Cross Match Technologies Releases New Livescan Hardware and Software System

Palm Beach Gardens, FL – Cross Match Technologies, Inc., a leading global provider of high-quality interoperable biometric identity applications and solutions, today announced the release of L SCAN Guardian, a ten-print livescan hardware and software system that sets a new standard for speed, weight, mobility and functionality.  Measuring 6 inches wide, 6 inches deep, and 4.7 inches high, and weighing only four pounds, Guardian addresses the mandatory physical and performance requirements specified in the federal government’s Challenge to Industry issued in September 2005. The Guardian automatically captures and segments an individual’s ten-print images, evaluates the image quality of each fingerprint image, displays on a computer screen the fingerprint images, and formats the captured data into FBI compliant electronic fingerprint transaction records, all in less than 15 seconds.

“Federal government agencies have expressed their urgent need for faster, smaller and more mobile ten-fingerprint capture devices through their Challenge to Industry,” said Thomas Buss, senior vice president of product development and management for Cross Match Technologies. “Guardian is the first and only product demonstrated to meet that urgent need at this critical time.”

The Government’s Challenge to Industry was issued by a joint federal government user group that includes the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, Department of State, Department of Defense Biometrics Fusion Center, National Institute of Justice, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.  The Challenge called for industry  “…to provide 10 print capture devices and software meeting the processing time and size requirements and meeting FBI and industry format and quality requirements within the next 12 months to support the critical mission needs of the user community, and specifically, to meet the aggressive mission requirements of the Department of Homeland Security.”

As the first release of a new generation of Cross Match products, the Guardian is designed to be faster, more compact and significantly lighter than any other forensic quality ten-print fingerprint device available today. Guardian is ideal for narrow countertops, military and civilian law enforcement jump kits and backpacks, and other limited space and time constrained environments.  The product is now available for deployment in a wide variety of Federal and other applications (both mobile and fixed) requiring forensic quality digital image capture of ten fingerprints and with no special training required for an operator of the system.  Because Guardian has dual certification from the FBI for capture of both rolled and flat fingerprints, it has applications in both the Public Safety (criminal) as well as Civilian (background check and access control) markets.   Within hours after FBI certification on March 23, 2006, an initial order was placed by a Federal agency, with significant interest already being expressed worldwide.

“The development of Guardian is just another of many examples of our commitment to providing a full range of high-quality biometric identity products and solutions that are customized to meet the critical application needs of our customers worldwide,” said James W. Ziglar, president and chief executive officer of Cross Match Technologies, Inc. “I am delighted that Cross Match has answered the U.S. Government’s Challenge to Industry a full six months ahead of the Challenge deadline.  Every minute counts in securing the American people and free people everywhere from the threat of terrorism and other criminal conduct.  Cross Match will continue to play a major and vital part in providing that security.”

For more information about the Cross Match L SCAN Guardian, please visit the company’s Web site at www.crossmatch.com.