Cognitec and 3M announce partnership

The system will use biometric fusion technology to prevent multiple passports from being issued to the same person under different identities. The system will be built using the web-based Identity Document Issuance System from 3M. Data capture will be decentralized, taking place at seven sites across Belize as well as in seven Belizean Consulate locations. Document personalization and issuance will be centralized at two sites, and the passports will be produced using the Personalization Solution from 3M. The security of the issuance system will be enhanced by a layered biometric subsystem. Facial recognition technology from Cognitec Systems and fingerprint matching technology from Bioscrypt Inc. will be used to rapidly check each new applicant against all applicants in the passport database to ensure they have not previously applied for a passport under a different identity. The combination of the face and two fingerprints allows rapid automated searching, and a very small chance of an incorrect match. The issuance system operator will be provided with the results of the search, and will make the final decision on whether two identities in the database represent the same person. Cognitec´s products implement efficiently the different processes involved in today’s identity management systems using facial photographs, such as: - Acquisition of ISO standardized high-quality facial photographs for ID documents; - Search for fraudulent duplicate entries in large databases for visa, passport, or drivers’ license issuance, - Identity verification at the border using the new biometric passport; - Background check at the border, comparing facial images against unwanted lists.