LexisNexis broadens data search for intelligence, security agencies

LexisNexis’ main business remains its searchable database of 5 billion legal, news and business articles, and public and international records. But the online archive provider recently expanded its information-sharing services for the federal government, unveiling LexisNexis Advanced Government Solutions.

The idea is to provide federal agencies with a secure and easily accessible source of large volumes of data they can retrieve externally via a secure Internet connection or internally from agency systems in which LexisNexis data has been integrated with internal data files.

LexisNexis said it designed the government offering for intelligence and national security applications. If the intelligence community is to be successful, it needs scalable technology to effectively manage the volume, velocity and variety of information, said Norm Willox, chief executive officer of LexisNexis Special Services.

Two years ago, Reed Elsevier, the United Kingdom-based parent company of LexisNexis, bought Seisint, a company based in Boca Raton, Fla., that specialized in rapid data fusion, to enhance the new offering. As a result, LexisNexis has introduced three new services, the primary one being Intelligence Analysis Solutions, which rapidly extract critical information from massive amounts of data.

“This is an expansion of our business, not a new business plan,” said Robert Pinkerton, vice president of product management at LexisNexis.

Intelligence Analysis Solutions compile news articles, transcripts, scientific journals, public records and Web-based content, then categorize and filter the materials. That public content is then linked to classified files to give intelligence analysts broader context and greater insight. The United States faces threats that require intelligence that focuses on individuals who operate outside the constraints of national borders, said Bill Schneider, chairman of the Defense Science Board, a Defense Department organization.

The open-source and all-source analysis that LexisNexis provides is critical in helping reveal individuals who pose a threat, Schneider said.

“The technology makes analysts more efficient and faster at locating the information they need to develop intelligence products…to detect and defeat threats to national security,” Willox said.

Other components of the service include Investigative Solutions, which help law enforcement agencies find information on suspects and compile a database of critical investigative information.

A separate Screening and Identity Verification Solutions set is used for identity management and secure access applications.