Unisys Strengthens Biometrics Credentials with Opening of New European Centre of ExcellenceState-of-the-art centre enables governments and businesses to discuss and experience real life examples of biometrics solutions in real-timeBrussels, Belgium, April 26, 2006 – Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS), the worldwide technology services and solutions company, today announced the opening of its European Biometrics Centre of Excellence in the heart of the Europe Union, in Brussels, Belgium. The new centre is an interactive facility, designed to showcase advanced identity management solutions to customers and illustrate potential real-life examples of biometrics technology. These range from cutting edge e-ID card and passport technology to the very advanced biometric identification techniques including 3D facial, electronic iris and finger print recognition.
With security and identity management high on the agenda of European businesses and governments looking to reduce risk and protect themselves against fraud, the new centre will offer executives the opportunity to see first hand the benefits of biometrics technology. For example, the centre will showcase such applications as fingerprint identification tools that could be used to limit access to buildings and areas within an office or a combination of technologies such as voice and iris recognition to control access to data storage facilities.
Unisys customers will benefit from the ability to test the latest biometrics solutions whilst also having the opportunity to work directly with Unisys business and technology consultants to develop customized solutions that can meet their specific needs and evolve over time as technology progresses. The centre also will provide clients with the opportunity to discuss and debate issues with leading experts who will offer guidance and potential solutions.
For over a decade, Unisys has been at the forefront of global biometrics implementations including the introduction of multi-purpose ID cards and the development of border control solutions in various parts of the world. The new centre enables European customers to directly benefit from this expertise for the first time.
Business interest in biometrics and Unisys investment in the centre are re-enforced by the findings of a new global Unisys study¹, which confirms widespread European public acceptance of biometrics as an identification and verification tool. The research, which assesses citizens’ attitudes across the globe towards the importance and value of different identity verification methods, reveals that 69% of the European general public now accept the use of the relatively new and unknown technology of biometrics, making it a feasible investment option for businesses looking to address risk associated with false identification. The prime benefits of biometrics identified by the European public include a speedier verification process (85%) and increased convenience (68%).
Roberto Tavano, VP European Programmes, Global Public Sector, Unisys comments, “The need to combat fraud and ID theft is particularly high on Government and business’ agendas. This is not only due to the risk of financial losses, but also to maintain secure business operations along with customers’ confidence and trust in the organization. Biometrics technology offers the potential for reliable and secure identification to address these issues and the Unisys Centre of Excellence provides an interactive and open environment to illustrate potential solutions in real-life scenarios.”
Unisys solutions are based on the Registration and Positive Identification Solutions (RAPIDS) framework. Using this Identity Management framework, biographic and biometric data can be captured in real-time, with immediate checks on a person’s identity; and e-ID cards and passports produced accordingly. An adaptable workflow engine offers flexibility to adapt to customers' requirements, re-using available software building blocks.
Unisys now has biometric showcase centres in the two leading markets that serve as key focal points for many worldwide security issues: The Brussels Centre of Excellence represents the European Union and the Reston, Virginia, Centre of Excellence, located in suburban Washington, D.C., represents North America. New technologies, solutions and functional features, developed in both centres, will be shared continuously between the two sites and added to the existing portfolio of solutions. Other centres are due to open in other parts of the world.
Unisys develops its biometrics solutions using its unique 3D Visible Enterprise (3D-VE) methodology, which helps corporate and government executives see and then act on the cause-effect relationships among business strategy, processes and IT requirements throughout the entire enterprise. That affords them unprecedented visibility into the impacts and costs that can block effective execution. The Unisys 3D-VE strategy enables organizations to see the effects of business decisions even before making them. This visibility allows better integration in all aspects of its security procedures, resulting in a coherent identity management system.
Technology showcased at Unisys Centre of Excellence
¹About the Unisys Research
The Ponemon Institute is a “think tank” dedicated to advancing responsible information practices in businesses and government. To achieve this objective, Ponemon Institute conducts independent research on privacy and information security, educates leaders from the private and public sectors, and verifies the privacy and data protection practices of organizations. The Institute is headquartered in Michigan. For more information, visit www.ponemon.org or contact (800) 887-3118. About Unisys Unisys is a worldwide information technology company. We provide a portfolio of IT services, software, and technology that solves critical problems for clients. We specialize in helping clients secure their operations, increase the efficiency and utilization of their data centers, enhance support to their end users and constituents, and modernize their enterprise applications. To provide these services and solutions, we bring together offerings and capabilities in outsourcing services, systems integration and consulting services, infrastructure services, maintenance services, and high-end server technology. With approximately 23,000 employees, Unisys serves commercial organizations and government agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.
### Contacts Sandrine Leroux-Graves, Unisys, +44 7808 391 212
Graham Lee, Cohn & Wolfe, +44 20 7331 5352 |
