NEXT Biometrics and MK Group Announce New R&D Program for Biometric Smart Cards

OSLO,Nov. 26,2018 -- NEXT Biometrics (Oslo Bors: NEXT),a global leader in fingerprint sensor technology,today announced the company is joining with MK Group to launch an R&D program for biometric smart cards for banking and other applications. The program will integrate NEXT's large-area fingerprint sensors into MK Group's next generation smart card products. Vietnam-based MK Group is the leading provider of smart cards and digital security solutions for financial,telecommunication and retail enterprises in Vietnam and one of the largest in South East Asia.

"As the industry moves toward biometric solutions for card-based transactions,companies like MK Group are leading the way toward accelerating this trend," said Alain Faburel,NEXT Biometrics' chief sales and marketing officer. "We're very pleased to have our technology considered for MK Group's future product lineup. This is yet another strong affirmation of the core advantages NEXT is bringing to the smart card segment with our large-area,flexible sensors."

MK group intends to include biometric solutions in its future products and has selected NEXT's One Touch Flex CT-150 sensors for use in trials to evaluate contact-based biometric smart card technology. The NEXT One Touch Flex CT-150 is a flexible,large-area sensor designed specifically for biometric smart cards.

"As a leader in smart card technology,incorporating the security and convenience of biometrics in our products is a natural next step forward for MK Group," said Nguyen Trong Khang,Chairman and CEO,MK Group. "We look forward to working with NEXT Biometrics on this project to share the benefits of advanced fingerprint sensor technology with our customers."

NEXT technical and sales teams are currently working closely with MK Group on the biometric smart card project,which is expected to begin in the near future. Today's announcement marks an additional advance in the pace of smart card deployment following recent news from NEXT regarding availability of a biometric smart card reference design that allows for expedited development of smart card products.

About MK Group

MK Group Joint Stock Company (MK Group) is a Vietnam based company that specializes in a wide range of digital secure authentication solutions and smart card products. These include: Smart payments; identification and exchange data; digitized identification; transaction and communication; and secure data for identity,transactions and communication. MK Group has 19 years' experience in serving finance – banking,governments,enterprises,transportation and telecom and ceaselessly invests in order to improve the quality of products and services. The company works closely with customers,partners and other stakeholders to successfully transform their businesses in the fast-changing world of technology.

About NEXT Biometrics

NEXT provides advanced fingerprint sensor technology that delivers uncompromised security and accuracy for the best possible user experience in the smart card,government ID,access control and notebook markets. The company's patented NEXT Active Thermal™ principle allows the development of large,high quality fingerprint sensors in both rigid and flexible formats. NEXT Biometrics Group ASA (www.nextbiometrics.com) is headquartered in Oslo,with sales,support and development operations in Seattle,Silicon Valley,Taipei,Prague,Bengalaru and Shanghai.

Media contact:

Tom Beermann,

tom.beermann@nextbiometrics.com

Investor contact:

Knut Stalen,

knut.stalen@nextbiometrics.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/next-biometrics/r/next-biometrics-and-mk-group-announce-new-r-d-program-for-biometric-smart-cards,c2682437

The following files are available for download:

http://mb.cision.com/Main/10109/2682437/952246.pdf

PDF

http://news.cision.com/next-biometrics/i/next-smart-card,c2534200

NEXT Smart Card