Government awards biometric IT deal

The Home Office has placed an order worth $4.4 million (£2.2 million) for fingerprint scanning devices as part of its new UKvisas programme.

The Florida-based scanner vendor, Cross Match today announced it had been awarded a contract through the UK's Home Office Biometrics Framework Agreement for 1,385 livescan Guardian fingerprint scanning system devices, which will be deployed in the UK's embassies and consulates around the world.

Cross Match said the Guardian scanners will be in operation by the end of this year and that it will deliver the systems in cooperation with partner, Steria UK.

The UK is the first European country to collect biometric data in the form of ten fingerprints and a digital photo from every visa applicant.

Andrew Pestell, head of procurement for UKvisas said: "The introduction of biometric visas is a key part of our contribution to the Border and Immigration Agency's strategic objective to strengthen our borders.

"The recording of biometric information through our new fingerprint readers allows us to fix an individual's identity at the earliest point practicable so that only those with permission can travel to the UK."

Fingerprints taken as part of the visa application process are checked against government records to see if the individual is already known to the Border and Immigration Agency. Since the introduction of the first UK biometric visas, several hundred applicants have been detected while attempting to immigrate illegally to the UK.

The Guardian device is designed for high-volume biometric applications such as visa issuance and border control. The device is designed to allow the collection of high quality fingerprints in seconds and meets international standards that comply with UK government requirements.

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