Australian Passport Office wants more biometrics in its ePassport system

Facial recognition already exists within the Australian passport system, but according to a recent tender from the APO, it looks like further biometric integration could be on the horizon. Reported in Computerworld, the Australian Passport Office has been using facial recognition as a part of its process since 2005, but the tender it just published says it is looking for vendors with expertise in facial, fingerprint, iris, voice and signature recognition and analysis. Winning companies will provide biometrics equipment, analysis software, system integration and training for APO staff. “The APO has requirements for the provision of specialised biometric support, particularly in relation to the facial recognition system/s and is looking to further develop its capabilities in this area with a view to achieving business improvements,” the APO said in its tender. “It is also investigating the potential utilisation and integration of other biometric technologies into its passport issuance and analysis systems.” Reported previously in BiometricUpdate.com, Fujitsu was recently awarded a contract for an Australian ePassport issuance system. A new market report from Frost & Sullivan,Analysis of the Southeast Asia and Australia-New Zealand Biometrics Market has found that biometrics market revenue is expected to reach around US $600 million in 2016. The report notes that the governments of Southeast Asia (SAE) and Australia-New Zealand (ANZ) are investing heavily in security projects and infrastructure, such as border control systems and national ID program, which bodes well for the market in the two regions. Further, the Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regulation mandating biometric passport implementation by 2015 is further accelerating this growth. In addition, Asutralian immigration officials are currently using facial recognition to track down visa fraud and illegal workers as a part of a national identity fraud campaign. 

Article Topics

Australia  |  epassport  |  facial recognition  |  tender