From: United Press International

May 7, 2008

Employees at 29 airports in Canada will begin receiving biometric identification cards issued by a subsidiary of Unisys Corp. under a $4.2 million contract.

Unisys Canada Inc. will supply, integrate and manage the identification management system, which uses fingerprint and iris biometrics, for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. The contract has two base years and two option years, Unisys spokesman Brad Bass said.

As part of the contract, ImageWare Systems Inc., subcontractor to Unisys, will provide its Web-based, multibiometric ID management system for the project. ImageWare’s product is the centerpiece of the new application, responsible for enrollment of airport workers, capturing and processing their biometric data, and issuing biometric-enabled smart cards, Unisys said.

In the United States, the American Association of Airport Executives announced last month that it had created a consortium to create a biometric airport security credential. The group wants the new credential to be locally controlled by airports.

The Transportation Security Administration said this month that it will begin testing solutions for airport employee screening at seven airports, including biometric identification at Boston Logan and Denver international airports.

Unisys Canada Inc. is a unit of Unisys Corp., of Blue Bell, Pa. The parent company ranks No. 27 on Washington Technology’s 2007 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors.