History in brief

The following is a brief overview of significant milestones in the Company’s history.

Following its incorporation in 1996, the Company’s initial business plan was to develop an optical solution for access control environments. During the work, the first results of an alternative technology began to emerge.

The results were so promising that all efforts and resources went into the development of the first version of the patented AC capacitive swipe sensor, which provides the SmartFinger® technology; the basis for IDEX’ business and products. It allows for implementation of fingerprint authentication, omni-directional pointing and 4-way navigation in the same component.

The following is a brief overview of significant milestones in the Company’s history:

1996
IDEX was founded to develop and commercialize unique hardware and software for biometric identification by use of fingerprint.

1997
IDEX enters into a partnership with SINTEF with the aim of developing the swipe sensor technology.

1999
A desk top model was produced to demonstrate the technology.

1999
Reporting of share trades at the NOTC list commenced.

2000
IDEX secures patent protection in the navigation and pointer feature of the technology.

2001
IDEX enters into a license agreement with ST Microelectronics. An exclusive patent license agreement (inbound) with SINTEF was entered into.

2003
Second silicon iteration of SmartFinger® proves successful.

2005
IDEX completed the integration of the SmartFinger® technology on the OMAP™ 1610 mobile platform of Texas Instruments.

2006
The program for a complete redesign of the SmartFinger® was initiated.

2007
IDEX reaches a settlement with ST Microelectronics and UPEK, Inc. in connection with the dispute over patent infringement on IDEX patents. UPEK, Inc. paid a one-off settlement amount to IDEX and a cross-license was entered at the same time. The license agreement with ST Microelectronics, which was entered in 2001, was terminated.

2007-2008
The SmartFinger® IX-10-4 sensor is released and development kits are available to customers.

2009
IDEX completes the embedded reference design and the first prototypes of the next generation SmartFinger^® sensor family are verified.

2009
IDEX receives the 2009 Frost & Sullivan Global Swipe Sensor Product Differentiation Innovation of the Year Award.

2009
IDEX enters into strategic licensing agreements with Validus Technologies Corporation and Ionics EMS Inc.

2010
Shares admitted to trading at Oslo Axess.