|
Unisys to integrate new ID management system for airports |
|
|
|
| Biometric technology to be rolled out for project involving 100,000 workers |
|
Written by Carolyn Yates
|
|
Thursday, 08 May 2008 |
|
Page 1 of 2
In a $4.5 million deal, Unisys Canada Inc. has been selected by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) to supply, integrate and manage a new identification management system for 29 airports throughout Canada.
The system will use fingerprint and iris biometric technology to identify about 100,000 airport workers, and will replace the application CATSA currently uses in its Restricted Area Identification Card (RAIC) system, which enhances aviation security by verifying the identities of airport workers via biometrics and ensuring workers have security clearance – the status of which can be instantly updated at any airport.
Under the terms of the two-year contract, Unisys will also provide data management, integration and project management services, along with training and provision of technical support and maintenance once the application is deployed.
The RAIC system uses contactless HID smart cards, Bioscrypt fingerprinting and LG300 iris readers located at entry points to restricted areas. Workers’ scanned biometric data must match that provided by their card to gain access.
The system is based on off-the-shelf products from ImageWare Systems, Inc. (IWS), an American-based company. The IWS biometric engine is the centerpiece of the new RAIC application, responsible for enrollment of airport workers, capturing and processing their biometric data, and issuing biometric-enabled smart cards.
“When we go to enroll new workers, we will use the IWS biometric system for fingerprints and iris. Bioscrypt is still part of the current solution and it still needs to be there because it works with some of the fingerprint readers,” said Bob Binns, president of Unisys Canada in Toronto.
“Our familiarity with [IWS] – it’s proven capability in the instances we’ve used it – just gives us as the integrator a great deal of confidence that we can deliver the solution on the timeline and the cost and within the budget that CATSA has laid out,” said Binns.
“It’s pretty normal that you would do the initial rollout and then do an upgrade on some of your systems,” said Binns, who later added, “it’s not quite the same as building from the ground up, and so it has a much lower cost.”
|
