News and insight into biometric identification and authentication

Homeland Security extends Accenture’s US VISIT biometric contract

Monday, August 18, 2008

The Department of Homeland Security extended its contract with Accenture Ltd. for the US VISIT border management system. The Bermuda-based company is the prime contractor for the project.

This year Accenture and Homeland Security have been upgrading them system from using two-print technology to ten prints at port of entry across the country. Whenever a foreign traveler enters the country they submit fingerprints that are checked against a watch list.

The original five-year contract was awarded to Accenture in May 2004 with five one-year options. [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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Biometrics enable expedited border screening

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Global Entry program is expanding enabling enrolled U.S. citizens to enjoy expedited screening when returning from travel abroad to a number of domestic airports. The program also makes them eligible to participate in similar programs at foreign airports.

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The Ralph Carr Judicial Center in Denver, Colorado has selected AMAG Technology’s Symmetry Homeland V7 Security Management System,to provide integrated access control and security management solutions from HID Global.

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In an effort to streamline passenger security, Jakarta, Indonesia’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport has opened the country’s first biometric immigration gate.

Fingerprint biometric identification provider BIO-key International, Inc. and Oakwell Engineering Limited partnered to create the new gate, designed for use by passengers with electronic passports. Passengers submit their e-passports and authenticate with a fingerprint.

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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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