Comparing Chipset Platforms: Nuts and Bolts of Video Surveillance

Editor / Provider: By The Editorial Team | Updated: 4/2/2009 | Article type: Component

Video surveillance plays a vital role in security. As the entire industry continues to
migrate from analog to digital, semiconductors need to evolve as well to better cater to ever-increasing needs for higher quality and processing speeds. A&S explores the latest statistics, trends and applications in chipsets for surveillance equipment.


Most in the video surveillance industry agree that the worldwide market for security-related video chipsets will exceed US$1 billion between 2011 and 2012, similar to iSuppli's projection of $1.25 billion by 2011. According to Mike Long, Marketing Manager for Surveillance and Machine Vision Solutions, DSP Group, Analog Devices, the bulk of the business calls for use of DSPs, SoCs and ASSPs/ASICs (application-specific standard products or integrated circuits).


When looking at regional uptake, North America and Europe account for the lion's share at the moment, suggested Danny Petkevich, Video Surveillance and Imaging Business Manager, and Eldon Teng, Asia Business Development Manger for DSP/MCU Products, Texas Instruments. Figures from Altera second this observation, as Asia, Europe, North America and the rest of the world take up 20, 35, 30 and 15 percent, respectively, of the global market share.


It was predicted that Asia will catch up quickly and become dominant, though, “as the United States and Europe slow down in 2009,” said Rajeev Kaushal, Head of eInfochips Pune Division, eInfochips. This growth can be attributed to the ever-expanding OEM/ODM base in Asia, added Bengt Christensson, VP of Business Development for Stream Processors. By 2011, said Long, Southeast Asia alone could be consuming 33 percent of the global output.


Distinctions
DSPs allow for shorter time to market and offer flexibility and improved interoperability for emerging standards. There are, however, certain functions that cannot be supported by traditional, general-purpose DSPs. This can lead to time-consuming reprogramming and may result in lower performance.


Companies such as Axis Communications and IndigoVision, on the other hand, have capitalized on ASICs. Main disadvantages of this approach, pointed out Long, are significant development cost and lack of scalability and programmability, which could detrimentally affect the marketability of end equipment due to relatively long lead times and high nonrecurring engineering expenses.


Combining ASSP/ASIC and DSP solutions is common in cases where flexibility is required, such as to enable a wider range of video analytic algorithms or different video codecs within the same platform. This is the case with some of today's intelligent cameras.


SoCs are of lower power, lower price (once developed) and bring about simpler system integration. “Targeted SoCs can include the best features of traditional DSPs and ASICs to tackle the control and signal processing tasks found within major surveillance applications with great ease,” said Long. But SoCs have limited functionality and support for new standards or differentiation; there is also little support for video analytics, and users have to rely on chipset developers completely for new features.


According to Altera, FPGAs offer parallelism not available in other fixed architectures, are fully scalable, and can be easily upgraded in the field — but with significantly higher power consumption and solution cost.


Applications
Semiconductors used in security cameras were estimated, by Stream Processors, eInfochips, Pixim and Techwell, to have grown between 10 to 40 percent per year for the past two years. Although the macroeconomic environment for 2009 is still unclear, rendering the banking and retail sectors more susceptible than others, general consensus is that similar growth can still be witnessed in the next few years.


John Monti, VP of Marketing and Business Development for Pixim, estimates that more than 90 percent of all surveillance cameras use ASSP/ASIC solutions rather than DSP ones as “ASSPs provide the best combination of high performance, low power, high integration and low cost.” However, Johan Paulsson, CTO of Axis Communications, does not think there is a clear cut as modern ASICs are combinations of different technologies, but he believes that usage of DSPs will continue to be reduced.


In practice, ASSPs are designed using ASIC methodology and sold as standard products to multiple clients, whereas DSPs and FPGAs offer more flexible functionality but require more firmware support. Essentially, it boils down to a tug of war between flexibility and cost.


As for surveillance recording devices, Tom Krause, VP of Business Development for Techwell, quoted Mark Kirstein at Multimedia Research by saying that this application will remain the biggest, surpassing network cameras and IP encoders/streamers, because stand-alone DVRs require significantly more semiconductor material than other security applications.


In DVR applications, Krause believes there is a fairly even mix between DSPs and ASICs, with ASICs used predominately for mixed-signal video processing and DSPs for compression and analytics. Figures provided by Altera show 50, 40 and 10 percent for ASSP/ASIC, DSP and FPGA deployments by 2011. Krause cautioned, though, that overall growth in DVRs is reaching a plateau as NVRs continue to take up more share.


On the Horizon
Some noteworthy trends for video surveillance, suggested Christensson, include: network connectivity, higher resolutions, video analytics, H.264 compression/decompression, smarter codecs and remote, service-based business models.


"H.264 offers compelling, networkable, end-to-end benefits relative to earlier standards,” said Christensson, “especially in a programmable processor that allows for interoperability for the installed based of M-JPEG and MPEG-4, while simultaneously enabling preprocessing and analytics to support the next generation of smarter and more differentiated systems.”


He also mentioned that even though video analysis is getting a lot of press and becoming increasingly important, sales growth to date has been hampered by costly, difficult-to-use systems. Since video analytics are software-driven and demand a lot of processing power to work well, there has not been a simple way to build ASICs, as with codecs.


"Combining codecs with analytics allows, for instance, more bits and higher resolution to be allocated to dynamic regions of interest, such as faces,” added Christensson. “Another example of integration is control of frame rates and resolutions based on robust motion detection that can track and identify objects. The latest H.264 standard, SVC, further provides scalability tools to natively support multiple streams and erosion storage, suitable for video surveillance.”


Application-specific needs are also on the rise. Petkevich and Teng pinpointed traffic management as one key niche while Axis Communications has plans to launch vertical-specific solutions for transportation and retail. Similarly, eInfochips' handheld, biometrics-based reference design with video capture, wireless connectivity, finger scanner, smart card and local storage is targeted for airports and other public sectors.


Texas Instruments' TMS320C6474 for multichannel video security and infrastructure applications integrates three cores running at 1 GHz, each on a single die, delivering 3 GHz of raw DSP performance that consumes one-third less power at one-third of the cost over discrete processing solutions. Additionally, the programmable architecture provides a framework for supporting highly differentiated functionalities, including dual streaming, video analytics, customized codecs and emerging compression standards.


Techwell's latest TW2880 HD display/recording/playback controller is hailed as revolutionary by Krause in that it is the first single-chip solution that supports 16-channel, real-time, D1 recording and playback and 20-channel display of high-resolution live and playback video. It is also the first to support HD display, recording and playback for security surveillance applications.


Features offered by Analog Devices include both data path and peripheral items such as extended instructions to its Blackfin core architecture, data path hardware blocks for scaling and overlay management, and upgraded interfaces to support the increased throughput rates associated with higher resolution video processing.


Developers like Pixim and Stream Processors focus on making their products highly configurable via software solutions, allowing their partners to stand out from the competition in the marketplace. Pixim's Eclipse Ambient Light Rejection technology for biometric and license plate recognition was introduced in 2008. Stream Processors' Storm-1 processor delivers 224,000 MMACs of computing performance, which can be compared with traditional, high-end DSPs that deliver less than 10,000 MMACs. Storm-1 provides ASIC-level cost and performance, while still being fully programmable in the standard C language. Any resolution, codec and analytic functions can be implemented without restrictions imposed by hardwired blocks, said Christensson.


Nextchip has developed touch sensors targeting both security and consumer markets. A wide array of applications in TV monitors, game consoles, cellular phones and DVR displays could potentially translate to sales opportunities, said Jin Jeong, Assistant Manager for Management Support, Nextchip.


Outlook
Given the nature of electronic security — extremely dynamic and fragmented — developers are expected to adapt quickly and to accommodate ever-changing client requirements that are generally feature-specific. Aside from these hurdles, suppliers are also facing challenges related to the transition from analog digital, lack of communication standards and bleak economic outlook.


While many are predicting that sales volumes of analog and network cameras will cross over in 2011/2012, Long believes it is still unclear whether network camera deployments will be the main driver for chipset growth. The key, he explained, hinges on when this shift occurs for the majority of deployments.


Paulsson thinks that designing ASIC components with high performance to handle security features like several parallel streams and video analytics is key to survival, but vendors also face tough decisions such as increasing silicon cost to add more processing capacity to products, said Christensson. “When designing signal processing solutions for the security surveillance segment,” said Long, “the key design challenge is striking the correct balance between programmable and fixed function elements that will ultimately provide the best solution when considering the metrics of device cost, programmability/scalability, cost of ownership/development, and end customer reuse and leverage.”


Everybody is pegging network cameras as the main segment for growth, but convergence is taking longer than most analysts expected, clarified Krause. Some are blaming underdeveloped or unreliable network infrastructure, but Krause believes it is the uncertainty around the kind of H.264 codecs to use (baseline or main profile) plus new standards like SVC that makes it difficult to identify what the next generation really is.


Many developers including Texas Instruments and eInfochips are concerned about interoperability among cameras, video servers, recording/compression formats and video management software. “Texas Instruments is participating in the PSIA — this is one of the areas we're trying as a supplier to help further market,” said Petkevich. In his view, apart from pricing, another factor that is potentially slowing the diffusion rate of cameras is the knowledge base in installers. More importantly, unlike consumer electronics, a professional market like electronic security takes time to mature.


In light of the migration of analog to digital/IP and the convergence of video compression standards and video analytics, effective measures that can help tackle dynamic and fragmented market requirements include: more IP solutions, forward/backward compatibility, low BOM cost and effective partnering strategy. "The first to come out with the ‘right' package — the right pricing, servicing, recurring charges and business models to engage its partners and clients with easier system installation and sufficient support — will definitely be the biggest winner of the game,” commented Petkevich.

Keeping Borders in Check

Editor / Provider: a&s International | Updated: 3/26/2009 | Article type: Government & Public Services

Land-based borders help keep out illegal immigration, drug trafficking and sometimes terrorists. A&S investigates what it takes to have a well-controlled border and crossing points.


Land borders are vast with their many areas posing unique problems. Security design is influenced by terrain, accessibility and the relationship between the countries separated by the border.


Securing borders is a matter of national importance. Frost & Sullivan found the North American border control market earned revenues of US$130.4 million in 2007 and estimates it would reach $729.5 million by 2014.


Market participants increasingly invest in research and development to gain an edge in technological competence and to provide enhanced, non-invasive security solutions, said Neelima Sagar, Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst.


Civil identification has an international impact, with the European Union implementing extended access control (EAC) for access protection, said Ng Fook Seng, Asia Senior VP, Security Business Unit, Gemalto. EAC implementation required skilled handling and cooperation from all E.U. members throughout the migration process. It required the setup of a public key infrastructure, with both security mechanisms affecting governments, national printers, the e-passport industry and citizens.


The rise of illegal immigration, fraudulent use of passports and identity theft remain threats that authorities continue to combat, Ng said. Another challenge, specifically for E.U. countries, is to meet the European Commission's requirement for all member nations to include additional digital biometric information on e-passports by mid-2009.


The consequence of implementing the biometric e-passport is that the verification process for these passports — including radio frequency chip reading and new biometric verifications — will increase the average inspection time by an estimated 50 percent or more. “So the introduction of biometric electronic documents will increase security but may also lengthen queues at borders,” Ng said.


Setting Boundaries
Most borders stretch across wide terrain, with few entry points in between. “A multisensor solution is best for all but the smallest of sites,” said Adam Rosenberg, VP of Marketing, Magal Security Systems.


Population density affects border setup. In remote border areas, vandalism is more pressing than real-time response to threats, as it is less likely to be deterred and more expensive to repair. The frequency of agricultural or recreational activity may require more video monitoring solutions to verify activity detected by intrusion systems. For urban areas, physical barriers must deter and delay intruders, as they can vanish quickly into the general population.


Some borders are natural, such as coastlines, while others are man-made. "There are borders, like in Israel, where people actually live on the border and there are countries where there is a no-man zone for several kilometers dividing the two countries,” Rosenberg said. “The first level of defense for a well-controlled border should be represented by a physical barrier (line of demarcation) with sterile zones on both sides, meaning that no vegetation or other distracting and camouflage items should grow or be present on this barrier.”


As no one technology can cover all areas, an ideal solution should have three tiers. The first line of defense, comprising taut wire and intrusion grids, should maintain high security with minimum false alarms. A second tier of video enables alarm verification and radar can be considered on a local basis. Finally, covert systems provide an element of surprise to intruders, who bypass the fist and second defense levels.


Ideally, a country's borders with its neighbors should differ according to threat level, said Omer Laviv, COO for Athena GS3 Security Implementations (MER Group). However, border authorities often decide to use the same solution for every border.


For U.S. borders, its southern Mexican border is more tightly controlled than the northern Canadian one. As for Europe, as more countries have joined the European Union, borders have not only moved but become more strictly controlled as well.


High security borders have sterile zones, created by a double layer of fences parallel to each other, Laviv said. These no-go areas are surveyed as carefully as border fences, measuring from 5 meters thick to 100 meters.


Keeping Threats Out
Fencing varies, with chain-link fences, concrete anti-climb fences and anti-ram fences, said Alan Matchett, Major Projects Security Consultant, Johnson Controls. Fences are built according to terrain, budget, ease of access and threat level.


Border threats range from illegal immigration, terrorism and land disputes, Matchett said. Another threat is theft of resources, such as petroleum or iron ore. Smuggling goods is another threat, encompassing drugs, black market goods and products being taken overseas to avoid taxes and tariffs.


Limited manpower results in fewer entry points than would be ideal, Rosenberg said. The entry point is defined as where a person presents himself for legal access to another country. Electronic systems, such as perimeter, can assist with border security.


Entry points differ, depending on the kind of border activity. Some are trade areas, scanning trucks and their cargo, along with identifying drivers are authorized to pass through. Traffic stops for drug smuggling watch for illegal substances, with law. These entry points deploy perimeter solutions, including spike barriers capable of damaging tires, beam barricades and metal gates. Public address systems warn would-be intruders, while dirt tracks show footprints plainly.


Electronic solutions include detection systems mounted to a fence and buried cables based on seismic vibrations that act as sensors. Microwave detectors, photoelectric beams, and video analytics are also used in borders, which have constant or near-constant power supply.


Biometrics
Biometrics is seeing greater adoption for border applications. “Iris recognition technology has taken a great leap with the development of a solution that can measure from distances more than 20 meters,” Sagar said. “Iris recognition can identify stationary as well as mobile objects and because of this will witness remarkable growth.”


In the face recognition segment, 3-D face recognition eliminates a number of problems such as feature localization, pose, and illumination, Sagar said.


Keeping an Eye Out
Thermal imaging cameras are common for island regions with a coast guard, on oil platforms and at shorelines, Matchett said. They vary according to detection distance and software utilized. Camera housings can be explosion-proof, vandalism-resistant, or bullet-proof. For remote sites, cameras can be mounted on poles that cannot be reached easily.


There are two types of thermal imaging cameras: uncooled detectors and those with cooled detectors, said Christiaan Maras, Marketing Manager Eurasia, FLIR Commercial Vision Systems. Cooled cameras are generally used in border applications, as they provide longer range performance than cameras with uncooled detectors. Some models with cooled detectors can detect man-sized targets from up to 20 kilometers away.


Thermal imaging systems are often used with day/night cameras, Maras said. Installed on a pan-tilt mechanism, these systems can be integrated with radar systems. If an object is spotted by radar, the thermal imaging camera will automatically turn in the right direction, so that it can see what caused a “blip” on the radar screen.


Multisensor configurations can also be equipped with GPS and a digital magnetic compass to ensure the operator knows where the thermal imager is, Maras said. This is important for mobile border security applications. Some systems also have a laser range finder to measure how far an object is.


Command and control centers responsible for a  certain border stretch are also becoming more common. These differ according to the solutions and security software installed, utilization, staffing and alert response.


Because of the remoteness of many border cameras — placed miles from the nearest border crossing —the risk of Ethernet systems being hacked is an important security consideration. “When the Ethernet is taken to remote camera positions in the middle of a desert or in a mountain area, it is possible to break into a system and inject your own feeds,” said Alan Hayes, founder and MD of AMG Systems.


Service to remote borders is limited. “It is also worth considering that Ethernet systems require skilled maintenance distributed to all the remote locations,” Hayes said. “If the system breaks down, it can take a very long time to get the network up and running again.”


Reliable transmission of video is crucial at borders to identify potential threats in time. “The need for immediate identification of unwanted individuals crossing borders also means that there is a need to compare images and get a fairly accurate facial recognition done on the spot,” Hayes said. “Uncompressed video images allows for this process to work smoothly and efficiently.”


Video can be sent back to the central monitoring station for real-time processing. "Using uncompressed transmission of the video images caters for application of sophisticated video analytics software, for example for analyzing certain behavioral patterns,” Hayes said. “This could for example be used to alert the control room staff to individuals approaching a crossing point with in intention of placing a bomb or other terrorist activity.”


Sensors
Different types of sensors are also used at borders, Laviv said. Doppler radars are used to measure velocity and distance of intruding objects. Acoustic sensors are based on frequency. Geophonic or seismic sensors detect drilling, digging, and related activities.


Millimeter wave-based sensors use extremely high frequency, but are not effective over long distances, Laviv said. They cannot differentiate between humans and animals, causing false alarms which can waste manpower, if patrols are dispatched unnecessarily.


The most efficient sensor technologies generally require line of sight from the sensor to the area of concern. “It's easy to see how mountainous terrain can effect sensor placement and even the number of sensors needed for effective coverage,” said Jack Chenevey, Director of Security Solutions, Boeing. “The types of foliage also play a large factor in the selection of the technologies selected. Heavy foliage may require technologies which can penetrate to ‘see' through it.”


Environmental issues include — but are not limited to — whether the system is used 24 hours a day or not. “Additionally, temperature extremes (high or low) may favor a set of technologies over another,” Chenevey said. “If high humidity is an environmental factor, infrared may not be the best choice for visual observation of a border or boundary.”


Unattended ground sensors are suited for some cases, but electrooptic or infrared sensors are more used to perform detailed identification and classification work from remote towers or portable tripod stands. “It really depends on how permanent the installation is meant to be or on the terrain,” Chenevey said. “The terrain may require the sensor to be well above the ground to provide sufficient line of sight.”

Facial Recognition — A Future with Possibilities

Editor / Provider: Submitted by L-1 Identity Solutions | Updated: 3/23/2009 | Article type: Hot Topics

Advances in facial recognition technology are producing unprecedented levels of accuracy, speed and image quality. Using biometrics-based identity management, businesses and governments can better protect the public from terrorism, crime and theft perpetrated by fraudulent identities.


Facial recognition is one of the most predominant forms of biometric recognition today and among the best methods to prove a person is who he or she claims to be. Facial recognition can be better than human identification, with accuracy rates approaching 99 percent, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.


Adoption of facial biometrics as a means of identification continues to be driven by governments globally. Facial recognition systems are used in many credentialing programs such as passports and national ID cards. Customs and border agents in various parts of the world use facial recognition solutions for identifying and preventing unwanted individuals from entering the country. Military personnel and law enforcement also turn to mobile facial applications for real-time identification of subjects in the field.


As the technology continues to be proven within various government initiatives, commercial enterprises are beginning to implement this technology. Businesses around the world use facial recognition systems as a means of providing more secure access to buildings and restricted areas. The financial community uses facial recognition as an aid in identity theft investigations. Facial recognition is also used by retail environments to spot potential shoplifters and by casinos to identify known cheaters. Opt-in customer loyalty programs are another appealing application for facial recognition technology.


The appeal of facial recognition is that it is non-intrusive. Images can be captured from a distance and further away from the subject than any other biometrics. Facial images can also be captured while a subject is moving, making it an ideal application for identification in high-traffic areas, such as airports and border crossings. These factors, together with technological advances, are propelling this biometric modality into new directions.


Accuracy, Speed and Image Quality
Improvements in accuracy, speed and image quality have been dramatic over the past several years. Government sponsored technology evaluations and challenges are fueling advancements in the accuracy of facial recognition. This began with the Face Recognition Technology program in 1993 and today has evolved with the Facial Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT). According to the most recent FRVT testing, facial recognition algorithm error rates have been reduced 20-fold from 2002 to 2006.


Improvement in speed is also making it possible to read and match against a larger number of images than before. The primary drivers behind these improvements are accelerated hardware processing speeds and the use of graphics processor units. These faster processing speeds mean facial recognition is a more viable option for more complex and sophisticated identification scenarios involving mobile and real-time applications.


The progression of image quality also propels facial recognition forward. For example, there is no longer a requirement to look directly into a camera to capture an image. Technological innovations have improved the accuracy of the captured image, regardless of the position or pose of the face. Deblurring and focusing capabilities are increasing the suitability of any quality of image for matching.


While faces may often be captured off-center, improved modeling techniques that render a greater collection of face models can overcome this constraint. A 3-D image can be captured initially to eliminate this limitation. Alternatively, facial technology can render multiple off-angle or posed images from an original 2-D image with the help of an accurate 3-D face model.


Image preprocessing and enhancement is another important area where removal of image noise around a face in an image can make the face more pronounced, vivid and suitable for matching. For example, technology can lift a face from a blurry photograph and from holograms in an ID photo to produce a dramatically improved quality image. Additionally, a single higher-quality image can be constructed from several low-quality video frames.


Integrated Biometrics
The ability to fuse face with other biometrics is another important area driving face biometrics as a trusted method for accurate identification in a wider variety of scenarios.


Thousands of handheld devices are used today in areas of conflict that allow users to enroll and match subjects via iris, finger and facial images. These devices can store up to 200,000 records, depending on the configuration of biometric records. These multimodal devices offer unparalleled levels of speed and accuracy for real-time identification of subjects in any environment and under any operating condition. Moreover, Iris on the Move can increase facial recognition accuracy in identifying subjects by the iris of the eye.


Finally, the fusing of additional technologies, such as skin, offers an even greater probability for accurate matching using the face. Skin texture is inherently random and the inclusion of skin algorithms with facial recognition provides another means of proving facial images. However, it is important to note that this capability is predicated on the technological advances discussed in this article and requires an extremely high-quality image.


Looking Ahead
The advances in facial biometrics are indisputable, but it does not mean that facial recognition is always the best means of identification. Its suitability is determined by the application or scenario in which it is used.


For example, Japan's cigarette vending machine age verification system that uses 2-D facial recognition was fooled by holding up a magazine photo of an age-appropriate individual to the camera's lens.


The next generation of 2-D facial recognition systems is making these limitations a thing of the past. The more advanced facial recognition applications require that a person move the head left, right, up and down and assess the pose as a means of accurate matching. If the pose does not change, then the system immediately recognizes spoofing.


Innovations in facial technology are now better accounting for changing light conditions during image acquisition. Improvements in the ability to capture a high-quality image at a distance, regardless of atmospheric conditions and interference, are also underway. The ability to continuously capture images to facilitate unattended entry is another important area of advancement.


Together, these developments are making facial recognition a much more viable outdoor biometric indicator. Biometrics remains to be the least intrusive and most accurate means of identifying individuals.

Belgian Federal Police Choose Steria and Cogent Systems to Provide Fingerprint Capture System

Editor / Provider: Sorce: Steria | Updated: 3/18/2009 | Article type: Government & Public Services

For its 100th anniversary, the Belgian Police Department's Legal Identification Division is getting an innovative fingerprint capture system. Steria Benelux was chose to equip the Technical and Scientific Police Department's Legal Identification Division with a revolutionary fingerprint-capture system. Steria is acting as "prime contractor" for this project. The system will be based on Cogent Systems' "Automated Palm Print and Fingerprint Identification System" (APFIS). Steria will enable remote connection by installing the Fingerprint Image Transmission (FIT) peripherals required for the capture and transmission of finger and palm prints and traces, and will also be in charge of all necessary integration services.


The Federal Police's Legal Identification Division conducted an in-depth evaluation of each offer, including intensive performance testing for each of the proposed solutions. Steria's offer of Cogent Systems' APFIS technology demonstrated its high-level performance and resulted in the Police awarding the contract to Steria.


Cogent's APFIS system will replace an earlier version, which was installed 10 years ago. It will support all future functionalities, provide more precise results with a shorter response time, and include new, improved functionalities. The system can store finger- and palm print trace images at 1,000 pixel per inch (ppi) resolution and allows traces to be examined in comparison with flat or rolled fingerprints as well as palm prints.


This identification system will increase the Belgian Police's crime-solving capacity. It will offer increased search precision, significantly improved response times, a palm print search option, and other innovative functions as well. For example, the system will offer 90 percent precision in finger and palm print trace searches and up to 99.9 percent precision in fingerprint searches. Moreover, the system will allow a fast, high-quality exchange of dactyloscopic data with other countries (with Interpol and other countries covered by the Prüm Treaty). High-level integration with the other IT systems used by the Belgian Police has been planned in order to optimize the flow of information.


"This contract at the heart of Europe considerably strengthens our presence there, where Cogent Systems technology is already being used in other European Union countries," said Cogent Systems' President and CEO Ming Hsieh. "The strength of Cogent's technology resides in its precision, its reliability and its quick implementation, characteristics that played a crucial role in the awarding of this contract."


"For Steria, this is a strategic project in systems integration and security. Our expertise in biometric systems integration unquestionably played an essential role in the final phase of evaluation. This project illustrates our ability to offer our public and private sector customers innovative solutions delivered by our biometrics expertise centre," said Steria Benelux CEO René Luyckx.

L-1 Identity Solutions Receives $8.3 Million Order for Handheld Biometric Devices

Editor / Provider: Source: L-1 Identity Solutions | Updated: 3/10/2009 | Article type: Government & Public Services

L-1 Identity Solutions, a provider of identity solutions and services, received an US$8.3 million order for HIIDE 4.0 (Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment) biometric enrollment and recognition devices. This order is part of an existing requirements contract with the U.S. Army's Space Program Office (ASPO) and was first announced by L-1 in April 2007. Delivery will begin in the first quarter of 2009 and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2009.


"Our HIIDE devices are pervasive in areas of conflict around the world and are in high demand by the warfighter and peacekeeper alike,” said Robert LaPenta, Chairman, President and CEO of L-1 Identity Solutions. “The performance of the HIIDE in the field has made it an indispensible tool for preventing our enemies from hiding behind false identities, a disguise that enables them to move easily across borders in order to perpetuate terrorism and crime.”


HIIDE is the world's first rugged hand-held biometric enrollment and recognition device providing real-time identification using iris, finger and face biometrics. More than 7,500 devices are currently fielded into areas of conflict around the world. The device uses the highly accurate Daugman algorithm for biometric matching.

Nigerian IT Firm Integrates M2SYS Fingerprint Recognition

Editor / Provider: Source: M2SYS | Updated: 3/9/2009 | Article type: Commercial Markets

M2SYS, a biometrics research and development firm, announced BSSL Technologies, a Nigerian IT firm, choose M2SYS to provide them and their customers with Bio-Plugin fingerprint software solution and M2-EasyScan fingerprint reader.

Bio-Plugin enables to seamlessly integrate a complete fingerprint recognition system into their existing Human Capital System, dController HCM, to enhance their identity management options. BSSL and its customers will be able to efficiently and accurately manage their employees in a more secured manner. Bio-Plugin will save up to 4 percent of annual gross payroll budgets by eliminating “buddy-punching” and will increase security by providing a concrete audit trail to track employee activities. Because Bio-Plugin also eliminates the headaches associated with low-level fingerprint SDK integration and support, BSSL Technologies can immediately deliver these benefits while remaining focused on its core competencies.

"We chose M2SYS based on their outstanding reputation of providing innovative biometric fingerprint identity management technology backed by premium support,” said James Emadoye, MD of BSSL Technologies. “Bio-Plugin provided exactly what we required. We were able to immediately add biometric features to our application, providing us and our clients with a more reliable way of identifying employees and ensuring accountability. We found Bio-Plugin to be the most ample and cost-effective biometric fingerprint software available.”

"BSSL Technologies can rely on M2SYS for proactive and dedicated support of our biometric fingerprint software, as well as new products that will deliver significant value to their customers,” said Mizan Rahman, CEO and Chief Engineer of M2SYS Technology. “We are looking forward to developing a strong and rewarding partnership with BSSL in Nigeria and West Africa.”

LaserCard Receives Purchase Orders for Italian Government ID Card Programs

Editor / Provider: Source: LaserCard | Updated: 3/4/2009 | Article type: Government & Public Services

LaserCard, a provider of secure ID solutions, announced it received a follow-on purchase order to supply about US$2.5 million worth of secure optical memory cards for Italian government ID card programs. The vast majority of the cards ordered are Foreign Resident ID Cards, with the rest being special bilingual versions of the national Citizen ID Card.


The purchase order was received from LaserCard's Rome-based authorized value added reseller, Laser Memory Card, which supplies and supports the government's prime contractor on the project. It is expected that shipment of the cards will commence in the March quarter and be completed in the June quarter.


"We are pleased to continue working with our partners and the Italian government to supply secure credentials for Italy's Foreign Resident and Citizen ID Card programs. Italy's continued investment in the unequalled counterfeit resistance delivered by optical memory based credentials underscores its commitment to the security of its borders,” said Bob DeVincenzi, President and CEO, LaserCard.


According to Laser Memory Card, the Italian government is issuing Foreign Resident ID Cards at a rate that will consume the current card order in approximately six months.


About LaserCard Corporation
LaserCard, together with its subsidiaries, is a provider of secure ID solutions to governments and commercial clients worldwide. It develops, manufactures, and integrates LaserCard optical memory cards, encoders, peripherals, smart and specialty cards, biometrics and modular software. The company's cards and systems are used in various applications, including citizen identification, border security, government service delivery and facility access. For further information, please visit www.lasercard.com.

LaserCard and Gemalto Sign Agreement for New Phase of Saudi Arabia National ID Card Program

Editor / Provider: Source: LaserCard | Updated: 2/27/2009 | Article type: Government & Public Services

LaserCard, a provider of secure ID solutions, announced the execution of a Card Supply Agreement with Gemalto for the supply of chip-ready optical memory cards for issuance as Saudi Arabian National ID Cards.


The agreement, valued at approximately US$6 million, marks the start of a new phase of the program where card issuance is expected to migrate from the regions of Saudi Arabia to a new centralized personalization facility in the Kingdom's capital city, Riyadh. Gemalto previously supplied and installed the centralized card personalization system in Riyadh and is responsible for processing the optical cards to embed a Gemalto supplied contact chip.


"We are pleased to team with the world's leading supplier of smart cards on this key Saudi national security program,” said Bob DeVincenzi, President and CEO of LaserCard. “The combination of LaserCard's optical memory and Gemalto's contact chip solution makes the Saudi card one of the most secure credentials in the world.”


The agreement calls for purchase order releases for shipments beginning immediately and continuing through December 2009. LaserCard anticipates combined deliveries this calendar year of $11.2 million of Saudi Arabian National ID Cards for this and a previously announced contract.


About LaserCard
LaserCard, together with its subsidiaries, is a provider of secure ID solutions to governments and commercial clients worldwide. It develops, manufactures, and integrates LaserCard optical memory cards, encoders, peripherals, smart and specialty cards, biometrics, and modular software. The Company's cards and systems are used in various applications, including citizen identification, border security, government service delivery and facility access.


For more information, please visit www.lasercard.com.

Hutchinson Port Holdings Group Select AuthenWare Keystroke Biometric Solution

Editor / Provider: Source: AuthenWare | Updated: 2/18/2009 | Article type: Infrastructure

AuthenWare, a provider in keystroke biometrics software, announced Hutchinson Port Holdings Group (HPH) selected its patent-pending AuthenTest software to handle the security interactions between its customers and Customs for its Americas operation. HPH is the port investor, developer and operator.


"We evaluated other biometric solutions such as tokens, security cards, and other traditional solutions but found them to be inadequate for our needs," said Pedro Maidana, CIO at Hutchinson. "We selected AuthenTest because it is cost-effective, easy to implement, requires no special hardware, and most importantly, it is non-intrusive to our users."


HPH Americas is implementing AuthenTest to increase the security of the interactions between its customers and customs declaration systems. The company has a portal by which its customers declaring goods entering or leaving port. Using AuthenTest, HPH will be able to ensure that its customers can transact with the customs application safely, and without risk sensitive information being lost, stolen or misused.


AuthenTest offers a different approach towards handling security by not only securing information access through keystroke biometrics, but also by rendering any stolen credentials useless. It accomplishes this through a proprietary protocol that creates and maintains a unique personal security pattern for each user every time that he or she enters data using the keyboard.


"We are proud that HPH Americas has selected AuthenTest for its application security needs," said Tom Helou, President and COO, AuthenWare. "Our unique approach towards keystroke biometrics protects companies against any unauthorized access to sensitive data, making it the ideal solution for organizations of all sizes."

Motorola Biometric Identification Secures Dutch Police

Editor / Provider: Source: Motorola Inc. | Updated: 2/9/2009 | Article type: Government & Public Services

Motorola Inc., announced it has been awarded a four-year contract by the Dutch national police agency, the Korps Landelijke Politie Diensten (KLPD), to provide its Motorola Printrak Biometric Identification Solution (Printrak BIS) to support all types of identification activities for the whole organisation of the Dutch Police.


The solution supports the use of rolled or plain fingerprints, as well as palm prints and latent identification services and biometric quality management processes.


The Dutch police set a new standard for biometric technology during the selection process and the Motorola solution has been designed to meet all the objectives. Specifically, the KLPD wanted to stay at the forefront of identification technologies and recognized that in order to meet the demand for rapid paperless responses, "real-time" identification, and biometric data exchanges with multiple European and international biometric systems, a new biometric solution was required. Following an extensive competitive process, which included accuracy testing and a cost of ownership comparison, Motorola's solution was selected as the best offer.


Major features of the Motorola solution include the fastest and most accurate biometric matchers to support automatic, fast identification and verification processes, as well as a reduction in the amount of manual work required.


Motorola's biometric solution for KLPD incorporates a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) matcher, which is both fast and accurate. This will enable the KLPD to deploy a system which is scalable, upgradeable, robust, and easily maintained. The advanced solution fits into the existing IT infrastructure already deployed by the Dutch Police forces, though offers the flexibility to be easily extended to add functionality and services as they become needed at a later date.


Motorola has been developing biometrics solutions over 35 years and offers unrivaled product releases over the span of eight generations. Motorola has a comprehensive range of products which support biometric identification and verification; enrolment and verification solutions, latent software and mobile solutions to satisfy both civil and criminal requirements.