Two decades after its founding, Cenmetrix has become a leading player in Sri Lanka’s digital identity and access management sector. Company leaders attribute this longevity to a steadfast focus on long-term partnerships rather than short-term sales. Unlike competitors that centred on quick product turnovers, Cenmetrix built repeat business through sustained relationships, consistent service quality, and premium solutions.
Cenmetrix Founding Directors Farhard Hussain and Ziyam Kamil, along with Director Chittananda Kulatilake, told Echelon that the company prioritised reliability over price from the beginning, building a loyal customer base through dependable technology and strong support. By focusing on solutions rather than products, Cenmetrix embedded itself in client operations, shaping both its business strategy and team mindset.
Pioneering biometrics in Sri Lanka
When Cenmetrix entered the market, biometrics technology was still emerging globally. It was among the first in Sri Lanka to focus solely on biometric identification, unlike firms offering broader security products. Early adoption was slow, but demand surged around 2007–2008 as industries, especially export-oriented manufacturing, saw benefits for attendance tracking and security.
Cenmetrix’s combined hardware and software expertise gave it an advantage. Its competitive edge lay in providing end-to- end solutions, integrating biometrics with applications for canteen management, payroll, and welfare payments, creating cohesive systems that reduced administrative work and improved operational efficiency.
Evolving with technology and customers
On the other hand, customer management relied heavily on personal connections and manual processes in the early 2000s. Networking, referrals, and face-to-face meetings formed the foundation of business growth. As the digital landscape matured, Cenmetrix gradually integrated automation and social platforms such as LinkedIn to engage directly with decision-makers.
What began as manual tracking of customer service and maintenance requests eventually evolved into automated notifications and digital support systems. The company now uses technology to streamline the same relationship-driven principles that defined its origins. Feedback loops that once depended on phone calls and in-person visits are now embedded into the software and service infrastructure itself.
Preventive maintenance eventually became central to Cenmetrix’s service, with quarterly visits ensuring system per- formance, gathering user insights, and building trust.
Another key strength lies in its workforce stability. Roughly half of Cenmetrix’semployees have been with the company for over a decade, some since its earliest days. This continuity has preserved institutional knowledge and strengthened customer confidence. A shared history among staff and leadership has allowed the organisation to grow steadily while maintaining consistent values and technical expertise.
Overcoming resistance to change
Transitioning from manual or barcode systems to biometric identification was not without resistance. Cenmetrix’s leadership recalls that early deployments faced opposition, particularly from employees concerned about hygiene, privacy, or misinformation regarding health effects. In some instances, equipment was deliberately damaged as users resisted adoption.
To overcome these challenges, the company prioritised education and dialogue. Technicians explained the safety and convenience of biometrics, highlighting the elimination of fraudulent practices such as shared cards and false attendance records. Over time, users recognised that the new systems simplified workflows and enhanced security.
For management, the technology brought cost reductions and faster onboarding. For employees, it meant quicker clock-ins, reduced paperwork, and stronger protection against misuse of their identities. Cenmetrix also demonstrated how biometric access could close security gaps, as older card-based systems were easily compromised. Gradually, familiarity and convenience helped biometric systems become the norm across both private and public sectors.
Expanding beyond Sri Lanka
Having established a nationwide footprint, Cenmetrix has turned its attention abroad. With operations now in Singapore and the United States, the company is expanding into the Asia-Pacific, Middle Eastern, and African regions. Sri Lanka’s small market size and strong local performance prompted the move to seek growth in larger economies.
Cenmetrix is pursuing a partnership-driven model, working with local firms that understand their own markets rather than setting up fully owned subsidiaries in every country. This approach allows Cenmetrix to leverage its strengths in hardware-software integration while benefitting from partners’ local expertise.
According to its leadership, Cenmetrix offers an advantage in its ability to deliver complete platform-based solutions that unite hardware and software. Many competitors specialise in one area or act as intermediaries, but Cenmetrix’s dual expertise enables smoother integration, particularly important as the industry moves towards Internet of Things (IoT) and AI-enabled systems. Clients, both local and international, prefer working with a single provider responsible for every component,minimising coordination difficulties and ensuring accountability.
The company’s track record includes projects for major Sri Lankan institutions such as the Ministry of Defence head- quarters, MAS Group, Dialog and the Parliament. It has also undertaken work for the Maldives International Airport and Easy Secure Netherlands as well as a US Air Force medical facility project in Kunsan, South Korea.
Embracing AI and automation
As Cenmetrix positions itself globally, artificial intelligence and automation have become central to its development strategy. Rather than using AI as a marketing term, its leadership insists on applying it to specific use cases.
The goal is to embed AI into existing platforms to reduce time and cost while improving decision-making. Automation serves as an enabler in this journey — enhancing human capability, streamlining processes, and fostering a more agile and intelligent workplace. The company views itself as a “technology enabler”, supporting digital transformation and process optimisation across sectors.
Cenmetrix acknowledges that sourcing AI talent remains a challenge, both in Sri Lanka and globally. To overcome this, it has invested in ongoing training, drawing on the expertise of Sri Lankan professionals based overseas who conduct knowledge-sharing sessions. With AI still emerging in local academic curricula, the company relies on supplier partnerships, remote collaborations, and continual learning to stay current with global trends.
Enduring vision
After 20 years, Cenmetrix’s trajectory reflects a consistent philosophy: to build trust through quality, adapt through inno- vation, and sustain growth through relationships. Its leadership says that today, technology is not seen merely as a product, but as a partnership that evolves with its customers.