U.K. Foreign Office in biometrics spending spree
Foreign and Commonwealth Office earmarks £15 million in biometric gear for embassy security systems
The U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office plans to buy biometric systems for security use in British embassies around the world. FCO Services, the department’s internal system integrator, plans to spend around £15 million over three years on a new framework agreement for biometric software, algorithms, and hardware, according to a notice published on 31 March 2009 in the Official Journal of the European Union. This will be used to support FCO Services’ work installing systems worldwide, mainly in British embassies, for physical security, access control and infrastructure support.
Kablenet reports that the framework includes five lots: one each for mobile and biometric identification units, biometric software and supporting equipment, physical security devices, and a final lot focusing on delivery and enrollment.
According to the pretender qualification questionnaire, FCO Services is interested in a wide range of biometrics technologies: facial, fingerprint, palm, iris, vein imaging, and behavioral analysis.
