COVID-19 secure certificates for Vaccines and Tests
COVID-19 secure certificates
Joint press release of ELCA and SICPA
In its communiqué on 22 April 2021 the Federal Office for Public Health (OFSP) proposes two approaches which are aimed at producing a Swiss solution that will be operational at end May. On the one hand a solution put forward by OFIT (the Federal Office for Telecommunications and Informatics) and on the other a solution jointly proposed by ELCA and SICPA. ELCA and SICPA are proud to take up this challenge in close partnership with the OFSP and the OFIT in order to allow citizens a safe return to normal life.
The ELCA and SICPA solution is based on the expertise of these two companies, whose technologies are already deployed to secure numerous aspects of citizens' daily lives, in Switzerland and throughout the world.
This 100% Swiss solution (which is fully interoperable with solutions to be deployed by other countries) will enable the competent authorities to generate a forgery-proof QR code. This is a unique technology developed by SICPA. The QR code can be stored on a smartphone or in a printed version – both with an equally high level of security - which can then be verified using a simple smartphone. This will greatly facilitate its adoption by everyone in Switzerland and its recognition at border crossings. ELCA’s solutions, in particular HealthnGo, allow this QR code to be used by numerous stakeholders, notably the issuers of health certificates, the entities charged with verification and of course Swiss citizens themselves.
The solution is easy to use and fully respects all the criteria required by the authorities to protect citizens private data. It complies with Article 6a of the COVID Law, protects data and sharing only that which is essential to verification. It does not require access to any centralised database. This avoids any unauthorised access or manipulation. This unprecedented level of security, integrity, confidentiality and traceability has already resulted in adoption by key players in the Swiss health sector and will enable it to be deployed rapidly. The solution also assures rigorous identification of the health service providers who are charged with certifying a health event such as vaccination or proof of a test result, using ELCA’s trustID. This is a solution certified by the Confederation in the framework of Electronic Patient Records.
Mr. Philippe Amon, Chairman and CEO of SICPA said: “Supporting Switzerland and her citizens in the current health crisis is a top priority. The cutting-edge solution we are proposing to the Swiss authorities with our partner ELCA is something that we can all be proud of.”
Mr. Cedric Moret, Board member and CEO of ELCA said “Bringing together the ELCA and SICPA solutions allows us to rapidly put in place a safe and effective solution for all Swiss citizens. We are honoured to be able to help Switzerland to find a swift exit from the crisis.”
The reliability and flexibility of the ELCA and SICPA solution, together with the competences of the OFIT will allow citizens to travel once again, to visit their families and friends, to pursue leisure activities. In short, it will allow them to return to normal life while maintaining trust, a core value for both SICPA and ELCA.
ELCA is one of the biggest independent Swiss full-service providers for business and technology solutions, and a leader in the fields of IT business consulting, software development and maintenance, and IT systems integration. ELCA solutions reduce complexity and increase innovation cycles, improve business outcomes and customer satisfaction. The privately-owned company, with more than 1400 experts, has branches in Lausanne, Zurich, Geneva, Berne, Paris, Madrid, Basel, Granada, Mauritius and Ho Chi Minh City (offshore development), all operating according to a common process framework.
www.elca.ch
SICPA is a leading global provider of secured authentication, identification and traceability solutions and services and a long-trusted advisor to governments, central banks, high security printers and industry. Founded in 1927, headquartered in Switzerland and operating on five continents, SICPA’s mission is to Enable Trust through constant innovation. Based on core expertise in high security inks, the company protects the majority of the world’s banknotes, security and value documents from the threats of counterfeiting and fraud. SICPA also integrates material covert features and cutting-edge digital technology to offer sophisticated traceability and supply chain protection solutions and services, enabling governments to optimize tax revenues and enforce regulations. SICPA also continues to innovate in the digital area, working with inhouse R&D and external partners to provide solutions for e-government services.
www.sicpa.com