GE's IDenticard Systems, known for its access control and personal identification badge systems, is being dislodged from GE. The company division has sold to Brady Corporation.
IDenticard, which has been in the identification market since 1970, is known for its secure card technology that uses secure transmission, biometrics, and digital imaging. The company's technology has been a staple of the physical security and access control market.
As part of the acquisition, IDenticard's Canadian affiliate IDenticam -- which specializes in ID card management with printing, supplies and visitor management tools -- is also being moved over to Brady Corporation.
According to an announcement from Brady Corporation, IDenticard saw sales of $33 million in 2005. The company was not a long-time member of the GE family, having only been added in last March during the acquisition of Edwards Systems Technology.
Brady Corporation has been on the move in the security and safety market recently. The company owns TEMPbadge and STOPware in the U.S., and BIGBadge in the U.K. and French markets. The company picked up J.A.M. Plastics, a maker of badge holder accessories, in January. Also that month, Personnel Concepts, a marketer of labor-law-compliance products (such as business display posters), was acquired by Brady. STOPware was acquired by the company in August 2005, almost immediately after the company picked up a specialty company that produces labels placed on newly manufactured hard drives.
Brady Corporation's V.P. Direct Marketing Americas Tom Felmer said the purchase of IDenticard was a natural fit for the direction the company had been moving in.
"The acquisition of IDenticard and IDenticam further strengthens our position in the personal identification market and establishes Brady as a leader in card access security badges," said Felmer. "We expect this acquisition to play a key role in our global personal identification product strategy."
Carole Herbstreit, Brady Corp.'s corporate communications director added that much of the focus on security today is concerned with "who is allowed to be in the building and who is not." The addition of IDenticard, she says, gives the company the ability to offer a complete product line in the personal identification market.
Brady Corporation: Timeline of Security Industry Acquisitions
- April 2002 --> TemTec (TempBadge, expiring ID badges)
- November 2003 --> BIGBadge (ID badges and related software, in U.K./France)
- August 2005 --> STOPWare (full ID solutions, visitor badging, PassagePoint software, lobby management)
- January 2006 --> J.A.M. Plastics (badge accessories, lanyards, etc.)
- February 2006 --> IDenticard/IDenticam (access control, high-security badge/smart ID card systems with optional biometrics functionality)
