Biometrics and Kiosks

Registered Traveler kiosk program takes off from Florida

By Alice Lipowicz Staff Writer

The nation’s first privately sponsored Registered Traveler program sanctioned by the Homeland Security Department began operating this week at Orlando International Airport in Florida.

Since June 21, when the program began accepting enrollments, about 4,000 people have paid an annual fee of $79.95 each to sign up and submit to background checks.

Once cleared, they receive special biometric smart cards to benefit from speedier clearance procedures through the airport. The smart cards contain chips with biometric information that allows the registered travelers to proceed through checkpoints more quickly.

Lockheed Martin Corp. and New York-based Verified Identity Pass Inc. are operating the program in partnership with the Homeland Security Department and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.

The program requires registered travelers to submit 10 fingerprints — a standard that was selected because it is compatible with the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, a large criminal database of 45 million prints, said Jim Carlson, manager of business development for biometrics with Lockheed Martin.

Background checks on enrollees are performed by DHS’ Transportation Security Administration and checked against FBI and other databases.

“A lot of people, as demonstrated by our enrollment, would gladly give up their information to regain some of the simplicity of using air travel,” Carlson said.

“The program will enable us to move more passengers through the airport in a timely manner while maintaining the highest standards of safety and security,” C.W. Jennings, executive director of the aviation authority, said in a news release.

The number of enrollees to date is twice as many as projected estimates, said Steven Brill, chief executive of Verified Identity Pass. “It’s great that all of these members—whose numbers are more than double where we thought we’d be so soon after we began enrollment—can now use their memberships here in Orlando. We hope this is the beginning of what will be a nationwide program.”

About 31 million passengers use Orlando’s airport each year.

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Biometric and Security Kiosks

In The News: Secretary Tom Ridge Announces Enhancement of Expedited Traveler Program Through New York’s JFK Airport

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
January 13, 2005

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge announced today that the United States would begin deploying enhanced technology to expedite security checks and immigration processing of pre-screened, international travelers through John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Further, Secretary Ridge and Dutch Minister of Immigration and Integration Rita Verdonk announced that their agencies will work together to develop an international registered traveler program.

“These efforts demonstrate again that we can design border security initiatives to both enhance homeland security and facilitate global commerce and travel,” Secretary Ridge said at an appearance at Schiphol Airport today with U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Clifford Sobel, “In particular, a U.S. - Dutch pilot will bring the extensive experience the Dutch government has had with expedited travel security initiatives together with U.S. efforts, paving the way toward a truly international registered traveler program that enhances security for all travelers.”

Secretary Ridge also pointed out that “the success of the US-VISIT program, particularly in deploying biometrics technologies and processes has given us the confidence to move forward with voluntary expedited travel programs using biometrics.”

The improvements at JFK will be deployed in the coming weeks, while U.S. and Dutch officials commence discussions to design and implement an international pilot.

Secretary Ridge noted that Schiphol's years of experience with biometric-based facilitation programs made the Netherlands an obvious choice with which to begin this cooperative effort. But he stressed that the United States government will also work with other allies in the future.

“Our approach at this point is to think big but begin implementing on a small scale,” Secretary Ridge said. “We want to get it right.”

U. S. citizens, U.S. legal permanent residents and foreign visitors who travel frequently to the United States will be eligible for the program, contingent upon admissibility to the United States and the completion of a background check.

Participants will use dedicated kiosks when they arrive at JFK Airport. They will enter the United States without routine Customs and Border Protection (CBP) questioning, unless chosen for a selective or random secondary referral. They must present their machine-readable passport, submit their fingerprints for biometric verification, be photographed, and make a declaration at the kiosk. Once cleared at the kiosk, pilot participants will be allowed to claim their bags and exit the airport.

Full release on DHS.gov

KIOSK InformationSystems has been a leader in providing kiosks with biometric and security systems.

Biometric and Security Kiosks

In The News: Secretary Tom Ridge Announces Enhancement of Expedited Traveler Program Through New York’s JFK Airport

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
January 13, 2005

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge announced today that the United States would begin deploying enhanced technology to expedite security checks and immigration processing of pre-screened, international travelers through John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Further, Secretary Ridge and Dutch Minister of Immigration and Integration Rita Verdonk announced that their agencies will work together to develop an international registered traveler program.

“These efforts demonstrate again that we can design border security initiatives to both enhance homeland security and facilitate global commerce and travel,” Secretary Ridge said at an appearance at Schiphol Airport today with U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Clifford Sobel, “In particular, a U.S. - Dutch pilot will bring the extensive experience the Dutch government has had with expedited travel security initiatives together with U.S. efforts, paving the way toward a truly international registered traveler program that enhances security for all travelers.”

Secretary Ridge also pointed out that “the success of the US-VISIT program, particularly in deploying biometrics technologies and processes has given us the confidence to move forward with voluntary expedited travel programs using biometrics.”

The improvements at JFK will be deployed in the coming weeks, while U.S. and Dutch officials commence discussions to design and implement an international pilot.

Secretary Ridge noted that Schiphol's years of experience with biometric-based facilitation programs made the Netherlands an obvious choice with which to begin this cooperative effort. But he stressed that the United States government will also work with other allies in the future.

“Our approach at this point is to think big but begin implementing on a small scale,” Secretary Ridge said. “We want to get it right.”

U. S. citizens, U.S. legal permanent residents and foreign visitors who travel frequently to the United States will be eligible for the program, contingent upon admissibility to the United States and the completion of a background check.

Participants will use dedicated kiosks when they arrive at JFK Airport. They will enter the United States without routine Customs and Border Protection (CBP) questioning, unless chosen for a selective or random secondary referral. They must present their machine-readable passport, submit their fingerprints for biometric verification, be photographed, and make a declaration at the kiosk. Once cleared at the kiosk, pilot participants will be allowed to claim their bags and exit the airport.

Full release on DHS.gov

KIOSK InformationSystems has been a leader in providing kiosks with biometric and security systems.