Identix selected as part of FAA air cargo security pilot program at Chicago's O'Hare Airport

Business Wire, May 22, 1997

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 1997--Identix Inc. (ASE:IDX), a leader in live-scan systems for law enforcement and biometric verification systems, Thursday announced that it has been selected to participate in a 12-month pilot program now in development with the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), the Illinois Transportation Association (ITA), the American Trucking Association (ATA) and the Chicago Department of Aviation (DOA).

Partial funding for the pilot has been committed by the FAA; additional funding is being sought by the prime contractor from other public agencies. The pilot would be conducted at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago and evaluated on its effectiveness and speed in enhancing the security and control of air cargo personnel and shipments.

The participants, under the aegis of Illinois-based SecurCom Inc., are developing a Universal Air Cargo Security Access system that is based on biometric identification and "smart" cards. The pilot program is not expected to have a material effect on Identix's financial results.

Department of Aviation Commissioner Mary Rose Loney commented, "This system will significantly enhance the control of air cargo personnel and shipments, by granting access to the air cargo operations only to authorized personnel whose fingerprints match those in the system database. It will serve to ensure the traveling public that the City of Chicago, the airlines and the federal government are constantly working together to enhance safety and security. This is a major security initiative to help defend O'Hare's cargo operation against increasingly sophisticated terrorist and criminal enterprises."

According to SecurCom President Harry Wilkinson, the goal of the project is to profile cargo shipments to and from O'Hare International Airport and determine whether enhanced security measures are required for individual cargo shipments. Wilkinson commented, "If the pilot proves successful, and there is either positive or neutral impact on delivery timeliness and efficiency, we will work in conjunction with the FAA to provide a standard for cargo security."

Identix Chairman, President and CEO Randall C. Fowler said: "We are pleased to have been selected for this first-of-a-kind pilot program. This custom solution incorporates our biometric technology with the "smart" card technology of Kansas City-based Biometric Tracking. It further demonstrates our belief that biometric identification will be a primary tool in conjunction with various identification systems in the future.

"Last year, more than 900,000 tons of commercial freight were handled at O'Hare International Airport," he continued. "This system may eventually provide airports with a simple, but highly accountable system for ensuring the safety of air cargo shipments, vehicles and personnel as required by the FAA. In addition, we can provide an essential part of a system that would help air cargo operators develop more efficient access and tracking of air cargo to meet FAA regulations."

SecurCom Inc. is a service company engaged in the research, development and installation of security and communication solutions related to the transportation industry.

Identix Inc. is a leader in designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing products for the capture and/or comparison of fingerprints for security, anti-fraud, law enforcement and other applications.

The company's subsidiaries and divisions include ANADAC Inc., a provider of information technology, engineering, systems integration and consulting services to government and commercial entities; Identification Services Division, a supplier of contract fingerprint services for employee and applicant screening and other personal verification applications; and Fingerscan PTY Ltd, a manufacturer and integrator of commercial, financial and industrial biometric verification systems.

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