Daon to take on Japanese market

IRISH biometric security specialists Daon plan to take the Japanese market by storm after winning a crucial identity-processing contract from the US Department of Homeland Security.

Dublin-based Daon is emerging as the world leader in the burgeoning €400 million per-year biometric identity management software market. The business worldwide has mushroomed since the September 11 attacks in the US.

Governments and corporations are responding to global security threats using scanned fingerprints and iris recognition techniques for population- wide security programmes. Daon, owned by businessman Dermot Desmond, earlier this month secured the contract to supply the core software to the US Department of Homeland Security worker identification programme. The department is expected to formally announce the deal today.