The Port Authority of Los Angeles has contracted with Unisys Corporation (NYSE:UIS) to design and manage an identification and access control system, using smart card and biometric technologies, to identify workers who require access to restricted areas in the port.
The three-year contract is part of the federal Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC) program, a joint effort of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the U.S. Coast Guard to help secure the nation’s maritime transportation system. It was established under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, which calls for a comprehensive, consistent security program for the nation’s ports to identify and deter threats.
Under the contract, Unisys will plan, design, develop and manage a field test of the new system and help participating terminal operators integrate TWIC-enabled access control systems using a tamper-resistant credential, or smart card. The card will include a biometric component - a fingerprint template - and a digital photograph that will integrate seamlessly with each operator’s access control system and allow port facility security officers to identify all workers granted access to restricted areas.
According to TSA, workers enrolled in the pilot would present a card to a biometric-enabled reader and place a finger on a reader at all pedestrian and vehicle ingress locations. The readers will compare the cardholder’s fingerprint to the stored biometric template and automatically grant or deny access, as well as notify facility security officers of any incidents.
“Unisys is proud to provide security advisory and integration services to its customers in the maritime and aviation transportation industries, delivering proven security solutions worldwide. The benefit to our customers – and to the constituents they serve – is their ability to mitigate and manage risk,” said Tom Conaway, managing partner, Homeland Security, Unisys.
Unisys is a worldwide leader in integrating biometric technologies to help organizations create secure business operations. In addition to the TWIC project, Unisys has been the integrator for several other large-scale global identity programs, including:
Australian Passports - Australian Passports (a division of the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), contracted with Unisys to help strengthen border protection, reduce identity fraud and expedite airport services via biometric- and smart chip-enabled passports for a population of about 20 million.
MyKad, Malaysia - Unisys developed, implemented and rolled out nationwide a smart card, known as MyKad, for the citizens of Malaysia. The card uses the latest chip and biometric technology, ensuring a high level of accuracy and enabling more than 24 million Malaysians to transact conveniently and securely with government and private-sector entities. Unisys began work on the program in 1999.
Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC) - Unisys conducted a biometric field trial for CIC using fingerprint and facial recognition technology to process temporary visa applications for approximately 20,000 students, workers, visitor and refugee claimants over six months. CIC is analyzing the results of the field trial to determine whether and when to roll out such technology on a wider and longer-term basis throughout Canada.
The Port of Halifax - Last year, the Port of Halifax awarded a contract to Unisys to design and develop a biometric credentialing and access control database solution for approximately 4,000 port workers. The Credentialing and Access Control Database System uses vascular scanning technology to manage multi-level access control to permit entry to various secure facilities only to those individuals with proper clearances and approved access.
About Unisys
Unisys is a worldwide information technology services and solutions company. We provide consulting, systems integration, outsourcing and infrastructure services, combined with powerful enterprise server technology. We specialize in helping clients use information to create efficient, secure business operations that allow them to achieve their business goals. Our consultants and industry experts work with clients to understand their business challenges and create greater visibility into critical linkages throughout their operations. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.
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Contacts:
Brad Bass, 703-439-5887
brad.bass@unisys.com
or
Peppercom
Jennifer
Kuhl, 212-931-6111
jkuhl@peppercom.com
