Sagem (News - Alert) Sécurité announced this week that that since January 2006, the IRIS (Iris Recognition Immigration System) delivered to the United Kingdom has identified more than one million passengers. The IRIS is an automated biometric border crossing system.

 

IRIS identification systems are used for automated ID checks for pre-enrolled travelers at borders. The identification system, as its name suggests, is based on iris recognition and allows fast, secure immigration processes for frequent travelers passing through Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester airports.

 

The process followed is better than earlier methods involving real-time verification of passenger by immigration officers. Previously, verification was a very time-consuming process. The IRIS biometric barrier enables frequent travelers who are citizens of the European Union country to register their unique iris pattern which will serve as identification in the system.

 

The IRIS system enables these registered verified travelers to self-process through immigration control saving time and it also does not require any more identification checks.

 

Sagem Sécurité had already been selected by Oman and Jordan for deploying identification systems based on iris recognition at more than 100 sites in the border crossing stations and airports.

 

Sagem Morpho Inc. (SMI) is a U.S based company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Sagem Sécurité. SMI specializes in biometric solutions which cater to federal government agencies, state and local law enforcement departments and to the consumer and commercial sectors in the U.S. and Canada.

 

SMI designs and develops large fingerprint identification systems and it offers multi-biometric platforms providing fingerprint, palm print and facial and iris recognition products and services.

 

Sagem Sécurité being a high-technology company in the SAFRAN Group provides identification solutions specializing in people’s rights management and physical and logical access applications. Its applications are based on biometrics, secure terminals and smart cards. The company’s integrated systems and equipment find uses throughout the world for ensuring transport safety, data and personal security and also in government security.

 

The company’s products include biometric systems for police forces and civil agencies like the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). It also provides identification documents like national ID cards, driver licenses, e-passports and e-visas, smartcards for SIM, banks and health care, betting and gaming terminals. The biometric systems come in useful in road safety systems and equipment and in automated border control solutions.