Smartmatic

Infobox Company
company_name = Smartmatic
company_
company_type = Privately held
foundation = 1998
location_city = Global contact offices
location_country = multinational
key_people = Antonio Mugica, CEO
industry = Technology, Electronic voting
products = SAES: "Smartmatic Automated Election System", USP: "Unified Security Platform",SIMS: "Smartmatic Identity Management Solution",Voting machines: "SAES3300, SAES4000",Registry and authentication devices
homepage = [http://www.smartmatic.com www.smartmatic.com]

Smartmatic (also referred as Smartmatic Corp. or Smartmatic International) is a multinational corporation founded in 2000 that specializes in the design and deployment of complex purpose-specific technology solutions.

It is organized around three business areas: Electronic voting systems, integrated security systems, and biometric systems for people registration and authentication for government applications.

Smartmatic has offices in the USA, Mexico, Venezuela, Barbados, Spain, Philippines and Taiwan.

Products

Electronic voting

SAES ("Smartmatic Automated Elections System" is a DRE electronic voting system comprising hardware (voting machines), the software operative in same, election management software, and canvassing software for a central location's servers. It includes several security mechanisms, such as encryption using a public key infrastructure (PKI) with 2048-bit digital certificates.

The hardware includes voting machine models with voter verified paper audit trail (VVPAT), redundant memory, integrated printer, a touch screen supporting multiple-choice election processes, tactile remote control, earphones and sip and puff device for disabled voters, and an add-on voting pad device for use in complex elections.

The software comprises an Electoral Management System (EMS), which manages the data on candidates, electoral seats and political parties, etc., that define and configure an election. The Election Day Management Platform (EDMP) suite of management tools directs technicians and operators installing and manning the voting centers using voting machines. It monitors in real time the installation the opening, closing and auditing of the polling booths; the transmission of results and the backing up of data during the event.

Security applications

USP ("Smartmatic’s Unified Security Platform)" automates the interaction between network devices, operators, end users, and security-specific applications. It is designed to provide an end-to-end solution for emergency response using technology to support the handling of emergency calls and to provide immediate responses. It includes hardware for controllers, IP cameras / DVRs, a car PC, and associated sensors. The software SmartCad includes: call center and dispatch modules, telephone service and elements related to first level emergency handling, cartographic interface, evaluation of service quality and operator performance, coordination of personnel, shift management and workload balancing between operators, reports and graphic representation of data.

Identity management

SIMS ("Smartmatic Identity Management Solutions)" enables government agencies to manage people's biographic and biometric information securely, from voter registration to civil registry, from immigration control to national identity projects. It uses both specialized mobile devices for enrollment of people in field applications and an integrated system for stationary use. It includes ID management software, and a back-office system for data consolidation and safeguard.

Major implementations

The company won an open bid in 2004 for the automation of electoral processes in Venezuela. Since then, its SAES system has been used in six elections and has recorded more than 50 million votes, each with a voter-verified printed receipt. In 2007, the company won a contract to provide the SAES automated voting system to the Isle of Curacao.

In August 11, 2008, automated regional elections were held in the Philippines' Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). In the Maguindanao province, voters used Smartmatic's DRE electronic voting machines [ [http://www.smartmatic.com/english/infocenter/single-view/article/autonomous-region-muslim-mindanao-2008/ Autonomous Region Muslim Mindanao 2008 Philippines] ] , while voters in the other 5 provinces (Shariff Kabunsuan, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi) used manually marked ballots processed using OMR technology. The overall reaction of both the public and authorities was positive toward the DRE solution. [ [http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news2_aug12_2008 Manila Standard Today: Automated machines delivered — Comelec ] ] [ [http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=jojoRobles_aug13_2008 Manila Standard Today: E-voting makes a splash] ]

USP was installed in more than 500 branches of Santander-Serfin Bank, (Mexico). Since 2006, the Office of the Mayor of Metropolitan Caracas in Venezuela began the installation of the integrated public security system that helps authorities to provide immediate responses to citizens whose safety has been jeopardized.

Controversy in the electoral market

Since 2004, SAES technology has been used in seven national elections in Venezuela, USA, Philippines and Curaçao. Its mileage includes more than fifty million registered votes, cast using some 35,000 voting machines installed in some 11,000 poll centers. However, in Venezuela, after the presidential recall referendum of 2004 some controversy was raised about the use of electronic voting (SAES voting machines) in that country. The legal basis for this process of automation is found in Article 33(42) of the LOPE (2002), and in Article 154 of the LOSPP (1988). [ [http://www.eueomvenezuela.org/pdf/MOE_UE_Venezuela_2006_final_eng.pdf| Final Report EU EOM Venezuela 2006 (p.19)] ]

After the referendum, segments of the opposition cried fraud and submitted appeals as well as several technical reports, yet, representatives from internationally election observation agencies attested that elections conducted using SAES were at that time and have been (in the following elections) fair, accurate and complying with accepted timing and reliability criteria. These agencies include the Carter Center [ [http://www.cartercenter.org/documents/2020.pdf 41102_Report ] ] , the Organization of American States (OAS) [http://www.sap.oas.org/MOE/2003/venezuela/inf_08_15_04_spa.pdf] , and the European Union (EU) [ [http://www.eueomvenezuela.org/pdf/MOE_UE_Venezuela_2006_final_eng.pdf Comentarios generales: ] ] [ [http://www.cartercenter.org/documents/2020.pdf Carter Center Observing the Venezuela Presidential Recall Referendum (2004)] ] [ [http://www.sap.oas.org/MOE/2003/venezuela/inf_08_15_04_spa.pdf OAS Report Venezuela Presidential Recall Referendum] ] [ [http://www.eueomvenezuela.org/final_report.htm EU EOM Venezuelan Parliamentary Elections 2005] ] [ [http://www.eueomvenezuela.org/pdf/MOE_UE_Venezuela_2006_final_eng.pdf EU EOM Final Report Venezuela 2006] ]

See also

*Civil registration
*Biometrics
*Electronic Voting
*DRE voting machine
*Venezuelan recall referendum, 2004
*Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao general election, 2008

External links

* [http://www.smartmatic.com/ Company website (www.smartmatic.com)]
* [http://www.smartmatic.com/infocenter/infocenter-home/ Elections with SAES (Corporate information including scope, audits, how to vote and results of each election)]
* [http://votingmachines.procon.org/ ProCon's "Do electronic voting machines improve the voting process?" review]

News links

* [http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS173973+05-Dec-2007+BW20071205| Smartmatic Voting Solution Delivers Political Breakthrough in Venezuelan Referendum (Reuters, 2007)]
* [http://www.hispanicmpr.com/2006/12/05/latin-ceo-summit-to-feature-address-by-latin-america-technology-leader/|Latin CEO Summit to feature address by Latin America technology leader (HispanicMPR, 2006)]
* [http://www.thenation.com/doc/20061218/goodman|A Fair and Square Vote in Venezuela (The Nation, 2006)]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9502EED8133AF933A15754C0A9629C8B63| A Crucial Vote for Venezuela and a Company (New York Times, 2004)]

References