18 March 2010 – Sopra Group, a major player in consulting and IT services in Europe, won a prize for its innovative “De Facto” (Dematerialization Factory) solution at the E-DOC Awards at the Documentation 2010 Show.  The E-DOC Awards are presented for products (software or hardware), services or procedures relating to dematerialization in private and public environments in France and abroad.

Participating for the first time, Sopra Group captivated the jury with its expertise in identity processing and dematerialization (digitizing of documents and archiving of information on electronic chips) and by its illustration of this expertise through innovative projects in 13 countries worldwide over a  period of almost 10 years.

Innovative projects undertaken in partnership with Oberthur Technologies

Sopra Group demonstrates its expertise in concrete projects that come within a dematerialization logic. Since 2003, the Group has proposed a solution in partnership with Oberthur Technologies (provider of smartcard solutions) to personalize identity documents (passports, visas, etc.). This expertise involves biometric identification and authentication, authenticity verification, security and smartcard medium management.  Collaboration between the two players has generated the implementation of 17 systems in 13 countries. 

While complying with the legislation in each country and its political and security issues, the solution offers innovative services to citizens, allows costs to be reduced and satisfies a sustainable development logic (zero paper, reduced postal charges, etc.). The process used enables en masse digitization of application forms, real-time capture of the applicant’s data (photo, fingerprints, signature, etc.), graphic personalization and, finally, provision of the identity document to the applicant.

The Principality of Monaco uses Sopra Group

“We needed a flexible, innovative system able to supply an electronic Monegasque identity card to citizens within a maximum of 72 hrs, at the town hall or using a remote system for the handicapped -  all in direct liaison with our civil registration unit. In partnership with Oberthur Technologies, Sopra Group was able to satisfy our requirements, offering expertise and precise professional skills to guide us throughout the project. The pertinence of their recommendations, the availability and professional competency of their teams made this project a success.
We can now say that the daily production of cards causes us no trouble because Sopra Group provides a quick response to our requests to correct or upgrade the system to meet new requirements”, explained Bernard Lefranc, Head of the Principality of Monaco Civil Registration and Nationality Department.

At the end of 2009, Sopra Group set up a complete electronic passport issuance system for the Philippines. A complex project, the aim of which was to ensure the production of worldwide demand – the equivalent of 15,000 passports a day. To guarantee the application flow, Sopra Group set up an innovative, decentralized system where each site (over 100 registration and distribution sites throughout the world) is permanently connected with the central personalisation site and where applications transit automatically by means of Web Services.

“This award has crowned the innovation efforts we have been making for close to 10 years now in the field of secure documents. We now have a solution implemented on every continent, with personalization requirements and maximum security, tailored to the various political and economic issues at stake for each country," declared Benjamin Gohory, who is in charge of the "De Facto" offering at Sopra Group.