Viisage (NASDAQ:VISG)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2019 to Jun 2024
Australia's Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs
Awards Viisage Contract for Authentication of E-passports; Marks Third
Consecutive Contract from an Australian Agency
Viisage (Nasdaq: VISG), a leading provider of advanced technology
identity solutions, today announced that the Australia Department of
Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) has selected the Viisage
iA-thenticate(R) Smart Chip/RFID Electronic Document Reader to improve
security in more than 25 Australian overseas locations worldwide. This
is the third of three consecutive contracts awarded to Viisage from
the Australian government. Australia has been a leader in implementing
Viisage's innovative document authentication technologies and
products, which include one of the world's largest document databases
for ensuring the authenticity of standard identity documents.
DIMA plans to use the Viisage iA-thenticate Smart Chip/RFID
Electronic Document Reader to improve overall security around the
issuance of travel and identity documents, specifically e-passports.
The product is designed to ensure that all documents presented as
proof of identification are credible and authentic. Following Brazil's
implementation, previously announced in March 2006, this marks the
second deployment of this unique product since its recent launch.
Viisage provides other document authentication products to more than
20 countries including Australia, Canada, Sweden, Hungary, Brazil,
Japan, and The United Arab Emirates.
Given the increased global risk of terrorist activities, DIMA
focused on eliminating the use of one of the terrorists' most
important tools - false identity documents, including passports,
visas, and national IDs. With Viisage's automated document
authentication technology, DIMA can authenticate the security features
on standard travel documents presented at the Australian embassies
globally and automatically detect fraudulent documents. Among other
identity documents Viisage's iA-thenticate Smart Chip/RFID Electronic
Document Reader will authenticate Australia's leading e-passport,
which contains biometrics to identify the passport owner. Australia is
regarded as a leader in using this technology to protect its nation
against individuals attempting to penetrate its borders illegally.
DIMA is the third consecutive Australian government department to
award Viisage a contract to implement its technology, demonstrating
the growing use of document authentication in support of national and
international security. Previously, the Australian Customs Service
(ACS) selected Viisage's iA-thenticate product for all Australian
international airports to help authorities efficiently monitor who
enters and departs the country, and the Australia Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) uses Viisage's automated
authentication technology to ensure document security and provide
quality control of newly issued passports.
"Viisage's product will help us improve security and extend this
security beyond our borders," said Janette Haughton, DIMA spokesperson
on identity technology. "We believe these installations will
significantly enhance our ability to detect fraudulent documents
before a visa is granted and an unwanted visitor travels to
Australia."
"Due to heightened awareness of the threats posed by international
travel, countries are required to have tighter security," said Ron van
Os, Chief Product Officer of Viisage. "Increasingly, our government
customers are recognizing the value our products offer to better
manage their borders. Australia is on the leading edge with
implementations throughout several agencies, which provides both
heightened protection and continuity in their national security
measures."
iA-thenticate Smart Chip verifies data in e-passports and the MRZ
(machine-readable zone) and expiration date. The system captures,
analyzes, and authenticates information contained in travel and
identity documents with color images and populates applications with
information contained in the identity document. Additionally
iA-thenticate tests information for formatting consistency to confirm
authenticity. Australia's leadership in the deployment and usage of
this technology has been recognized by other Viisage customers and
prospects as exemplary, particularly in the application of ferreting
out terrorists attempting to enter the country. As electronic
passports become a standard around the world, Viisage will continue to
provide leading products to ensure the authenticity of these important
identity documents. Viisage is already at the forefront of the
e-passport wave, providing RFID document authentication to the
countries that are the most progressive and innovative regarding
identity and safeguarding their national borders. Viisage is helping
to make the use of e-passports a travel advantage for citizens of
these countries by quickly and securely authenticating e-passports.
About Viisage
Viisage (NASDAQ: VISG) delivers advanced technology identity
solutions for governments, law enforcement agencies and businesses
concerned with enhancing security, reducing identity theft, and
protecting personal privacy. Viisage solutions include secure
credentials such as passports and drivers' licenses, biometric
technologies for uniquely linking individuals to those credentials,
and credential authentication technologies to ensure the documents are
valid before individuals are allowed to cross borders, gain access to
finances, or be granted other privileges. With more than 3,000
installations worldwide, Viisage's identity solutions stand out as a
result of the company's industry-leading technology and unique
understanding of customer needs. Viisage's product suite includes
IdentityTOOLS(TM) SDK, Viisage PROOF(TM), FaceEXPLORER(R),
iA-thenticate(R), ID-GUARD(R), BorderGuard(R), PIER(TM), HIIDE(TM),
AutoTest(TM), FacePASS(TM) and FaceFINDER(R).
This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this document
and those made from time to time by Viisage through its senior
management are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current views with
respect to the future events or financial performance discussed in
this release, based on management's beliefs and assumptions and
information currently available. When used, the words "believe",
"anticipate", "estimate", "project", "should", "expect", "plan",
"assume" and similar expressions that do not relate solely to
historical matters identify forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements concerning future plans or results are
necessarily only estimates and actual results could differ materially
from expectations. Certain factors that could cause or contribute to
such differences include, among other things the size and timing of
contract awards, performance on contracts, performance of acquired
companies, availability and cost of key components, unanticipated
results from audits of the financial results of the Company and
acquired companies, changing interpretations of generally accepted
accounting principles, outcomes of government reviews, developments
with respect to litigation to which we are a party, potential
fluctuations in quarterly results, dependence on large contracts and a
limited number of customers, lengthy sales and implementation cycles,
market acceptance of new or enhanced products and services,
proprietary technology and changing competitive conditions, system
performance, management of growth, dependence on key personnel,
ability to obtain project financing, general economic and political
conditions and other factors affecting spending by customers, and the
unpredictable nature of working with government agencies. In addition,
such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the following
risks: that the merger with Identix will not close, that the
regulatory or shareholder approval will not be obtained, that the
closing will be delayed, that customers and partners will not react
favorably to the merger, integration risks, the risk that the combined
companies may be unable to achieve cost-cutting synergies, and other
risks described in Viisage's and Identix' Securities and Exchange
Commission filings, including the Registration Statement on Form S-4
filed with the SEC in connection with the transaction, Viisage's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 and
its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2006
under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and
Identix' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2005
and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended
September 30, 2005, December 31, 2005 and March 31, 2006 under the
captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations." Viisage expressly
disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.