Today, Iris ID (formerly the Iris Technology Division of LG Electronics) and IBM announced that their collaboration has led to iris recognition biometrics being used by the Canada Border Services Agency’s NEXUS program. Thanks to the biometric integration, the travelers moving between Canada and the United States via eight international airports, 19 land border crossings and about 430 marine locations, will be able to prove their identities with their iris.
NEXUS-enrolled travelers, who already benefit from expedited security screenings at border crossings, will now be able to clear customs in convenient fashion: simply looking into a camera to have their iris scanned.
Iris ID’s technology is particularly well suited for border crossing deployments, and is indeed keeping operations secure and convenient in airports around the world, including Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar. Thanks to its contactless nature, iris recognition is well suited to high throughput deployments such as biometric border control and as a part of NEXUS it will certainly aid in keeping pre-screened individuals moving on their way.
“IBM is always looking for innovative ways to improve the lives of Canadians so boosting security and reducing time spent in lines at border crossings is something we’re proud to be part of,” said John Fursey, IBM’s VP and Partner Public Sector Leader in Canada.
“We are excited to work with IBM to make the enhancements to the NEXUS program. Iris ID’s iCAM 7 Series and IrisAccelerator backend matching engine are integral parts of the changes to the Nexus program,” says Charles Koo, CEO and President of Iris ID. “A similar system is also being used by Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) across 29 major international airports in Canada for employee identity management and access control.”
Iris ID was recently featured as part of Border Control Month at FindBiometrics.
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February 25, 2015 – by Peter B. Counter
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