Burnside business developing tech for India
Posted Jul 19, 2011 10:12:56 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
India’s democratic process is jumping into the 21st century with the help of a company in Burnside and a funding announcement from the province of Nova Scotia.
Intelivote Systems Inc., in Burnside, is receiving an $85,000 investment through the province’s Productivity Investment Program (PIP).
“Their application suggested they were going to upgrade their ability to meet international standards, in terms of security for their product,” said Labour Minister Marilyn More, following a tour of the facility Tuesday. “One of the main purposes of this fund is to encourage Nova Scotia Companies to be more globally competitive.”
The company made its mark locally by facilitating electronic voting during the 2008 Halifax Regional Municipal election and the upcoming 2012 election.
Its plan is not only to upgrade its security but to help develop identity cards, using nanotechnology, for India.
“What they want to do with introducing this nano-technology, is your picture will be on the card, but also encrypted inside it will be this technology that allows the election authorities to scan the card and read it,” said President and founder, Dean Smith, after meeting with the Minister. “It will bring up an image of you as the registered voter so they can prove the authenticity.”
The company is working in partnership with a company in India to develop the technology.
Smith said assuming false identities is a big problem in India where fraudsters will pose as police officers to extort money from parking violators.
Although he predicts his company’s electronic voting technology will not make headway in the South Asian region where people are still required to attend a voting station in person to cast their ballots.
