Tokyo, Japan and Hong Kong – August 23, 2021 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) today announced that its face recognition technology ranked first in the world in the most recent face recognition technology benchmarking test (FRVT Ongoing, *1) conducted by the globally authoritative U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In particular, in the large-scale "1:N Identification", which is largely used for FinTech and requires higher precision for applications that include cashless payments, public transportation and digital ID, the system was evaluated with an accuracy rate of 99.78% for still images among 12 million people (*2).

In NIST benchmark testing, NEC also ranked first following the face recognition benchmark in 2018 (FRVT2018, *3).

NEC was one of the first companies in the world to develop and commercialize a face recognition engine that achieves high accuracy even when masks are worn in response to the spread of COVID-19. In this way, NEC works to further improve the performance of its core face recognition algorithm in order to quickly respond to emerging social needs. In addition, based on the NEC Group AI and Human Rights Principles (*4), NEC will continue to give top priority to privacy considerations and respect for human rights when using data such as AI and biometric information.

Going forward, NEC will capitalize on its portfolio of biometric identification solutions, ‘Bio-IDiom’ (*5), which includes face recognition technologies, and ‘NEC the WISE’ (*6), a leading-edge group of AI technologies, including video analytics, in order to expand their use among applications that require a high degree of reliability, including cashless payment solutions for FinTech, public transportation, and digital ID for large-scale facilities and functions, such as airports and sports events.

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About NEC Hong Kong Limited
Established in 1984, NEC Hong Kong Limited (NEC HK) has been rapidly expanding its activities to meet growing customer demands in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China.

As a leading information and communications technology provider, NEC HK provides innovative solutions and infrastructure to promote safety, security and enhance the quality of life for individuals and the community. NEC HK’s expertise includes solutions for carrier networks, biometric identification, smart city, artificial intelligence, public safety, cloud computing, enterprise applications and infrastructure, unified communications, transportation solutions, multimedia displays and smart energy, as well as the provision of managed services and contact centre services.

In addition, NEC HK provides advanced display & visual products, server & storage, telecommunication and networking solutions. With a comprehensive range of technical experts and resources, NEC HK offers professional tailored solutions to meet the dynamic needs of customers in various industries. With our extensive products and services, we continuously deliver business value to customers globally. NEC HK is the one-stop answer for innovative technological excellence. For enquiry, please call (+852) 2733 5533 or visit http://hk.nec.com/.