active in 7 airports in Japan. Panasonic is recognized for their excellence in developing robust and reliable technologies and we are convinced of the incredible potential of these e-gates for worldwide implementations in airports.”
About Zetes
Zetes is a technology company specialising in supply chain optimisation and citizen identification solutions. Our Supply Chain Solutions help companies achieve agility, visibility and traceability across their connected supply chain. Our People Identification division provides public authorities and supranational institutions with solutions to enable authentication of citizens in view of the issuing of secure ID and travel documents and the creation of national registers or voters’ lists.
Zetes is headquartered in Brussels and has more than 1,300 employees in 22 countries across EMEA. In 2017, Zetes became a subsidiary of the Panasonic Corporation. For more information visit www.zetes.com or subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Zetes’ government solutions
The People ID division of Zetes provides secure solutions that allow governments to accurately identify their populations and satisfy the strictest international requirements concerning the issuing of documents and the organising of democratic elections. Zetes has more than 15 years’ experience in the implementation of sensitive projects for governments and supranational organisations. Zetes’ government solutions are characterised by reliability, combined with flexibility and operational capability. Through this approach, citizens are secure in their ability to prove their identity and exercise democratic rights.
About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a global leader developing innovative technologies and solutions for wide-ranging applications in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, and B2B sectors. The company, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2018, operates 528 subsidiaries and 72 associated companies worldwide and reported consolidated net sales of 7.49 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, 2020. Committed to pursuing new value through collaborative innovation, the company uses its technologies to create a better life and a better world for customers. Learn more about Panasonic: https://www.panasonic.com/global.
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