Brussels, 8 October 2018 – Zetes announces that it has won the two contracts that were put out to tender by the Belgian Ministry of the Interior: one for the production and personalisation of the eID, KidsID, residence permits and similar documents and the other, to issue the authentication and signature certificates that these documents contain. These certificates provide a means to verify that the bearer of a card is in fact the person he/she claims to be in the course of an electronic transaction. It confers a legal character onto documents signed using the eID.
Carried in the wallet of every Belgian citizen since 2003
Zetes has been producing and personalising the Belgian eID ever since the Belgian authorities initiated the project in 2003 - a world first at the time. Since then, our national ID card has become a worldwide benchmark, thanks to both the scope of the project and the quality of the document. Over the last 15 years, Zetes has taken a leading position in the ID and travel documents market and was therefore able to submit a cutting-edge and comprehensive bid in response to this latest call for tenders. Now, in addition to its original remit, Zetes will also be issuing authentication and signature certificates linked to the card, as specified in a second invitation to tender.
eIDAS: advantages for citizens and companies
To satisfy the European requirements concerning electronic signatures - better known as the eIDAS Regulation - certificates must be issued by a Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP). This certification is obtained following extremely in-depth audits, for which Zetes has the necessary experience, now gathered in its new ZetesConfidens division. This division most notably offers public key infrastructure (PKI) services to issue certificates.
Note that eIDAS is one of the measures adopted by the European Union for the purpose of creating a digital single market. Since the Belgian eID complies with this regulation, Belgian citizens and by extension companies, can carry out certain transactions with authorities or companies in other EU countries on line, with the guarantee that their ID document will be recognised and their digital signature will carry legal value.
Two additional components: eTravel and eHealth
In addition to issuing these certificates, which are essential to the implementation and management of eGovernment projects such as TaxOnWeb, Zetes will deliver a PKI for the protection of personal data on the contactless chip. This is a new component incorporated in this version of the eID in connection with the use of the card as a travel document. Due of this specific feature, both the chip and the PKI must comply with ICAO standards. Finally, Zetes has also been given responsibility for issuing eHealth certificates. These certificates, used in the public health sector, allow care service providers to interact with the eHealth platform.
The PKI chosen by Zetes for all these transactions is EJBCA by PrimeKey, which has been used with success in projects such as the Turkish passport and the eID in the Philippines.
Alain Wirtz, CEO of Zetes, says: "The Belgian eID is an iconic project for Zetes. Since the beginning, our partnership with the Belgian authorities has been extremely productive. It has allowed us to provide Belgian citizens with high-quality and very secure state-of-the-art electronic documents. We are delighted to be able to renew this collaboration, whilst also extending its scope. "
This is a ten-year contract. Zetes will therefore continue to supply ID cards to all Belgian citizens until 2028.
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For more information:
Corporate Communications Manager
Mathilde Alves Nunes
T +32 2 790 37 48
E mathilde.alves@zetes.com
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.
A about ZetesConfidens
ZetesConfidens is the division of Zetes that offers trust services for electronic signing in accordance with the European Union's eIDAS. Its offering covers all e-signature needs, from registration to the signature itself, and including the issuing of certificates, production of smart cards containing certificates, a platform for online signing and sharing of documents, and time stamping services. The eaZy range of solutions from ZetesConfidens (eaZyCert, eaZySign, eaZySeal, eaZyTime et eaZyID) guarantees the easy and practical application of the processes that result in a reliable, legally binding signature.
