Infineon issued with passport order

today announced that it received a multi-million piece purchase order from the United States government to supply its secure integrated circuit technology for new electronic passports.

Designed to facilitate international travel by allowing automatic identity verification, faster immigration inspections and greater border protection and security, the new passports include a computer chip in the back cover that securely stores the same information that is printed on the document.

The US began issuing electronic passports to diplomats and other government workers in late 2005, and is now expanding the program to include the widely issued tourist passport used by private citizens. By the end of this year, the government expects that all new US passports will be issued as electronic passports.

Infineon supplies its secure identification chips to more than 20 countries that have begun to use electronic passports or have begun to test this technology, including Germany, Hong Kong, Norway and Sweden.