Viisage Technology, Leader in Face-recognition Technology, Retains Porter, LeVay & Rose

Business Wire, April 18, 2000

Business Editors

LITTLETON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 18, 2000

Viisage Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: VISG), a world leader in face-recognition technology, identification systems integration and their e-commerce applications, announced today that it has retained Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc., as its investor relations counsel.

Porter, LeVay & Rose, based in New York City, is a 30-year old, full-service public relations firm that represents a wide variety of public companies and financial institutions in the United States and abroad.

Thomas J. Colatosti, president and chief executive officer of Viisage, said, "We are very pleased that Porter, LeVay & Rose will be representing our company as we take the aggressive and strategic actions necessary to reach our full growth and profit potential, particularly as we launch five new face-recognition products at the CardTech/SecurTech Conference May 1-4 in Miami."

Colatosti noted that face recognition and other biometric technologies are a huge emerging market and he expects face recognition will commonly be used to authenticate e-commerce transactions. Viisage's reliable, non-invasive and cost-effective face-recognition technology is widely recognized for its leadership in real-time and large database applications. Its new FacePass (TM) system, for instance, one of the five new products being introduced at the conference, can replace PINS, electronic keys and other physical encumbrances with face-recognition technology for convenient, reliable and affordable entry control.

Viisage recently announced a distribution agreement with Control Monitor Systems of Huntington Beach, CA, to market Face Pass(TM) in commercial physical-access-control applications.

Viisage, with its partner Biometrica Systems, Inc., of Mt. Vernon, NH, also developed and recently installed at Mirage Resort in Las Vegas its full surveillance suite of Visual Casino loss-reduction systems capable of detecting, recognizing and identifying from a distance individuals posing potential security concerns.

Michael Porter, president of Porter, LeVay & Rose, called Viisage "an exciting company that we are delighted to add to our roster of technology clients. We look forward to working together to increase Viisage's visibility and reputation in the investment community and the news media."

Viisage Technology, Inc., is a world leader in biometric technology and digital identification solutions. Originally developed at MIT, Viisage's face-recognition technology is widely recognized for its leadership performance in real-time and large database applications. Responding to the emerging market need for e-commerce convenience and security, Viisage's patented technology, systems integration and software design capabilities improve personal convenience, privacy and security while deterring identity theft and fraud. Viisage's family of face-recognition applications includes e-commerce (FaceNET(TM)), point-of-sale (FacePIN(TM)), access control (FacePASS(TM)), surveillance (FaceFINDER(TM)) and image database analysis (FaceEXPLORER(TM)). Viisage's systems annually produce more than 20 million digital identification documents at more than 1,500 U.S. locations in 13 states. For more information on Viisage, via fax at no charge, dial 1-800-PRO-INFO and enter ticker symbol VISG, or visit its web site at www.viisage.com.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this document and those made from time to time by the Company through its senior management are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements concerning future plans or results are necessarily only estimates and actual results could differ materially from expectations. Certain factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, among other things, potential fluctuations in quarterly results, the size and timing of award and performance on contracts, dependence on large contracts and a limited number of customers, lengthy sales and implementation cycles, changes in management estimates incident to accounting for contracts, availability and cost of key components, market acceptance of new or enhanced products and services, proprietary technology and changing technology, competitive conditions, system performance, management of growth, dependence on key personnel general economic and political conditions and other factors affecting spending by customers.