Biometrics office seeks info on new support tool for DHS and partners

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is preparing to enter the market for technology to help manage its biometric identity system.

A request for information dated May 5 came from the Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM), which provides biometric data storage, sharing and analysis to the DHS and its partners. Per the RFI, “OBIM’s most visible service is the collection of biometrics — digital fingerprints and a photograph — from international travelers at United States visa-issuing posts and ports of entry.” OBIM is seeking market research on a requirements management tool “that can capture, develop, store, and assess requirements.”

OBIM delivers biometrics services in support of national security priorities, including counterterrorism and immigration. “OBIM’s overall goals and priorities include continuing to improve biometric services and access to expanded biometric data to enable DHS operational missions,” states the RFI.

The unit’s request comes with a list of functional and technical requirements. It must be able to serve as a central collaborative platform for the DHS’s multiple stakeholders. There are compatibility and integration needs for certain Microsoft products. And it must be housed directly on Amazon Web Services, without a bridge product.

OBIM’s long-awaited HART system will move the biometric search capacity to AWS’ cloud, when it eventually replaces the legacy IDENT system.

As well, submissions must “confirm if the solution described is commercially available or is a commercially available solution that can be modified to meet the government’s needs.” A price structure is also required, although specific pricing is not.

Those with interest have until May 19 to submit. Full details can be found on the Sam.gov website.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  DHS  |  identity management  |  national security  |  OBIM  |  RFI