SOUTH PASADENA, Calif. -- Cogent Systems announced it has been awarded a new five year $20 million services contract to continue to act as a sub-contractor on the US-VISIT biometric identification system implementation. Under the subcontract, Cogent will provide project management services, in addition to software development and maintenance related to its Automatic Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS) solution. Cogent has been providing its AFIS solution and services for the US-VISIT program as well as its predecessor INS programs since 1994. Cogent believes its high level of service during the US-VISIT program's initial deployment resulted in its award of this new contract.
On June 1st, 2004, Accenture announced the award of the lead contract for implementation of the US-VISIT program and later in the year, Raytheon was subcontracted to perform specific tasks related to systems engineering and biometrics for the US-VISIT program. The US-VISIT program, launched in January 2004, requires visitors traveling on visa to submit two scanned fingerprints and have a digital photograph taken upon entry to the United States. US-VISIT already employs Cogent's AFIS solution at numerous locations to enable real-time authentication of individuals' identities at high traffic areas of U.S. airports, seaports and land ports and U.S. consulates overseas. Raytheon has now subcontracted with Cogent to assist in implementing the fingerprint matching portion of the US-VISIT program.
"We are pleased to partner with Raytheon and Accenture to continue providing support and services for the US-VISIT biometric system implementation," commented James Jasinski, Executive Vice President Federal and State Systems. "This contract complements the ongoing product sales related to our AFIS deployment with the Department of Homeland Security for US-VISIT. Our growing involvement with an important federal government program such as US-VISIT is a testament to the strength of our AFIS technology and the high level of service we provide our customers."
"Cogent's newest generation of identification technology, the PMA Elite fingerprint matching system, is successfully being deployed as an integral part of the US-VISIT program," continued Mr. Jasinski. "We believe our identification subsystem is the only matching system that provides highly accurate, real-time positive identification using two fingerprints. Fingerprints captured at a point of entry are used by our subsystem to perform an online search against the biometric databases. Ensuring that a traveler's entry processing time is minimized, the matching subsystem was designed to support over 100,000 transactions per day with an 8 second match response time. Operationally the matching is actually being accomplished faster."
