FB

NEC is one of the largest players in the AFIS market, how many deployments do you have and how global is your operation?

NEC

NEC is one of the largest market share holders of Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS) worldwide, with more than 350 deployments in over 20 countries. NEC’s tremendous growth is mainly due to our large customer base, as well as our superior matching technology. For instance, this past August, NIST published the results of a single and multi-finger matching test and once again NEC was ranked the most accurate!

FB

You just launched Integra-ID™. Can you tell us what you heard from the marketplace that led you in this direction?

NEC

The response to Integra-ID™, NEC’s next generation AFIS has been outstanding!
NEC conducted extensive customer focus groups formed by tenprint analysts, latent examiners and system administrators to research law enforcement agencies needs. Top demands included an open architecture, open standards, no expensive proprietary hardware and software requirements, flexibility in workflow management, and a demographic search engine, the latest matching technology, quick deployments, and sophisticated workstation functionality.

FB

What are the key features of the new Integra-ID™ product?

NEC

A key feature of Integra-ID™ is the Unified Database that provides the capability to combine structured AFIS data and Archive images within the same database. In addition, through the Unified Database, Integra-ID™ offers the Integrated Archive System that interfaces with the Integrated Workstation to perform comprehensive intelligent meta searches on any type of data stored in the Unified Database. Essentially we’ve designed a database that functions as an investigation tool with the capability to search records as well as fingerprints in the database. This easy-to-use feature expands accessibility to a much larger end-user base. Additional benefits of Integra-ID™ include: dynamic workflow management that allows workflow changes without system interruption, and quicker system deployments to save agencies time and money.

FB

Providing a fully integrated environment seems to be a critical aspect, can you elaborate on that?

NEC

NEC understands the critical issues and demands of law enforcement agencies as well as the need for an integrated environment. Integra-ID™ is an integrated solution that provides agencies with speed, accuracy and flexibility. Integra-ID™ can be quickly and seamlessly integrated with NEC’s LiveScan for a complete capture-to-booking system, FastID a booking and release identification solution, and MobileID and in-field identification, making it a comprehensive one-stop AFIS solution. In addition, Integra-ID™ enables easy integration with other third-party biometrics matchers and external interface applications such as criminal history systems, records management systems, the FBI system, and fast integration with other agencies’ applications and databases.

FB

Any other features you can tell us about Integra-ID™?

NEC

Certainly, Integra-ID™ also incorporates NEC’s latest biometrics algorithms which have been validated by NIST in comprehensive tests. Integra-ID™ also offers an Integrated Workstation, which provides a unified interface that provides access to all AFIS functions via a unified user interface for greater usability and easier system management. Other Integra-ID™ Workstation features include:

• Ability to quickly move between applications
• Team collaboration capability allowing multiple users to perform different functions on a single job
• Enhanced tenprint processing enabling automated correction of common quality-related errors
• Automated latent processing, saving time and reducing manual errors
• Standard-based architecture for greater flexibility

FB

How does MobileID fit in to this?

NEC

NEC’s MobileID also developed in cooperation with NEC’s law enforcement customers, combines NEC’s core competency of AFIS, wireless communication technologies and mobile applications to provide fast, accurate and proven fingerprint identification technology where it is needed the most – in the field. MobileID provides law enforcement officers in remote locations – on the street, at crime scenes, or at check points – the capability to scan, collect and forward and retrieve valuable information, including fingerprints, mugshots, demographic information, and criminal history records over a wireless network directly to and from a central AFIS site or a central database for identification. Immediate suspect identification in the field maximizes an officers’ time in the field obtaining immediate information on a suspect. MobileID provides convenience, speed and accuracy for officers to do their job effectively!

FB

What is next for NEC?

NEC

NEC’s R&D is committed to continually provide identification solutions with superior accuracy. In addition, we have future plans to provide muti-modal biometrics which would extend fingerprint identification to both face and iris. We want to ensure our end-users have a greater capacity for confirmation. We shall also continue to explore ways for latent examiners to perform in-field fingerprint capture that would enable them to work directly at crime scenes. In addition we foresee designing modular easy-to-use solutions for in-field law enforcement use.

FB

Thanks Kelly for telling us about the latest products at NEC.

NEC

Peter, it has been my pleasure. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss NEC’s products.

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