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The Netherlands plans multi-biometric passport trials
www.compseconline.com
June 2004
ISSN 0969-4765
retail
passports
The Netherlands plans multi-biometric passport trials Up to 15,000 people in The Netherlands are to take part in a trial later this year that will involve creating and testing dual biometric passports that comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards. The ‘dummy’ passports will not be handed out to participants, but will be used to perform several verification tests using equipment provided by a variety of fingerprint and facial recognition companies. Worldwide, many countries are considering incorporating biometrics within their passports, but this project will be one of the first in Europe to produce a physical document incorporating two biometrics. The Dutch Ministry of the Interior (Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijkrelaties) will run the project. According to ICAO guidelines it will soon become a requirement for countries to incorporate facial recognition into their passports. This trial demonstrates that the Dutch Government is interested in the feasibility of supplementing facial recognition with fingerprint technology. Nothing is yet set in stone, however, with the Dutch Government quick to stress that it has not yet even decided whether it will issue passports with biometrics. However, these trials will lead to recommendations as to whether biometrics are feasible, and, if so, which ones.
UK supermarket chain trials biometrics In what is believed to be a first for the UK, a well-known supermarket chain has signed up to test a fingerprint-based payment system at the point of sale. The Oxford, Swindon & Gloucester Coop will begin piloting the payment solution in three stores around the county of Oxfordshire. The service is expected to be operational by mid-summer.
Essentially this trial has two main objectives. First will be an assessment of the impact that introducing biometrics will have on current procedures and processes for application and issuance of passports. Second, the trial will reveal whether an ICAOstandard document using two biometrics will work in verification mode globally (using equipment from a variety of suppliers). Continued on back page... Sources tell Btt that four fingerprint suppliers and three facial recognition companies will be involved in the trials. The Contents companies will team up in various combinations to produce a number of Application news 3 multi-biometric verification stations. So far, Product news 4 one confirmed team is Precise Biometrics Company news 6 (fingerprint) and Cognitec Systems (face). An announcement as to the identity of the vendors is expected at the end of May. Feature 1: 7 The trial, which will encompass 15,000 The HazMat credential users across six municipalities – and will attempt to ensure a representative mix of Feature 2: 9 the Dutch population – is scheduled to start US Dept. of Defense & biometric during the third quarter of 2004 and will standards last six months. A number of other countries are also Survey: 11 advanced in their preparations to roll out e-Passports – part 1 biometric passports. Notably, earlier this year, Denmark ordered three million passports to Regulars be made by Finnish technology group Setec. Events 5 This order is believed to be the first for identification documents that meet ICAO’s Business Watch 6 and US visa waiver requirements. Deliveries Comment 12 will begin in late 2004, the supplier claimed.
ISSN 0969-4765/04 © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This journal and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by Elsevier Ltd, and the following terms and conditions apply to their use: Photocopying Single photocopies of single articles may be made for personal use as allowed by national copyright laws. Permission of the publisher and payment of a fee is required for all other photocopying, including multiple or systematic copying, copying for advertising or promotional purposes, resale, and all forms of document delivery. Special rates are available for educational institutions that wish to make photocopies for non-profit educational classroom use.
June 2004
ISSN 0969-4765
retail
passports
The Netherlands plans multi-biometric passport trials Up to 15,000 people in The Netherlands are to take part in a trial later this year that will involve creating and testing dual biometric passports that comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards. The ‘dummy’ passports will not be handed out to participants, but will be used to perform several verification tests using equipment provided by a variety of fingerprint and facial recognition companies. Worldwide, many countries are considering incorporating biometrics within their passports, but this project will be one of the first in Europe to produce a physical document incorporating two biometrics. The Dutch Ministry of the Interior (Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijkrelaties) will run the project. According to ICAO guidelines it will soon become a requirement for countries to incorporate facial recognition into their passports. This trial demonstrates that the Dutch Government is interested in the feasibility of supplementing facial recognition with fingerprint technology. Nothing is yet set in stone, however, with the Dutch Government quick to stress that it has not yet even decided whether it will issue passports with biometrics. However, these trials will lead to recommendations as to whether biometrics are feasible, and, if so, which ones.
UK supermarket chain trials biometrics In what is believed to be a first for the UK, a well-known supermarket chain has signed up to test a fingerprint-based payment system at the point of sale. The Oxford, Swindon & Gloucester Coop will begin piloting the payment solution in three stores around the county of Oxfordshire. The service is expected to be operational by mid-summer.
Essentially this trial has two main objectives. First will be an assessment of the impact that introducing biometrics will have on current procedures and processes for application and issuance of passports. Second, the trial will reveal whether an ICAOstandard document using two biometrics will work in verification mode globally (using equipment from a variety of suppliers). Continued on back page... Sources tell Btt that four fingerprint suppliers and three facial recognition companies will be involved in the trials. The Contents companies will team up in various combinations to produce a number of Application news 3 multi-biometric verification stations. So far, Product news 4 one confirmed team is Precise Biometrics Company news 6 (fingerprint) and Cognitec Systems (face). An announcement as to the identity of the vendors is expected at the end of May. Feature 1: 7 The trial, which will encompass 15,000 The HazMat credential users across six municipalities – and will attempt to ensure a representative mix of Feature 2: 9 the Dutch population – is scheduled to start US Dept. of Defense & biometric during the third quarter of 2004 and will standards last six months. A number of other countries are also Survey: 11 advanced in their preparations to roll out e-Passports – part 1 biometric passports. Notably, earlier this year, Denmark ordered three million passports to Regulars be made by Finnish technology group Setec. Events 5 This order is believed to be the first for identification documents that meet ICAO’s Business Watch 6 and US visa waiver requirements. Deliveries Comment 12 will begin in late 2004, the supplier claimed.
ISSN 0969-4765/04 © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This journal and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by Elsevier Ltd, and the following terms and conditions apply to their use: Photocopying Single photocopies of single articles may be made for personal use as allowed by national copyright laws. Permission of the publisher and payment of a fee is required for all other photocopying, including multiple or systematic copying, copying for advertising or promotional purposes, resale, and all forms of document delivery. Special rates are available for educational institutions that wish to make photocopies for non-profit educational classroom use.