Visions need freedom

1999 – Based on Vostalpine’s innovation project „Enterprise“, the company ekey is founded.  Its visionary business model: To develop a software to secure the internet by means of biometrics. 

2002 - After Voestalpine’s executive board decided to re-focus on its core business, the production of high quality steel, ekey is meant to be closed down. The Sales Director Signot Keldorfer recognizes the future market potential, becoming a shareholder via a management-buyout. The brand name as well as several assets and patents are taken over. To a certain extent, the company’s staff is kept.
At the same time, the business model is adapted: Next to securing the internet by means of biometrics, it is planned to develop a physical biometric access control system, targeting the residential and corporate market.
The new vision: Your finger is the key!

2003 – R&D efforts start to bear fruit: The innovative stand-alone fingerprint reader ekey home is launched, offering the highest level of security at an affordable price. ekey home is the first biometric system suitable for the mass market.

2004 – ekey biometric systems Deutschland GmbH is established in Germany. There, it is responsible for the distribution of the entire ekey product portfolio.

2005 – ekey net, the first true distributed biometric access control system is presented to the public. At the same time, ekey starts to work as an OEM supplier. Several innovation awards follow en suite.

2006 – ekey biometric systems Establishment is founded in Liechtenstein, seervicing also the Swiss market.

2007 – A new software solution is released to replace passwords in the Active Directory during computer log-in: ekey logon server.
With regard to physical access control, the flush-mounted integra finger scanner is successfully launched.

2008 – ekey lock, a product bundle consisting of a fingerprint reader and a wireless RF cylinder to retrofit existing doors, is offered for the first time.
Special emphasis is put on design: In cooperation with FSB, a German manufacturer of high-end stainless steel door handles, ekey develops a new generation of finger scanners.
Several OEM developments are completed successfully.

2009 – A compact, outlet-mounted fingerprint reader is developed on behalf of the Swiss market leader for light switches. ekey is awarded a number of national and international prices.

2011 – ekey biometric systems d.o.o. is founded in Slovenia. It is responsible for the distribution of ekey products in the Eastern Adriatic region (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania).
Pay-at-Match, a biometric payment terminal developed by ekey, is successfully presented by Telekom Deutschland at the German Innovation Award.