Canadian magazine names Unisys Canada Security Integrator of the Year
18 September, 2007
category: Biometrics, Financial, Government
Unisys Canada has been selected Security Product & Technology News’ Security Integrator of the Year primarily for its work on a biometric field trial for Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC), in which the company used fingerprint and facial recognition technology to process temporary visa applications.
OTTAWA–Security Product & Technology (SP&T) News has selected Unisys Canada Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Unisys Corp., as Canada’s security systems integrator of the year, the company announced. The magazine launched the competition in January and its editorial board of advisors chose Unisys as the winner this summer.
The advisory board’s decision centered largely on Unisys work on a biometric field trial for Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC), in which Unisys has used fingerprint and facial recognition technology to process temporary visa applications for approximately 20,000 students, workers, visitor and refugee claimants over six months.
Some Canadian ports of entry – including Vancouver International Airport and Douglas and Pacific Highway (British Columbia) – and an Ontario refugee intake center also participated in the trial, using the biometric technology to identify participants.
CIC is analyzing the results of the field trial to determine whether and when to roll out such technology on a wider and longer-term basis throughout Canada. CIC expects to release the results this fall.
SP&T News editorial advisory board member Peter Garnham, of PG Security Associates in Brampton, Ontario, said of the decision to award the honor to Unisys: “By far and away, it was an easy choice.”
Garnham added that Unisys demonstrated how it was able to “lead the integration of different products with foreign equipment and make it all work from different parts of the world.”
Fellow board member Ron Jagmohan, national technical manager for Honeywell Security and Custom Electronics in Woodbridge, Ontario, cites four factors in the decision to choose Unisys: the Canadian content in the field trial; the global reach of the project; new technologies employed, particularly biometrics and RFID, and the knowledge and expertise of the company.
“It is very evident from the scope of this project that it requires a significant understanding of new and existing technologies to be able to pull it all together,” Jagmohan said.
SP&T News will present the award to Unisys Canada leadership at an Oct. 17 award dinner at the Toronto Airport Marriott.
“CIC has given high priority to the global security challenges we face today. Recognizing both the reliability and growing global acceptance of biometric technologies, CIC has been able to implement an effective security solution that facilitates the flow of commerce,” said Bob Binns, president, Unisys Canada Inc.
“We’re honored to receive this award for the work we’ve been doing with CIC over the past year, and look forward to continuing our partnership to enhance security.”
Unisys a worldwide leader in integrating biometric technologies to help organizations create secure business operations
In addition to the CIC project, Unisys has been the integrator for several other large-scale global identity programs, including:
–The Port of Halifax: Unisys announced Aug. 13 that the port contracted with the company to commence a pilot, using vascular technology, to identify about 4,000 port workers.
–MyKad, Malaysia: Unisys developed, implemented and rolled out nationwide a smart card, known as MyKad, for the citizens of Malaysia. The card uses the latest chip and biometric technology, ensuring a high level of accuracy and enabling more than 24 million Malaysians to transact conveniently and securely with government and private-sector entities. Unisys began work on the program in 1999.
–Registered Traveler: Unisys is among a handful of vendors that the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has approved to administer the Registered Traveler program at participating U.S. airports. Business travelers can register their fingerprint and iris scan at participating airports. Once approved, these Registered Travelers are directed to a designated security checkpoint lane where their identity is verified quickly via a comparison of their fingerprints to those they provided at registration. The process enables travelers to speed through the checkpoint without compromising the security processes TSA has implemented. The program actually enhances airport security, as screeners can direct their attention to unknown travelers.
About Unisys
Unisys is a worldwide information technology services and solutions company. We provide consulting, systems integration, outsourcing and infrastructure services, combined with powerful enterprise server technology. We specialize in helping clients use information to create efficient, secure business operations that allow them to achieve their business goals. Our consultants and industry experts work with clients to understand their business challenges and create greater visibility into critical linkages throughout their operations. For more information, visit www.unisys.com.
