A €320 million deal has sealed the deal (subject to regulatory approvals) for Amadeus to acquire leading biometric solutions provider Vision-Box. The acquisition will see approximately 470 Vison-Box employees transfer to Amadeus with the transaction expected to close in H1, 2024.
Marking an important step towards a fully integrated passenger journey, the deal will bring new capabilities around biometrics hardware and software, adding border control solutions to Amadeus’ portfolio, so that it will be able to deliver a seamless experience from booking to boarding.
“Biometrics is a strategic and fast-growing industry,” said Decius Valmorbida, President, Travel at Amadeus. “With a portfolio which is deeply complementary to our existing offering for both airports and airlines, our combined best-in-class solutions will now deliver a seamless passenger journey from booking to boarding. This acceleration of our ecosystems approach will bring immediate and tangible benefits to our customers and travellers: it’s how travel works better.”
The global biometrics sector is only expected to grow in the coming years – with the Biometrics Research Group estimating it will grow to US$86.1 billion by 2028 (from its projected 2023 value of US$47.8 billion). the travel industry’s increased focus on digitalisation of the passenger journey is a big push behind this increasing demand with airports and airlines looking to improve the passenger experience, meet operational pressures and deliver against regulatory demands.
IATA’s Global Passenger Survey 2023 found that 75% of passengers are keen on using biometric data to expedite processes at the airport instead of showing passports and boarding passes. Frictionless touchpoints allow passengers to arrive at the boarding gate on time, reducing stress levels and freeing up times to spend at lounge or retail areas. Another upside of the technology is that fewer staff are required to assist at biometric touchpoints, freeing up staff resources to look after other more complex customer enquiries and deliver the best possible customer service at the airport.
Also commenting on the acquisition, Miguel Leitmann, Founder and CEO of Vision-Box added: “I’m excited about the growth opportunities for Vision-Box as we join Amadeus. Together, we can deliver the next big step in the travel experience: to unite all separate players and systems in a single, digitally-integrated and orchestrated ecosystem. This compelling value proposition will drive user experience, on-time-performance, infrastructure usage and other key indicators to new levels of efficiency.”
