ACS established its first branch office in Manila, the capital and economic hub of the Philippines. It mainly served as a research and development facility and a technical support center.

As contactless technology experienced widespread adoption in different applications like loyalty programs and physical access control, ACS developed its first contactless smart card reader, ACR120, which is based on the ISO 14443 standard and the 13.56 MHz RFID technology.

The ACR80 portable smart card terminal was selected for use in an eHealth project in the US - eMedical ID. This project was implemented in more than 400 medical institutes, where patients were each issued a smart card storing their personal medical data. The portable readers enabled paramedics and first respondents to read patient’s data during emergency situations, allowing them to determine the most suitable treatment.