Security solutions company targets Africa growth

Helping logistics companies to secure their supply chains overborder is the major focus of ID Verification Systems (IVS) for the year ahead. “We have wanted to expand our security services and products into Africa for a while now,” said company director, Stephen Bracher. Greater collaboration between different logistics entities throughout South Africa and the rest of Africa has opened up opportunities for the company, he added. Company founder, Marius van Jaarsveld, told FTW that IVS – which celebrates its eighth year of operation this month – started with four customers in 2006 (including Airlink Cargo) and now had over 500, with more than 5 000 security permits in circulation. “The industry is really seeing the benefits of our electronic security solutions which have evolved along with our clients’ needs,” he noted. According to Van Jaarsveld, a lot of the solutions have multi-purpose applications as well. “For example our permit cards are now being used at multiple access points, even at different logistics companies, so cargo handling, pick-ups and drop-offs are now tracked at every point of entry,” he said. Bracher said the company would also be rolling out new or improved electronics security solutions which would include webbased facial recognition, a comprehensive personnel tracking system via mobile device, and a new real-time application for G4S for tablets. These are designed to considerably reduce security paperwork. He pointed out that the fact that internet speed had picked up in South Africa and become more affordable was an advantage IVS was leveraging off to expand its products. “A new, younger generation of decision-makers in the industry is also more aware of the possibilities around security technology and so buy-in is more easily obtained.” He added that the company had doubled its number of developers since it was established. Company manager Antoinette van Jaarsveld told FTW that among the highlights of the past eight years was the roll-out of a full visitor management system as part of the IVS Gate Access System. “This alerts you if an important customer has arrived unexpectedly or if a visitor that you have tagged as a potential threat arrives at an entry point,” she said. INSERT & CAPTION Our solutions have evolved along with our clients’ needs. – Marius van Jaarsveld