News and insight into biometric identification and authentication

CryptoMetrics awarded contract for Taiwan e-Passport project

Friday, April 25, 2008

CryptoMetrics has been awarded a contract to provide face recognition products and services for the Taiwan Bureau of Consular Services ePassport project.

CryptoMetrics, working closely with prime systems integrator Hewlett Packard, is providing its VisPro and VisMatch software, which will be utilized to confirm the identity of passport applicants. These biometric solutions capture facial images and process them for matching against a watch list database of known persons who pose potential national security threats. [end] 

After a nearly three-year delay, the Algerian government has finally launched its biometric passport program.

Magharebia reports that the biometric passports, which contain a contactless smart card chip that holds a digitized photo, fingerprints and signature, were supposed to be released in 2009. But the documents were delayed due to complexities with the operation of the project and the need to thoroughly research and analyze other countries’ experiences with biometric passports.

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Intercede announced that it was awarded an order for the supply of Intercede MyID Identity and Credential Management software licenses totaling more than $1 million. This contract is in support of the issuance of ICAO compliant smart card travel documents. The country and partner cannot be named at this time.

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CBP denies report

A Canadian man uses a scanned image of his passport from his iPad to get past Customer and Border Protection officials, according to a report from the AP.

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Accurate Biometric announced it has been awarded a contract from the FBI for its Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS).

The contract is a significant one for Accurate as it enables them to offer same-day FBI fingerprint submission services for criminal background checks to clients such as housing authorities, Indian reservations and banks.

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded Accenture Federal Services a 13-month, $71 million contract to add biometric modalities and other enhancements to the US-VISIT program. US-VISIT uses digital fingerprints and photographs. A pilot program included in the contract will test facial and iris voluntary identification enrollment and matching.

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As part of the U.S. Department of State’s initiative to simplify and streamline customer service interactions and processes, the Office of Passport Services has started a 90-day pilot program for online passport card applications.

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