TECH FILES
Subtitle
By Lindsay Hitch, Assistant Editor
November/December 2001
www.eyeticket.com
www.iridiantech.com
Security in airports is of prime concern
to many these days, and it seems that biometric identification technologies
may be the solution for many problem areas. But what’s the best biometric?
"What do you want to do with it?"
answers Evan Smith, senior vice president of Virginia-based EyeTicket
Corporation. "There is a lot of confusion in the media right now
about biometric technologies. Many people incorrectly assume that the
different biometrics are interchangeable."
Smith says that high-volume identification
systems like employee access doors require extreme accuracy, high fraud
resistance, minimal insanitary contact, speed, and ease of use —
all of which iris recognition provides.
On the other hand, "iris recognition
requires the individual to initiate an access or check-in transaction
by looking at the camera," says Smith. "Thus, iris recognition
is useless in the surreptitious, anti-terrorist surveillance applications
where facial recognition excels."
The lesson learned from Smith is this: each
biometric has at least one application where it beats the others out.
Considering the pros and cons of each technology is key.
EyeTicket Corporation offers the EyePass
access control system and JetStream facial recognition system. EyeTicket
licenses its iris recognition technology from New Jersey-based Iridian
Technologies.
www.flight2ground.com
Valley Oil Company, LLC, and Multi Service
Corporation announce that the Flight2Ground web-based flight and ground
service scheduling system has gone "live".
www.signatureflight.com
Signature Flight Support launches ConciAir,
an online reservation system accessed via the "Reservations"
button on Signature’s home page.
www.clarityvisual.com
Clarity Visual Systems has been awarded
a new $1.2 million contract with Washington Dulles Int’l Airport.
Clarity will provide more than 200 high-resolution rear-projection displays
as part of an upgrade to Dulles’ passenger terminal and two midfield
concourses. Installation will be completed in 2002.
www.intersystemsww.com
InterSystems has won contracts at Calgary
Int’l, Houston George Bush Intercontinental, and Canberra Air-port
in Australia. The Calgary project includes a FIDS software upgrade and
20 plasma screens. In Houston, InterSystems will install a FIDS server;
Terminal A will receive 28 LED displays, one plasma screen, and 40 monitors
and workstations. Inter-Systems has completed the installation of its
RapidFIDS system in Canberra.
www.wayport.net
www.ipass.com
Wayport Inc. has "teamed up" with
iPass Inc. to offer iPass customers access to Wayport’s 420-plus
locations in airports and hotels.
