HID Global, a worldwide leader in trusted identity solutions, announced that it has acquired Arjo Systems SAS, a provider of physical and digital identity solutions for secure government ID applications. Arjo Systems gives HID Global broader capabilities to deploy electronic identification (eID) and ePassport solutions for government programs.

?Our acquisition of Arjo Systems significantly advances our Government-to-Citizen ID business, broadening our geographical reach and giving us critical mass,? said Stefan Widing, President and CEO of HID Global. ?Arjo Systems is a strong fit for HID Global, complementing our existing government ID offerings with an expanded range of capabilities for government agencies, state printers and local integrators.?

The acquisition brings together complementary strategies, customer bases, and offerings that have strong synergies to support continued innovation for government-to-citizen ID customers. Arjo Systems boosts HID as an eID and ePassport solutions provider with complementary products and new software capabilities, one of the few proven eID/ePassport chip operating systems, integration services and market knowledge, expanding HID Global?s presence in select emerging markets, as HID looks to better support government customers and integrators alike.

Arjo Systems will be merged with HID Global?s existing Government ID Solutions business. With approximately 100 employees overall, Arjo Systems will continue its operations in France, Italy, and Hong Kong.

Anchored by more than two decades of experience in the government market, HID Global has shipped more than 150 million government-issued IDs in over 50 countries for major projects that include national ID, e-passport, foreign resident ID, driver?s license and vehicle registration programs.