Florida port scans driver prints

Cross Match Technologies this week formally unveiled a biometric visitor management system at the Port of Palm Beach, Fla.

The pilot program, in which Cross Match is the prime contractor, uses biometric technology to capture fingerprints and photos of truck drivers arriving at the port. The biometric data is checked against a banned visitor database. The system has been operational for a month, said Maureen Stevens, vice president of marketing at Cross Match. The biometric system replaces a paper-based tracking process.

Cross Match’s system employs stationary and handheld wireless fingerprint and photo capturing devices. The stationary system consists of Cross Match's ID442 Livescan Fingerprint Device and associated software, a digital camera, a badge printer, and a database. The wireless portion employs the company’s MV 100 product, which transmits biometric data to the central database.

Cross Match has “productized” the Port of Palm Beach solution and plans to market it to other ports, Stevens said. She said several ports have asked for a demonstration of the system.

Cross Match’s government customers include the Army, FBI, and Homeland Security Department. The company has supplied more than 3,000 digital fingerprint scanners for DHS’ U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program.