BIO-key secures multi-year SIMO IAM deal

BIO-key International, Inc., a global provider of biometric-driven Identity and Access Management (IAM) technologies, has entered into a new multi-year strategic agreement with Sociedade Interbancária de Moçambique (SIMO), which operates Mozambique’s national electronic payments network

In collaboration with RunLevel, a regional systems integrator specialising in identity and cybersecurity solutions across Africa, BIO-key will help enhance identity and access security throughout SIMO’s financial ecosystem.

The partnership follows the companies’ first joint IAM implementation in Mozambique in May 2025 for a leading national bank.

As part of the new initiative, BIO-key’s PortalGuard IAM platform, PIN: You tokenless authentication solution and Single Sign-On (SSO) functionality will be deployed within SIMO’s infrastructure. The integration is designed to strengthen governance frameworks, enhance cyber resilience and simplify secure access for organisations connected to the national payments network.

The agreement aligns with SIMO’s long-term vision to implement enterprise-grade identity security in line with international best practice, while continuing to modernise Mozambique’s financial landscape. With this deployment, BIO-key reaches its 11th customer within the global banking and financial services sector.

SIMO holds a central position in Mozambique’s banking ecosystem, facilitating interoperability, clearing and settlement services among banks and financial institutions through the country’s single national electronic payments network, known as SIMOrede. As digital banking usage expands to support Mozambique’s population of 36.6 million, robust identity-led security measures are increasingly essential to ensure trust, operational stability and regulatory compliance.

“As Mozambique’s financial system continues to evolve, identity security is vital for ensuring trust, interoperability, and operational resilience across payment services,” said Juna Chiloveque, SIMO’s IT Security and Compliance, CISO. "Partnering with BIO-key and RunLevel allows SIMO to adopt modern identity and access management solutions that strengthen governance, protect essential systems, and support the secure digital transformation of our national payments infrastructure.”

“Partnering with SIMO and BIO-key on this project demonstrates RunLevel’s commitment to strengthening digital trust across Africa’s financial ecosystems,” said Miguel Guerreiro, managing partner, RunLevel.

“By combining local expertise with advanced IAM technologies, we are helping establish secure authentication foundations that allow banks to innovate confidently while safeguarding critical payment infrastructure.”

“Our collaboration with SIMO marks an important step in supporting secure digital banking infrastructure in Mozambique,” said Alex Rocha, BIO-key’s managing director – International. “Together with RunLevel, we are deploying scalable IAM technologies that help financial institutions modernise access, reduce identity risks, and enable trusted digital services across the ecosystem.”