Corporate Profile
IER, a subsidiary of the Bolloré Group, is the world leader in supplying major transportation networks with tickets machines and terminals and with boarding control equipment for secure, automated processing of passenger and baggage flows. IER is also the leading provider of automatic identification solutions for controlling flows and goods for production lines and logistics operators. Its expertise in all aspects of the RFID value chain makes it a major player in the provision of these new solutions. Finally, IER is the world leader in the supply of physical security and access control equipment.
Transport equipment
IER is the world leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of terminals for controlling and reading tickets for major air, rail and sea travel networks. Responding to the growing demand for more effective passenger reception solutions, IER has developed a comprehensive range of self-service solutions, including multi-company terminals for the air and collection and consultation terminals on the ground. With a huge range of technologies and software in barcode identification, RFID and biometric control, combined with its mobility and communication technologies and software, IER has become a major player offering new mobility solutions for the transport industry.
Security and access control
Through its subsidiary Automatic System (AS), IER also offers a comprehensive range of products for the secure access of pedestrians and vehicles and protection of sensitive sites. Owing to its international distribution network, AS is one of the world’s leading suppliers to major security integrator firms. Alongside these markets, IER offers customers worldwide a comprehensive range of access-control equipment for road tollgates, underground and overground rail networks and airports. With its cutting-edge detection and control technologies, AS achieved further successes in 2008 in developing markets such as immigration control and security of high-risk sites.
Automatic identification and traceability
IER designs, develops and integrates a number of identification, traceability and mobility solutions for those working in logistics, industry and transport. With expertise in barcode, RFID, voice recognition, Wi-Fi and GPRS technologies, IER now sets the benchmark for integration and service. In 2008, it successfully completed the engineering and implementation of major projects in aeronautics and in the distribution sector, demonstrating the real potential of its RFID technologies.
Mission & Strategy
IER, subsidiary of Bolloré Group, develops solutions to optimise operational efficiency and enhance security in the processing of streams of people, vehicles and goods in the transportation and logistics industries.
Commitment to our customers and ensuring the satisfaction of our shareholders and employees are the basic principles on which our corporate strategy is based.
The objective of our strategy is:
- To provide our customers with an overall offer that includes software and hardware solutions, as well as high added value services.
- To reinforce our position on our various target markets.
- To look for opportunities for external growth.
- To increase the synergies between our various activities.
With this in mind, stimulating innovation is an ongoing concern which leads us to sustained efforts in research, development and technology watch.
Our objective is to master the latest technologies and incorporate them into our products and services, in order to always provide a better response to the needs of our customers.
The success of this strategy also involves the ongoing adaptation of our production and development system towards greater flexibility, responsiveness and versatility so as to satisfy the industrialisation requirements for our new products, both in terms of mechanical design and software integration.
Our company and employees are committed to deploying this overall strategy while ensuring the complete satisfaction of our customers, each and every day.
Key Figures
In 2009, IER generated a total turnover of 112 million euros, of which exports represented 52%.
IER is implementing an extensive policy that, in 2008, included an overall budget of 9.1 million euros devoted to investments, research & development.
At the end of 2009, IER had nearly 800 employees, half of which are located in France.
Figures:
- 800 employees worldwide;
- 13 international sites;
- 10 regional sites;
- 6 production sites.
Assets:
- Internationally recognised know-how;
- Excellent mastery of the industrial process;
- High technical skill and mastery of new technologies;
- A strong international presence.
History
Created at the start of the 1960s, the IER company has consistently enhanced its range of products and services, while also extending its geographical establishment in an effort to always provide a better response to the expectations of its customers.
1962: IER, -Impression et Enregistrement des Résultats- meaning Printing and Saving Results, a company producing and marketing peripheral equipment for the scientific instrumentation market – was created.
1967: IER developed satellite-mounted magnetic
recorders for all the European programmes.
1973: The first ticket printer -IER 221- was mass-produced.
1977: IER positioned itself in the air transport market when it launched the first air ticket printers. Its first customers were Air France and Swissair.
1982: An assembly shop was created in Besançon.
1985: IER developed abroad and opened a subsidiary in the USA, IER Inc.
1986: IER transferred its full production to a new plant located in Besançon.
1987: IER presented its first full range of ticket printers and became, in just a few years, the world leader in ticketing for major transport networks.
1988: A sales office opened in Singapore.
1996: The acquisition of ADAGE was an opportunity for the Automatic Identification activity to complete its range.
1997: IER joined the Bolloré Group.
1998: IER Ltd was created in the United Kingdom and IER Pte Limited in Singapore.
1999: The site in Besançon was extended to include a maintenance and repair centre for French customers and a workshop dedicated to the production of self-service kiosks.
2000: The Transport business of the US company Genicom, one of IER’s largest competitors, was bought out. This buy-out reinforced IER’s position as a world leader and shot it to the number one rank in the USA.
2001: The acquisition of Tupos Graphic, a company
specialised in the composition, processing and packaging of tickets, enabled IER to offer its own range of “paper consumables”.
The subsidiary IER Impresoras Especializadas was opened for customers in Spain and the African continent.
2002: Automatic Systems, a Belgian company specialised in designing and marketing secure access control equipment, was taken over.
IER GmbH was created in Germany to provide customers in Germany and Eastern countries with a wide range of maintenance and repair services.
Part of the business of Ordicam, a company specialised in the design and engineering of identification systems by radiofrequency tags was taken over.
The air transport ticket terminal business of Thales e-transaction -formerly DAT- was taken over.
2003: IER was chosen by the SNCF to renew its automatic ticket machines for main lines, involving a first rollout of 1,150 terminals.
2004: IER signed an agreement with Caleo to purchase the company’s RFID tag know-how.
2005: IER was chosen by BAA, the leading global airport operator, to supply the 7 British airports with automatic check-in terminals over 5 years.
IER developed its RFID inlay design business and supplied Marks & Spencer with almost 20 million RFID inlays.
2006: IER wins a significant reference in United States with a contract for San Francisco airport to provide its new self check-in kiosk IER 918.
2007: IER is selected to equip the Eurostar stations with automatic check-in gates and counter check-in installations.
2008: IER deployed over a hundred self check-in kiosks for Air New Zealand and celebrated the installation of its 4000th self-service postal kiosk.
2009: Automatic Systems, IER subsidiary, won the contract to equip the 69 stations of Brussels subway with access control gates. IER successfully completed the engineering and implementation of major projects based on RFID technology in the retail sector.
Research & Development
IER has complete control of its industrial chain (design, manufacture, integration and maintenance) and has unique know-how for the development and implementation of reliable, innovative and customised solutions.
Priority given to innovation and to the control of technologies
IER devotes a significant share of its resources to research and development, with the firm belief that innovation and technological mastery are required in order to design high-performance equipment that will suit the needs of its customers.
In all, more than 100 engineers and technicians in the various design departments, backed up by the methods and quality services, are involved in the design and industrialisation of our solutions. This is part of a quality policy that has the constant improvement of our products as its primary goal.
Teams qualified in many technological fields
The desire to remain at the cutting edge of technical and technological developments provides the backdrop for the company's deployment of human resources at our highly qualified and experienced with many technologies:
- printing technologies;
- precision micromechanics, plastic injection;
- electronic design (printed circuits, ASIC, coding and reading of magnetic strips, chips...);
- design of radiofrequency equipment and RFID antennas;
- equipment inbuilt software and system software design;
- the composition of printing media and substrates (paper, ink, plastic...).
Every day, our teams are devoted to:
- the success of the customised partnership between your company and our engineering and design department,
- ensuring reduced design and manufacturing times through the use of 3-D mechanical modelling and electronic simulation,
- the concern of customer operational and maintenance constraints as of the design phase,
- provide customer with cost-effective solutions.
Assets
- extensive expertize in many technologies;
- specialised R&D teams providing for great responsiveness;
- suitable design and industrialisation tools.
Production Sites
The IER Group has 5 production sites in France, Belgium and in North America.
Production of terminals and kiosks
The Besançon plant manufactures printers, readers and self-service kiosks for the air and ground transportation market, as well as for administrative services and local communities.
Located at the heart of an area renowned for the quality and competencies of its manpower in micromechanics and micro-electronics, the Besançon industrial site has almost 200 employees in its logistics, production and after-sales departments. The production is organised on the basis of flexible and highly responsive workshops, in which the production lines can be adjusted to the types and volumes of orders. Each year, almost 27,000 pieces of equipment leave the Besançon workshops for shipment to customers worldwide.
Access control equipment production sites
The 2 production sites for access control equipments are located in Wavre, near Brussels (Belgium) and in Montreal (Canada).
In Wavre, the headquarters of Automatic Systems, the complete range of fee-based and secure access control systems is designed on a total surface area of more than 6000 m². The Montreal site manufactures access control equipments for the North American market.
Each year, nearly 10,000 units are assembled, tested and shipping.
Design and manufacture of inlays
Near Paris, IER has a site exclusively dedicated to the design and manufacture of inlays. This cutting edge production tool uses special manufacturing technologies which allowed a mass production of RFID inlays.
3 production lines are used for large production runs.
Assets:
- 5 dedicated and specialised production sites
- an integrated production management operating system
- a total production surface of more than 20,000 m²
References :
- 27,000 terminals and kiosks produced every year on the Besançon site
- 10,000 access control units produced each year on the Wavre and Montreal sites
Quality
IER received its first ISO certification in 1998. Since then, knowing that a rigorous quality approach is a necessity in order to improve the company's performance, IER has implemented a continuous progress initiative while always being ready to listen to its customers.
By putting customer satisfaction at the heart of our concerns, the implementation of a quality management system is intended to support the company's dynamic efforts in favour of progress and improvement.
SGS has given IER its ISO 9001:2000 certification, covering:
“Design, manufacturing, sales, support and services of self-service and check-in solutions including printer, reader, self-service kiosks RFID inlays and software solutions".
These activities relate to Besançon and Buc production sites and the headquarters in Suresnes.
Download the IER products ISO 9001 Certificate in .PDF format
“Design, development, sales and maintenance of integrated automatic identification solutions, mobile IT and traceability solutions”.
These activities relate to IER Automatic Identification Division.
Download the ISO 9001 Certificate "IER Division Identification Automatique" PDF format - French version only
Environmental Responsibility
The IER Group is committed to an environmental policy to ensure that it carries out its business with the greatest respect for the common good, while complying with national laws and European directives.
The IER Group’s environmental charter is proof of this commitment to the environment. IER will take long term action to protect the environment and will integrate the following principles into its management:
Design and manufacture
Application of environmental requirements as of the product design stage in order to encourage the usage of renewable and non-polluting resources, and to offer products with low environmental operating costs.
Management of the Group’s installations in compliance with local laws, standards and regulations, notably by means of regular environmental audits.
Resources & Training
Reduction of the environmental, health and safety risks to which the personnel and people close to its sites are exposed, through the use of safe technologies and appropriate operating procedures.
Implementation of the financial and human resources required to raise awareness and train the Group's personnel in order to facilitate constant improvement with regard to the environment.
Relations with our stakeholders
Compliance of IER Group suppliers and subcontractors with the Group's requirements in the areas of the environment, health and safety.
Regular and transparent information provided by the Group to its customers, shareholders and partners on the environmental aspects of our installations and products.
Download the IER Group Environmental charter in .PDF format
The IER Group Internet Sites
www.automatic-systems.com
Access to the site of Automatic Systems, the IER subsidiary, one of the world leader in automatic control equipment for entrance of passenger and vehicles.
www.ier-tx.com
This site is intended for customers in North America, so that they can follow-up of their equipment returns to the service centre in Belton, Texas.
www.ier-2dbarcode.com
Discover on this website, the comprehensive range of new 2D barcode printers designed to support air transportation industry migration to 2D barcoded boarding passes.
