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Technology Stocks : Identix (IDNX) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: steve who wrote (25781)	4/6/2004 9:23:53 AM
From: steve	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 26039

N.H. company’s ID system goes Down Under By David Tirrell-Wysocki Associated Press CONCORD - Australia, one of America’s strongest allies in the war on terrorism, has added a new weapon to its arsenal. It’s not lethal, but the toaster-sized device may be able to stop terrorists in their tracks. It’s a high-tech document reader made in New Hampshire that can tell in seconds whether a passport is a fraud and identify travelers who might be included on terrorist watch lists. "What we’re trying to do is strengthen border security by making sure that the people who are coming into this country are who they say they are," said Tim Chapman, National Manager of the Passengers Branch of Australia’s Customs Service. In a multimillion-dollar contract, Australia has installed 400 iA-thenticate units from Imaging Automation of Bedford at its international airports, making it the first country to authenticate the documents of every person entering the country. The system ranges from $5,000 to $15,000 per unit. It uses multiple light sources to examine hundreds of security features on travel documents from various countries. Many of the features, including the composition of ink, are invisible to the naked eye. Chapman said Australia decided to turn to the sophisticated system after the terrorist bombing in Bali in 2002 killed dozens of Australians and brought the war on terror close to home. His country’s alliance with the United States in Iraq also heightened terrorism concerns. "Australia was one of the most willing of the coalition in Iraq," Chapman said in a recent telephone interview from his office in Canberra. "I think that maybe added to the risk that we have here." In seconds, the unit authenticates a document, checks identification photos and compares the information and photo with any on watch lists of possible terrorists. It also can create a manifest for each airline flight, which can be checked against watch lists in the destination country before a flight arrives. The quick check is important, Chapman said, because about 18 million people pass through Australian customs each year. "We keep people moving, but make sure security is as high as possible," he said. Australia joins Canada, Hungary, Sweden, Finland, Nigeria and other countries already using or testing the iA-thenticate system. Dallas-Fort Worth, Boston’s Logan Airport and a company that contracts with nuclear plants use the system to check credentials of prospective employees. Chapman said the system was deployed in Australia in mid-February and already has detected false documents. Without giving details, he said the people carrying the documents might not have been detected beforehand. "One, I would say, almost certainly not," Chapman said. "The others? It would have depended on the officers concerned" and how they interpreted the documents. After scanning a document, the unit flashes a "pass" or "review" message to a customs officer, noting what is wrong with the document. Those flagged for review undergo further checks. Chapman said organized crime figures, drug traffickers or someone trying to escape financial fraud might join terrorists in using false travel documents. Imaging Automation’s senior director of Homeland Security, Rick Carter, said the contract with Australia is a significant security step. "They are leaders in that field, so for them to take this technology and deploy it on all their borders is a big thing for us and what it means for the rest of the world," he said. Imaging Automation is trying to sell its system to America’s Department of Homeland Security, especially as the country moves toward using biometrics - fingerprint scanning on passports. Congress wants 27 countries to issue the computer-coded passports by the fall, but the Bush administration is seeking a two-year delay, saying many countries cannot meet the deadline. Carter said the iA-thenticate system could be a bridge to biometrics, allowing the U.S. to enhance security by authenticating documents now, and easily add biometrics features later. "We are hoping we can attract the powers that be in Washington to take a look at this," he said. On the Net: www.imagingauto.com. seacoastonline.com steve