Fürth/Germany - Leonhard Kurz, an international manufacturer of decorative and functional coatings, has expanded its range of competencies. In early November, the company acquired an interest in the IT architecture and implementation specialist Adorsys. This company located in Nuremberg, focuses on the design and implementation of security-related software applications. Adorsys has long-standing experience in the development of portals for financial services providers and has acquired specialist know-how in high-security IT solutions. It also has sound expertise in connecting the real and virtual world in web-based and mobile applications.

 

“Adorsys ideally complements the comprehensive range of services offered by our group,” explains proprietor Walter Kurz. “We are not just a supplier of hot stamping foils, we develop innovative complete solutions that are precisely tailored to the individual requirements of our customers. Adorsys makes a valuable contribution in this regard by supporting us, for example, in optimally combining brand decoration, brand protection and brand communication.”

 

Adorsys, too, will profit a great deal from the new partnership, as Benno Schmitzer, General Manager, reports: “Having Leonhard Kurz as a strategic partner enables us on the one hand, to further develop our know-how in the area of security and to combine this know-how, in particular with physical products, to create unique solutions, and on the other hand to further strengthen the stability of Adorsys by achieving targeted growth - all for the benefit of our customers.”

 

Adorsys developed the globally available identification system Trustcode for the “Brand Enhancement” business unit at Kurz. Trustcode allows visual brand enhancement to be combined with mobile information access. The visual element of Trustcode is an image, produced by means of hot stamping technology, which serves as both an authenticity feature and a decorative eye catcher on brand name packaging. This image can be scanned by a cell phone to provide access to a wide variety of information. End consumers, retailers or customs officials can verify the authenticity of the product via the Trustcode system. The purchaser can also retrieve further data, such as loyalty programs, product information or interactive games. Trustcode offers brand owners the ability to communicate with their customers, and also access micromarketing data that allow them to address very specific target audiences and provide them with tailored offers. It also enables brand owners to trace the path of the product throughout the entire supply chain. All product code queries are logged, analyzed and evaluated by the identification system. Brand owners can access these reports at any time, thereby giving them greater insights into the movement of their product and allowing them to more easily recognize, for example, parallel sales. Leonhard Kurz and Adorsys are providing the high-security server infrastructure that enables 24/7 access to this data.

 

The Kurz Group includes the polymer electronics specialist PolyIC, the stamping tools manufacturer hinderer + mühlich, the stamping machine manufacturer Baier, and OVD Kinegram AG, the global leader in the manufacture of optical security features for protecting government identity documents and bank notes against counterfeiting and falsification.