BIO-key Partners with TD SYNNEX Public Sector (DLT) to Deliver Identity-Bound Biometric and IAM Solutions to the U.S. Public Sector

Rhea-AI Summary

BIO-key (NASDAQ: BKYI) announced a strategic partnership with TD SYNNEX Public Sector (DLT) on March 12, 2026 to deliver identity-bound biometric and IAM solutions to U.S. federal, state, and local agencies. The collaboration integrates PortalGuard and Passkey:YOU into DLT contract vehicles to simplify procurement and support Zero Trust, phishing-resistant MFA, and compliance with CJIS, HIPAA, and NIST SP 800-171.

Key capabilities include NIST-tested, FBI-certified fingerprint biometrics, centralized SSO/IDaaS via PortalGuard, multi-factor authentication across 20+ methods, and self-service tools to reduce help-desk costs.

News Market Reaction – BKYI

+4.25%

5 alerts

+4.25% News Effect

+7.5% Peak Tracked

-6.7% Trough Tracked

+$292K Valuation Impact

$7M Market Cap

0.1x Rel. Volume

On the day this news was published, BKYI gained 4.25%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +7.5% during that session. Argus tracked a trough of -6.7% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 5 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility. This price movement added approximately $292K to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $7M at that time.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Authentication methods: more than twenty methods

1 metrics

Authentication methods more than twenty methods Supported MFA options for mission-critical systems in public sector workflows

Market Reality Check

Price: $0.6486 Vol: Volume 124,918 is well be...

low vol

$0.6486 Last Close

Volume Volume 124,918 is well below 20-day average of 566,023 (relative volume 0.22). low

Technical Price 0.634 is trading below the 200-day MA at 0.74 and far under the 1.97 52-week high.

Peers on Argus

Pre-news, BKYI was down 2.55% with light volume, while peers showed mixed action...

1 Up 1 Down

Pre-news, BKYI was down 2.55% with light volume, while peers showed mixed action: GFAI in scanner was down 3.08% and KSCP was up 2.03%, indicating stock-specific rather than sector-wide dynamics.

Previous Partnership Reports

5 past events · Latest: Jan 29 (Positive)

Same Type Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Jan 29	India partnership	Positive	-4.7%	Citadel Global value‑added distribution and Mumbai office to expand India presence.
Nov 17	Vietnam partnership	Positive	+2.9%	SAVIS Group distribution to localize and deliver identity solutions in Vietnam.
Nov 12	MEA cloud partnership	Positive	+11.3%	VaporVM collaboration to expand IAM and biometrics across Middle East and Africa.
May 19	Middle East distributor deal	Positive	+0.7%	Cloud Distribution Co. to distribute full IAM and biometric suite in Gulf region.
Mar 31	Iberia distribution deal	Positive	-3.0%	Arrow ECS Iberia partnership to expand IAM access in Spain and Portugal.

Pattern Detected

Partnership headlines have typically produced modest moves (average 1.43%) with a mix of positive and negative reactions, suggesting deal quality and visibility matter for price impact.

Recent Company History

Over the past year, BIO-key has repeatedly used strategic partnerships to broaden distribution of its IAM and biometric solutions. Deals with Arrow ECS Iberia, Cloud Distribution, VaporVM, SAVIS Group, and Citadel Global extend reach across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India. Price reactions have been mixed, with some announcements leading to gains above 11% and others seeing declines. Today’s U.S. public sector partnership fits this ongoing channel-expansion strategy into a new geography and customer segment.

Historical Comparison

+1.4% avg move · In the last five partnership announcements, BKYI’s average move was 1.43%, with both gains and decli...

partnership

+1.4%

Average Historical Move partnership

In the last five partnership announcements, BKYI’s average move was 1.43%, with both gains and declines. This U.S. public sector partnership continues the channel-expansion pattern into a new end-market segment.

Partnerships have evolved from regional distributors in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia toward broader coverage; today’s deal extends that strategy into the U.S. public sector via TD SYNNEX Public Sector (DLT).

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement adds a U.S. public sector channel via TD SYNNEX Public Sector (DLT), extending BIO...

Analysis

This announcement adds a U.S. public sector channel via TD SYNNEX Public Sector (DLT), extending BIO-key’s IAM and biometric footprint beyond prior regional partnerships. The deal targets Zero Trust and phishing-resistant MFA mandates across federal, state, and local agencies. In context of recent proxy plans for a reverse split and prior financing and warrant registration activity, investors may watch how effectively this partnership converts into visible contract wins and revenue traction.

Key Terms

identity-bound biometrics, identity and access management, iam, zero trust, +4 more

8 terms

identity-bound biometrics medical

"BIO-key’s advanced authentication and access management solutions, including identity-bound biometrics, address"

Identity-bound biometrics are physical or biological traits—like fingerprints, facial patterns, iris scans, or DNA—linked directly to a single person and used to prove who they are. For investors, these systems matter because they enable stronger, harder-to-steal authentication for devices, accounts, and transactions (think of a house key that can’t be copied), but they also bring regulatory, privacy and liability risks that can affect adoption, costs and market potential for companies using or selling the technology.

identity and access management technical

"provider of workforce and customer identity and access management (IAM) solutions enabling phoneless"

Identity and access management is the set of tools and processes that verify who a person or device is and control what digital resources they can use, like a company’s system for issuing security badges and setting which doors each badge opens. It matters to investors because strong identity controls reduce the chance of costly data breaches, regulatory fines and downtime, protect customer trust, and can lower IT costs and operational risk.

iam technical

"BIO-key’s PortalGuard® IAM platform and Passkey:YOU™ biometric solutions into DLT’s extensive"

Identity and access management (IAM) is the system and policies a company uses to control who can access its digital systems, data and applications—think of it as the set of keys, locks and visitor rules for a building’s computer network. Strong IAM reduces the risk of data breaches, fraud and regulatory fines, so investors pay attention because weaknesses can lead to costly outages, damage to reputation and legal liabilities that affect a company’s value.

zero trust technical

"As government entities face increasing mandates to adopt Zero Trust architectures and phishing-resistant"

Zero trust is a security approach that assumes no one, whether inside or outside an organization, should be automatically trusted. Instead, every access request is carefully verified before being granted, much like checking ID at every door rather than trusting someone just because they are known. For investors, it emphasizes the importance of protecting digital assets and data from potential breaches, reducing overall risk.

multi-factor authentication technical

"mandates to adopt Zero Trust architectures and phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA), the partnership"

A security method that requires users to prove their identity in two or more different ways before accessing accounts or systems, such as combining a password with a one-time code sent to a phone or a fingerprint. For investors, it reduces the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive accounts, lowers chances of fraud or data breaches, and helps protect a company’s financials and reputation—similar to needing both a key and a fingerprint to open a safe.

single sign-on technical

"providing seamless Single Sign-On (SSO) and authorization across on-premises and cloud"

Single sign-on is a technology that lets a person log in once and then access multiple applications or systems without re-entering credentials, like using one key that opens every door in a building. For investors, it matters because it can reduce IT support costs, speed employee workflows and improve user experience, while also concentrating cybersecurity risk and affecting compliance posture—factors that influence operational efficiency and potential liability.

cjis regulatory

"including compliance with Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), HIPAA, and NIST SP 800-171."

CJIS, or the Criminal Justice Information Services, is a secure database managed by law enforcement agencies that contains sensitive information related to criminal records, investigations, and law enforcement activities. For investors, understanding CJIS is important because data security and privacy practices can impact technology providers and government contracts, influencing the stability and reputation of companies involved in handling such information.

nist sp 800-171 regulatory

"including compliance with Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), HIPAA, and NIST SP 800-171."

A U.S. government cybersecurity standard that lists practical rules organizations must follow to protect controlled unclassified information when it’s stored or processed outside federal systems. Think of it as a set of bank-vault procedures for sensitive government-related data: following these rules helps a company win or keep contracts, avoid penalties and breaches, and signals to investors whether the business takes cybersecurity and regulatory risk seriously.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

HOLMDEL, N.J., March 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BIO-key^® International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKYI), an innovative provider of workforce and customer identity and access management (IAM) solutions enabling phoneless, tokenless, passwordless, and phishing-resistant authentication, today announced a strategic partnership with TD SYNNEX Public Sector (DLT Solutions), a leading technology partner to the U.S. public sector, to bring BIO-key’s comprehensive suite of security solutions to federal, state, and local government agencies. DLT is a unit of TD SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX), a leading global end-to-end distributor of technology products, services and solutions.

As government entities face increasing mandates to adopt Zero Trust architectures and phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA), the partnership between BIO-key and DLT provides a streamlined procurement path for agencies to secure their digital infrastructure. By integrating BIO-key’s PortalGuard^® IAM platform and Passkey:YOU™ biometric solutions into DLT’s extensive portfolio of government contracts, agencies can now more easily deploy high-assurance identity security that anchors digital access to the actual person, rather than just a device.

“This partnership with BIO-key represents an important step forward in our continued investment in innovative cybersecurity solutions,” said Kirk Fisher, Vice President, Sales, of DLT. “By combining BIO-key’s biometric expertise with DLT’s deep public sector experience, we’re creating new opportunities to deliver scalable, secure identity solutions that meet today’s evolving threat landscape.”

BIO-key’s advanced authentication and access management solutions, including identity-bound biometrics, address the unique challenges of the public sector, including compliance with Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), HIPAA, and NIST SP 800-171. Key capabilities now available through the partnership include:

• Biometric Authentication: Patented, phishing-resistant fingerprint technology (NIST-tested and FBI certified) that validates the user's identity independently of their device.
• Identity and Access Management: Centralized control via the PortalGuard platform, providing seamless Single Sign-On (SSO) and authorization across on-premises and cloud environments (IDaaS).
• Multi-Factor Authentication: Enhanced security for mission-critical systems supporting more than twenty authentication methods to fit any agency workflow.
• Compliance-Ready Solutions: Purpose-built to meet rigorous government security standards and regulations while reducing IT help desk costs through self-service tools.

“Partnering with a public sector powerhouse like DLT is a significant milestone in our mission to bring Identity-Bound Biometrics to the forefront of government security,” said Michael DePasquale, Chairman and CEO of BIO-key. “This collaboration strengthens our ability to help agencies improve their cybersecurity posture, reduce risk, and deliver secure, user-friendly access to critical systems across the United States.

“This partnership ensures that public sector customers have access to the expert technical support and contract vehicles necessary to modernize their identity strategies effectively. We look forward to collaborating on joint initiatives and identifying strategic opportunities.”

About TD SYNNEX Public Sector (www.DLT.com)
DLT Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of TD SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX), a leading global end-to-end distributor of technology products, services and solutions. DLT is the premier government solutions aggregator with over 30 years of dedication specializing in understanding the IT needs of the federal, state, local and education markets. DLT simplifies the process for software vendors, systems integrators and value-added resellers doing business in the public sector.

DLT provides government agencies and channel partners with the means to transform technology to achieve mission success – all through a secure supply chain. In addition to focusing on the vertical markets listed above, DLT puts an emphasis on six core technology segments: Application and DevOps, Cloud and Infrastructure, CX and Workforce Tools, Cybersecurity and Zero Trust, Data, AI and Automation, and Networking and Edge.

About BIO-key International, Inc. (www.BIO-key.com)
BIO-key is revolutionizing authentication and cybersecurity with biometric-centric, multi-factor identity and access management (IAM) software securing access for over forty million users. BIO-key allows customers to choose the right authentication factors for diverse use cases, including phoneless, tokenless, and passwordless biometric options. Its cloud-hosted or on-premise PortalGuard IAM solution provides cost-effective, easy-to-deploy, convenient, and secure access to computers, information, applications, and high-value transactions.

BIO-key Safe Harbor Statement
All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical facts are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). The words "estimate," "project," "intends," "expects," "anticipates," "believes" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management pursuant to the "safe-harbor" provisions of the Act. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those included within or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include factors set forth under the caption "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and other filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Engage with BIO-key:
LinkedIn – Corporate:	https://www.linkedin.com/company/bio-key-international
X – Corporate:	@BIOkeyIntl
X – Investors:	@BIO_keyIR
StockTwits:	BIO_keyIR

BIO-key Resources:
https://www.bio-key.com/portalguard-2/
https://www.bio-key.com/biometrics/
https://www.bio-key.com/hardware/

Investor Contacts:
William Jones, David Collins
Catalyst IR
BKYI@catalyst-ir.com or 212-924-9800

FAQ

What does BIO-key's March 12, 2026 partnership with TD SYNNEX Public Sector (BKYI) mean for government procurement?

It creates a streamlined procurement path for agencies to buy BIO-key solutions through DLT contract vehicles. According to the company, this integration places PortalGuard and Passkey:YOU into DLT’s government portfolio, simplifying acquisition and deployment for federal, state, and local customers.

Which BIO-key products are included in the DLT partnership and how do they help agencies?

The partnership includes PortalGuard IAM and Passkey:YOU biometric authentication to strengthen identity assurance. According to the company, these products enable centralized SSO, phishing-resistant fingerprint biometrics, and multi-factor options tailored for government workflows.

How does the BIO-key and TD SYNNEX Public Sector deal support compliance for agencies (BKYI)?

The collaboration offers compliance-ready solutions aligned with CJIS, HIPAA, and NIST SP 800-171 requirements. According to the company, BIO-key’s identity-bound biometrics and PortalGuard controls are designed to meet rigorous government security standards while easing IT support burdens.

Will BIO-key’s biometric technology in the DLT partnership meet federal assurance standards?

Yes — BIO-key cites NIST-tested, FBI-certified fingerprint technology as part of the offering. According to the company, the biometric solution validates identity independently of devices and is positioned to support high-assurance federal authentication requirements.

How does the partnership affect agencies seeking phishing-resistant MFA from BIO-key (BKYI)?

Agencies gain easier access to phishing-resistant MFA via DLT’s contracts, enabling faster deployments. According to the company, BIO-key’s suite supports over twenty authentication methods, allowing agencies to choose high-assurance, phishing-resistant workflows that fit mission needs.