Author: John Dowden

Blazing Trails in Biometrics and Digital Identity for Law Enforcement at the 35th Annual IBA User Conference

Posted by John Dowden on Posted in Biometrics, Law Enforcement Tagged , , , , , ,

Recently, we hosted our annual International Biometrics Association (IBA) Users’ Conference at The Westin Dallas Fort Worth in Irving, Texas. My sincere gratitude goes out to everyone who helped to plan an exciting ‘comeback conference’ post COVID-19 that included an educational program, interactive exhibit showroom and informative product updates and presentations.

As a side note, I would like to point out how much I enjoyed that the conference was in person with almost 80 new and longtime attendees. I think we can all agree that we accomplish so much more with in-person meetings and networking!

This year’s conference focus was on the new risks and challenges faced by law enforcement and public safety officials. Now, officers and first-responders alike must have their health and safety protected on-the-go. Several conference attendees have faced tremendous adversity in recent months. The awards and evening activities were an opportunity to recognize their hard work and dedication to public safety.

Awards and Evening Activities

These award recipients were nominated by their peers with their cases being solved using NEC technology. Please join me in extending another round of congratulations to the following individuals:

IBA Biometric Hit of The Year Award Recipients:

  • 2020, Detective Earl Fisher, Arizona Department of Transportation
  • 2021, Shannon Pounders, Virginia State Police
  • 2021, Detective Dennis Luis, Phoenix Police Department

NEC Employee of The Year:

  • 2020, Dennis O’Neil, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
  • 2021, Jessica Fuchino, NEC

Technology Solutions and Products Highlights

At the conference we were excited to share updates to help solve or minimize these challenges. Our conference sessions included updates on the latest technology trends such as facial recognition, personal safety and the rapid collection of DNA during livescan arrest bookings and contactless fingerprint capture. With the announcement that NEC Face Recognition has again ranked first in the world by NIST, biometrics technology was the hot topic of the conference.

Product highlights revealed NEC solutions for:

  • Mobile-friendly contactless capture and rapid multi-agency search of biometric databases with NEC Mobile WAY
  • Livescan biometrics technology for multimodal images with NEC SmartScan including integrated Rapid DNA Collection
  • Field-tested id management and scene processing with NEC Digital Platform
  • Faster identification of offenders and greater precision of latent investigation for effective crime-solving with NEC Integra-ID Biometric Workstation

Please take a minute to watch the video recap and view the picture gallery from the conference.  

I would like to give a special thanks to the Irving Police Department for serving as the host police department at this year’s event. They were instrumental in creating an inviting environment for conference attendees and brought a Texas-sized level of southern charm and hospitality.

We look forward to seeing everyone at the 2022 IBA Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana where we plan to continue to partner and bring innovative solutions to law enforcement agencies and invest in biometrics, digital identity and multimodal recognition solutions.

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Livescan That’s Truly More Efficient, Hygienic, and Affordable

Posted by John Dowden on Posted in Biometrics, Law Enforcement Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a higher priority has been placed on creating more hygienic workplaces and public spaces to prevent the spread of the disease. Corrections and law enforcement officers, public safety workers, courtroom professionals, and all employees supporting law enforcement and legal systems must take greater measures to protect themselves and the public.

For instance, potential COVID-19 outbreaks in our nation’s jails and prisons can put incarcerated individuals, the correctional workforce and surrounding communities at risk. In response to this danger, leaders and employees of correctional facilities have been tasked to combat the crisis in a way that protects the health, safety, and well-being of all individuals.

SmartScan®, NEC’s livescan solution, helps improve and verify the quality of biometric images, including fingerprints, palmprints, faces, irises, and even scars, marks, and tattoos (SMT). In addition to providing law enforcement with the most accurate and easy-to-operate solution in the industry, SmartScan also offers a hygienic user experience through our optional NEC NeoFace® face recognition technology for biometric logon and identity verification. With multiple configuration options to meet various budgetary requirements, NEC’s SmartScan truly is the most affordable, hygienic, and intuitive solution on the market today.

DID YOU KNOW… NEC’s SmartScan has a proven track record in numerous livescan deliveries, including Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Texas Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Huntsville Police Department, Alabama Atmore Police Department, and Alabama Mobile County Sheriff’s Office!

Automated, Accurate, and Efficient

The problem with livescan systems today is that they haven’t changed much in 20 years. They suffer from an obsolete design, outdated user interface, lack of security features, and poor maintainability.

NEC’s SmartScan is different. It has an intuitive user interface leveraging the built-in capabilities of Microsoft® Windows® 10, such as modern pinch-and-zoom and swipe features that effortlessly guide livescan operators through the image capture process. Other benefits include:

  • Auto-capture function – Dramatically speeds up the image capture process.
  • Superior image quality – Captures high quality images for accurate search.
  • Rapid processing – NEC’s biometric image processing tool provides immediate feedback, making it easy and fast for operators to review and ensure the quality of captured images.
  • Intuitive user interface – Visually guides operators through the capture process, making it easier, faster, and more automated.
  • Easy integration – Can be integrated into existing criminal history, records management, and jail management systems.
  • Convenient and flexible web client – Facilitates system administration and configuration management.

A closer look at NEC’s SmartScan

DID YOU KNOW… NEC’s SmartScan offers face recognition as an option to create a touchless, more hygienic experience, even with face masks on!

Hygienic and Safe

With the awareness brought about by COVID-19, public safety workers are seeking potential ways to reduce the spread of coronaviruses and other pathogens that may surface in the future. NEC’s SmartScan supports this goal by offering a more hygienic approach, including:

  • Flat (4-4-2) fingerprints instead of rolled fingerprints – Speeds the process and reduces contact time for livescan operators and the individuals being processed.
  • Responsive touchscreen – even while wearing gloves.
  • Optional use of face recognition to avoid contact –
    • Operator biometric logon
    • Subject verification
  • Built-in foot pedals – Provides another option in the capture of fingerprints, palmprints, and other biometric images instead of touching screen, making it more sanitary for operators.

Affordable and Solid Return on Investment

Most agencies are facing budget constraints during the COVID-19 pandemic. NEC is proud of the affordability of our SmartScan solution, offering flexible options to meet budgetary and operational demands. For example, SmartScan is available in multiple configurations, including a ruggedized cabinet with a large display. Desktop and portable options are also available to meet all funding requirements.

Taking it one step further, through our flexible leasing programs, NEC can not only help eliminate the need for a large upfront payment, we can also help deliver the solution with affordable monthly payments. Furthermore, NEC offers GSA pricing and other intermediary pricing schedules to avoid the cumbersome procurement process, making it easy to own a SmartScan.

Working within your funding constraints, NEC offers flexible customer support and service options, including onsite, remote, or assist-as-needed, to better meet your operational and budget needs.

Why NEC’s SmartScan

NEC’s award-winning solutions are backed by rigorous research and development (R&D), including more than $1.2 billion invested in R&D annually. Our biometric algorithms have been validated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in comprehensive evaluations, including:

  • Eight consecutive wins in NIST evaluations for fingerprint matching
  • Five consecutive wins in NIST evaluation for face recognition
  • Ranked number 1 in NIST evaluation for iris recognition

As a Fortune Global 500 company with 120 years of experience and technology expertise, NEC offers the fastest and most accurate face recognition and fingerprint matching algorithms. In addition, our face recognition technology is the most resilient for low resolution and poor-quality images. We currently have over 64,000 patents and over 700 large-scale biometric solutions installed in more than 70 countries. We are here today and tomorrow to support your mission-critical operations!

NEC’s SmartScan solution streamlines processing and captures superior quality digital biometric images in far less time and with fewer rejected scans. To learn more about SmartScan, you can explore here.

NEC’s Improved Livescan Strengthens State and Local Law Enforcement

Posted by John Dowden on Posted in Biometrics Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

With threats on the rise and criminals growing more sophisticated by the day, citizens trust law enforcement agencies to stay one-step ahead.

For law enforcement, processing arrests involves the entry of bio-demographic information, taking fingerprints and possibly mug shots of the suspect. The data is then sent to state and federal authorities to determine if there are existing arrest records, verify that the suspect has not provided false information and to determine if there are any outstanding warrants. Historically, fingerprints were taken with ink and then scanned, and often returned due to lack of detail or inaccurate scans. In some cases, AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) or other database hits could take days to return a search result to the arresting agency.

The key to keeping communities safe is accuracy, reliability and speed with solutions that help you protect the public when it counts.

With modern livescan technology, law enforcement now has the option of using a device that electronically captures images, fingerprints, palm prints, mugshots, scars, marks and tattoos, as well as irises, signatures, voice and even possibly DNA. AFIS or MBIS (Multi-modal Biometric Identification Systems) and even the livescan station itself have the ability to provide an agency with nearly instantaneous results and feedback on a suspect. This technology allows state and local agencies faster access to precise, accurate matches to help solve more crimes, detain repeat offenders and keep their communities safer to live, work and play.

At NEC, we’re proud to offer award-winning biometrics solutions, such as our SmartScan™, to help take state and local law enforcement to the next level.

Easy to Use

NEC’s SmartScan offers a modern, user-friendly interface with the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system. Touch screens, with swipe and pinch-and-zoom functionality, are as familiar to operators as using their mobile devices. This modern, intuitive interface guides the operator through the record creation process minimizing errors and increasing efficiency.

The user is guided through the record creation workflow on an innovative, ergonomically designed and height-adjustable “UnCabinet.” The UnCabinet includes large 22” displays, prominent foot pedals to make capturing images hands-free, and a flexible configuration based on the needs and price point of a department, agency or organization.

SmartScan™ The biometric industry’s most advanced multimodal capture solution - Learn More

Security and Maintenance

With so much personal data captured, our livescan system must be secure from malware, hacking and unauthorized access. Multifactor authentication and virtualization-based security is available to protect credentials, roles and system privileges.

Our SmartScan includes centralized management for local and remote control plus a convenient chat function for system administrators to manage the system and remotely assist operators during the record creation process. NEC Customer Service Centers also provide 24/7 support and remote diagnostics to help technical support resolve issues immediately.

Multi-Modal Biometrics Capture

The livescan system is only as helpful as the biometric scans it can capture. NEC’s SmartScan produces superior quality images from a variety of biometric captures using top-tiered hardware and validate using both NEC superior and standard NIST image quality checks.

Depending on the needs of a department or agency, our solution offers support for many different peripherals and modes of capture:

  • Articulating Arm and IrisID R100 and CMI Tech EF-45 devices for Iris Capture
  • Voice Capture and Audio-Visual Chatting via the Logitech® Brio 4K HD Webcam
  • Improved Mugshot and SMT (scars, marks and tattoos) Capture per Evolving NIST Best Practice Recommendations and Additional Camera Devices from Canon, CMI Tech, IrisID and Logitech
  • Comprehensive Friction Ridge Capture including all Fingerprints and Palmprints using either Crossmatch and Green Bit devices as well as Integrated Biometrics and JENETRIC
  • Supplemental signature capture, barcode and magstripe reading of IDs, driver’s licenses and smartcards are also available as an optional feature from a variety of devices

NEC’s SmartScan solution is truly livescan made smart!

Certifications and New Use Cases

Since NEC SmartScan introduction in 2016, many major features have been incorporated, such as advanced multi-modal biometrics capture, as well as the documentation of new civil use cases. Our Advanced Recognition Systems (ARS) team recently accepted an order of 100+ SmartScan Stations for implementation by a federal agency.

While NEC ARS solutions are available around the world, in the U.S. our livescan system is currently certified in Alabama, California, Georgia, Nevada and Texas. More state certifications are coming – check with your NEC ARS Account Manager for the latest list and availability. An emerging NEC SmartScan “UnKiosk” and alternative software for driver’s license applications and renewals is also available, as well as Identity Management Self-Enrollment.

NEC SmartScan also offers:

  • Pre-booking options for Field and Remote operations, including a new remote booking application
  • FBI Certification for Crossmatch® LScan and Green Bit DactyScan capture devices
  • Printing of hard copy cards and reports
  • USB ports for additional plug-in peripherals
  • Industry standard hardware for a cost-effective solution
  • Full standards compliance and design for ANSI/NIST formatted records and FBI EBTS specifications, XML IEPD and NIEM
  • Integration with AFIS, MBIS, CCH and RMS systems

Return on Investment

NEC’s SmartScan offers an almost immediate return on investment. Your livescan operators will have streamlined processes so they can efficiently scan more applicants and suspects in far less time, and with fewer rejected scans. NEC’s ARS solutions are NIST validated, adaptable, secure, and continually improving in order to help increase productivity and exceed the goals and objectives of law enforcement and other civic agencies.

In addition, if there are budget concerns, NEC has the ability to assist; NEC Financial Services offers creative financing and leasing options to support system upgrades.

To learn more about the NEC SmartScan, you can explore here, and find out more about NEC’s biometric solutions by visiting necam.com/ARS.

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NEC SmartScan Propels Livescans Forward at IAI’s International Education Conference

Posted by John Dowden on Posted in Biometrics, Government Tagged , , , , , , , ,

In the world of biometrics and identity management, livescan technology is nothing new. First introduced in the early 1990s, the earliest livescans were used by law enforcement to electronically capture fingerprint and, later in the 2000s, palm print images. The primary uses case was for criminal bookings and for searching against the state and FBI’s criminal fingerprint database.

Fast-forward some 20 years, and, while there have been some advancements in the technology through the years, the software and user interface hasn’t changed all that much. NEC thinks now is the time for a renaissance in livescan technology.

This week at the International Association for Identification’s 101st International Education Conference in Cincinnati, NEC launched the next generation in livescan technology, called NEC SmartScan. You can read the details in our press release, but suffice it to say that SmartScan is designed to significantly enhance what had become an obsolete technology with an outdated user interface.

Why start a renaissance in livescan now?

For starters, rapid rotation of correctional officers leads to a constant need for training and a battle against poor quality finger and palm prints. We now have the ability to significantly enhance the user experience using the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system. This allows us to leverage a more personalized look and ability for swipe, scroll, pinch and zoom and give the system a much more modern look and feel, leading to accelerated training and improved image quality capture.

Secondly, LiveScan reliability and service has been poor. Our remote managed services, coupled with the industry’s most talented and dedicated support personnel available 24×7, leads to higher uptime, better customer satisfaction and guaranteed service level agreement (SLA) performance. The bottom line is keeping this technology online and running smoothly is a major priority in today’s world.

Thirdly, the individual components of livescan have gotten faster, better and more secure. For example, NEC’s own NeoFace facial recognition technology, recognized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as the world’s most accurate, will be used for operator logon and as a means to avoid duplicate data entry. Let’s leverage that in a world-class livescan!

NEC SmartScan

And finally, thanks to the introduction of various state and federal programs, the identity and biometrics industry has a host of new and exciting use cases for livescan technology. It’s not just state and local law enforcement that can use livescan these days. From state public safety departments to TSA Pre® to FBI background checks to the Department of Veteran Affairs enrollment, government agencies and departments are finding new uses for livescan. NEC plans to be there every step of the way.

Want more information about a Safety and Security solution from NEC?
Want more information about a Safety and Security solution from NEC?

IAI International Education Conference

The IAI International Education Conference, held in August each year, offers a 5-day schedule loaded with educational presentations for forensic investigators and experts from across the country. Likewise, the IAI has an impressive exposition with more than 125 booths featuring the latest products and technologies for law enforcement.

This year in Cincinnati, NEC (booth 301) is demonstrating the new SmartScan product both in kiosk and desktop form factors. We’re also holding live demos in our booth’s presentation theater, where we’ll also be giving away T-Shirts and chocolate bars, so if you are there, please come by.

Live NEC SmartScan Demos (IAI Booth 301)
Tuesday, August 9 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, August 9 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 9 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 10 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, August 10 1:30 p.m.

NEC is always excited to be a part of this conference. As in previous years, we are a Diamond sponsor and the lead sponsor for the Opening Ceremony, breakfast and keynote. This year, we’re very lucky to have as our keynote speaker the Justice Network’s Dayle Hinman, host of “Body of Evidence: From the Case Files of Dayle Hinman.”

Additionally, yours truly (John Dowden) will participate in an expert panel at 8 a.m. Thursday, August 11, titled “Expanding the IAI to Focus on Digital Evidence.” I’m proud to be part of this panel and a technology company helping to shape the future of digital evidence collection.

Feel free to follow @NEC and @The_IAI on Twitter during the show, or you can also check out the hashtag #IAI2016.

 

SmartScan Safety and Security Solutions

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