ImageWare Systems has been selected as the exclusive provider of biometric identity management for a prime contractor responsible for the implementation of cargo scanning security at seaports in the Republic of Ecuador. While the full value of the contract cannot be immediately determined since it will be partially based on the eventual number of credentials issued during the seven year prime cont...
ImageWare Systems has been selected as the exclusive provider of biometric identity management for a prime contractor responsible for the implementation of cargo scanning security at seaports in the Republic of Ecuador. While the full value of the contract cannot be immediately determined since it will be partially based on the eventual number of credentials issued during the seven year prime contract, it is expected to exceed $3 million. The award follows a similar contract ImageWare received earlier this year from the Los Angeles World Airports, operators of LAX and two other regional airports.
The initial deployment of ImageWare's biometric identity solution is planned to commence during the fourth quarter of 2012 at the Port of Guayaquil, the main seaport that handles the majority of Ecuador's imports and exports. The implementation is intended to help the country's port authorities satisfy the requirements of the U.S. Safe Port Act of 2006. Since global seaports have historically inspected less than 5 percent of the containers imported into the U.S., congress passed the Safe Port Act to protect U.S. seaports from various security threats.
More than 700 ports worldwide that export to the U.S. must comply with the act before July 1, 2012, which stipulates that all containers loaded on a foreign port cannot enter the U.S. unless scanned by both radiation detection and non-intrusive imaging equipment at the foreign port prior to loading on a vessel.
“As the world's security needs expand, our channel partners are realizing the unique value, power and flexibility of our patented multi-modal biometric solutions,” said Jim Miller, ImageWare chairman and CEO. “This includes a turn-key solution based on a seamlessly integrated single platform, which allows for both small and large scale enrollments, and the fusion of multi-biometric inputs resulting in a higher degree of authentication. Building upon two recent successful and major contract wins related to port security, we are aggressively pursuing a vast number of similar opportunities in the global market.”