BIO-key Awarded Contract by Detroit Public Schools

Dec. 2, 2005
BIO-key's PocketCOP mobile data solution will provide school system improved capability for student safety and officer effectiveness

WALL, N.J. - BIO-key International Inc., a leader in wireless public safety solutions and finger-based biometric identification has been awarded a contract valued for more than $180,000 to equip the Detroit Public School system with BIO-key's PocketCOP mobile data communications software. The initial deployment will run on 75 Blackberry wireless devices over the Cingular Wireless Network. Detroit Public Schools is the largest school system in Michigan and the tenth largest in the country with 22,000 employees and 150,000 students located in 331 buildings across the city. Security is maintained by a dedicated department of 155 police officers.

With BIO-key's PocketCOP solution, the Detroit Public School police officers will have mobile, real time, silent, secure access to local, state and national criminal justice databases for information on suspects, vehicles, and weapons. The BIO-key solution is planned to enable officers to also retrieve and display driver license photos on the handheld devices, adding to officer effectiveness to quickly and accurately identify persons of interest.

BIO-key's PocketCOP software, which operates on a wide range of hardware platforms, including handheld PDAs, smart phones and RIM devices, is especially effective for any foot or bike patrol officer in local, state, federal or specialized police forces such as campus police.

The addition of BIO-key's PocketCOP solution is a critical part of the Detroit school system's emergency preparedness program, providing 24x7 monitoring and communications capability within the police department, as well as the ability to connect with other area law enforcement agencies.

"Detroit's contract award is another important validation of our vision for the need for access to criminal justice and law enforcement information in a wireless and handheld environment by mobile public safety officers. With BIO-key's PocketCOP software, the Detroit School Police will be armed with a powerful new information tool to protect Detroit's students," said Michael DePasquale, CEO of BIO-key International.

BIO-key develops and delivers advanced identification solutions and information services to law enforcement departments, public safety agencies, government and private sector customers. BIO-key's mobile wireless technology provides first responders with critical, reliable, real-time data and images from local, state and national databases. BIO-key's high-performance, scalable, cost-effective and easy-to-deploy biometric finger identification technology accurately identifies and authenticates users of wireless and enterprise data to improve security, convenience and privacy and to reduce identity theft. Over 2,500 police, fire and emergency services departments in North America use BIO-key solutions, making BIO-key the leading supplier of mobile and wireless solutions for public safety worldwide. ( http://www.bio-key.com/ )

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