Interview with Bill Willis, EVP, ImageWare Systems Inc.

Feature Company

Interview with Bill Willis, EVP, ImageWare Systems Inc.
October 2006

You have just announced the availability of a complete Personal Identity Verification solution - PIV. Can you tell us about this with special emphasis on Standards compliance?

ImageWare decided to strategically invest in developing an end-to-end solution for HSPD-12. We believe government agencies will embrace a total solution, from stem to stern without having to go to a grocery store and buy 16 different bits if you will. Because of the IWS Biometric Engine™ platform , EPI™ Builder platform, Desktop Security product as well as our Card Management System and EPI Print Farm solutions, we had the majority of the pieces already in place. We then built a total management solution to embrace FIPS-201 PIV using our existing products and platforms.

Is this a new product offering in the industry? Does any other company have the capability of doing this?

While some of them might have the capability of doing it, ImageWare is in a unique position... because of the Biometric Engine framework and because of our EPI Builder platform. As you know the Biometric Engine is a trusted platform in the biometric industry having integrated approximately 90% of the devices (101) and algorithms (72) that are commercially available today. With the EPI Builder™ platform we support a large percentage of the PACS (Physical Access Control) and drivers license business worldwide. So we felt that we had the platforms to be able to create a complete, robust PIV infrastructure that would meet the specifications and interoperability requirements.

You delved into some of the main product lines that you carry. You talked briefly about the Biometric Engine and the EPI Builder. What are some of your other products?

We typically focus on identity management, Peter, in the software role - we are not a hardware creator. We focus on vertical and horizontal markets that require identity management solutions, so we have been looking at credentialing, biometrics and the union of those two which we now know as biometric-enabled credentials as well as public safety and justice. We do a significant amount of the criminal bookings in the United States through the use of our IWS Law Enforcement solution. Our Law Enforcement products provide a complete solution which encompasses digital booking, identification and investigative capabilities including FBI certified Livescan.

Could you describe for us some of ImageWare's competitive advantages?

Because we are a software based company and support open architecture, we are quick and nimble. We are standards driven and have a unique technology approach as it relates to our Biometric Engine. The Biometric Engine is technology and vendor agnostic / neutral, allowing users the flexibility to select from a range of biometric hardware and algorithms as well as provide scalability to enable 100's to millions of enrollments. When System Integrators like Unisys, Lockheed and Raytheon, for example, require quick deployment, they are able to take advantage of our infrastructure with our Biometric Engine and EPI Builder platforms. Again, because we are software based and technology agnostic, we listen to the market and respond quickly. I believe PIV is an example of that capability where in less than 6 months we brought to market a full solution that is 100% ImageWare IP. That is what we do - we focus and we don't try and reach out of those markets. Again we have been servicing public safety and justice, access control, drivers licenses and national ID businesses for a long, long time so this is really the next generation of those market spaces.

Am I correct in thinking that you also have a competitive advantage in the 4 different types of verification mechanisms you employ?

Yes that is right, Peter. Specifically, in biometrics we actually enable using the technology in a way where the infrastructure can take advantage of any type of biometric identification you need. As you know, with PIV II, the compliance there is a 1-1 verification - clearly that is there. With our PIV solution where we allow them to do a full 1-N solution before they ever attempt to be enrolled into the system - both with fingerprint and with face to ensure that someone is not trying to fraudulently get another credential within the HSPD-12 space. We also do a significant amount of watch listing and not just for faces, but literally any type of biometric that you would like use to do an X-N search. One of our critical competencies is that we keep all biometric images. This enables customers' access to the next generation of algorithms in an N-N - enabling population integrity, as well as being able to transition from one type of algorithm to another. Maybe you are not happy with a supplier of your technology and you want to move forward to someone else. So it clearly does that. Plus we have one key separator with a product called "Image Quality Assessment and Enhancement", which is algorithm neutral and independent. We 'currently have that for face, for fingerprint and for iris, so you can think of Photoshop™ for biometrics if you will. It literally allows you to enhance an image for biometric usage while keeping the integrity of the image intact for privacy.

ImageWare recently received a very prestigious award from Frost & Sullivan - the Biometrics Product Innovation of the year Award. Could you tell us a little bit about that, Bill?

When we looked at building an infrastructure to support the biometric industry there was/is one item that is very clear. The industry itself is quite focussed on intellectual property so the people who make devices, the people who make algorithms, needed a go-to-market platform to take that forward - otherwise they would have to invest more time and more money. So we chose to build a platform the entire industry could take advantage rather than looking at just a portion of it and narrowing the scope. It literally allows for all types of devices, algorithms and biometric types to embrace the infrastructure of the Biometric Engine. Personally speaking, having been the chief technology officer at Iridian for a long time it was clear that the more of those infrastructures that were available, the more a company like Iridian could take advantage of it.

You work with a number of partners on various offerings like the recent announcement with Saflink to issue biometric Smart Cards for physical access. Can you describe the Saflink announcement and perhaps how you work with other partners in the industry?

We have taken the approach at ImageWare, that while there may be some overlap in certain areas there are some things that are very complementary on a go-to-market position and we have learned from system integrators that sometimes you compete and sometimes you co-operate. In the case of Saflink we had all the credentialing capabilities through our EPI Builder framework and it was clear that from a go-to-market perspective, it was a great fit.

There have been a number of recent acquisition announcements in the biometric industry, including Identix, Viisage, SecuriMetrics, Cross Match and Smith-Heimanns. Is ImageWare looking at participating in the acquisition space?

Our current approach is that creating or integrating assets for our owners, our shareholders since we are a public company, will make sense at the right time. It is clear that our industry here is compressing and so if the right asset, at the right time, for the right reason, for the right price came along I am sure we would have a long strong look at it!

Speaking of the industry in general, what would you say is the greatest challenge facing the industry to-day?

Yesterday I would have said adoption. I think that now the early adopter segment of biometrics and biometric credentialing has gone past this stage, so now it is our industry's mandate that we must execute in a way that people will say it is a viable alternative and it is a viable solution. We just can't stub our toe if you will.

With your broad experience in the industry where do you see Biometrics in 5 years time?

I would say that we will see our industry in 5 years time much like you see cell phones and wireless internet today. 5 years ago these were in early adoption and today fantastic things are now generally accessible and part of our daily fabric. That is where I see us going. That will only happen if the leaders of our industry are aware that we must execute and we have to have the industry and our customer's best interests at hand.

I couldn't agree more and on that note I would like to thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us, Bill.

My pleasure Peter.

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