HID has announced it has acquired inepro ID, a provider of contactless authentication solutions for secure print release and identity management. inepro ID is part of inepro Group, a Dutch technology company headquartered in Nieuw-Vennep.

Founded in the 1990s, inepro ID specializes in innovative RFID and BLE authentication solutions for facility management and identification. inepro ID's solutions are used primarily in Europe, with a growing presence in North and Latin America. Key applications include secure cloud printing and document flow control, smart locker management and micropayment and user activity registration.

"Customers want an identity experience that is part of a larger ecosystem, including interactions from the door to the printer, the locker, the workstation and beyond," said Björn Lidefelt, executive vice president and head, HID. "inepro ID strengthens our ecosystem with their expertise in secure print. We look forward to welcoming the team to the HID family, and together we will further extend trusted identities to how people work every day."

The inepro ID product offering includes credential-agnostic readers, software and professional services. Its Spider reader family includes embedded readers for printers and lockers, as well as desktop and portable readers for authentication at workstations, digital boards and cash registers. By adding these products to its portfolio, HID is better positioned to accelerate growth across a variety of use cases and geographies.

"Demand for RFID-based secure print is rising worldwide, driven by stronger security requirements and the shift to shared, flexible workspaces," said Marc Bielmann, senior vice president and head of identification technologies, HID. "inepro ID brings proven technology and deep expertise in this market and HID brings global reach. Together, we will help more customers protect sensitive documents and authenticate users more easily, across a broader range of credential technologies."

inepro ID is now part of HID's Identification Technologies (IDT) Business Area, joining HID's OMNIKEY portfolio of authentication solutions. Building on more than 25 years of OMNIKEY experience, the combined team and solutions will strengthen HID's Secure Print capabilities through inepro ID's secure-print technologies and market expertise, supported by HID's global sales, engineering and operational resources. HID is committed to supporting inepro ID customers and partners while building on its credential-agnostic approach to accelerate innovation and deliver greater value.

"With the Spider reader family, our team has built a strong foundation for smart, reliable and credential-agnostic identification," said Jeroen Pynenburg, CEO, inepro Group BV. "We are proud of what we have achieved together. By bringing our ID business into HID, we are opening an exciting new chapter, creating opportunities for our technology and our people to grow and succeed on a global scale. For inepro Group, this marks a positive and deliberate step forward: building on our heritage of innovation while bringing renewed focus, energy and ambition to the next phase of growth in smart energy metering and energy intelligence. We are excited about the opportunities ahead for both businesses."