NEC and Daon enables unparalleled speed of deployment for Japan

NEC and Daon enables unparalleled speed of deployment for Japan biometrics identification system project

Tokyo (BUSINESS WIRE) - In just 9 months, NEC Corporation and Daon have taken Japan's border control system from procurement to nationwide deployment, enabling the timely and effective launch of a multi-modal biometrically enabled border control system for the world's second largest economy.

The system went live in November, 2007 and was used to successfully process more than 10,000 travelers through Narita International Airport during the first morning of operation.

Japan is the second country after the United States to implement such a system, according to Japan's Immigration Bureau. The goals of the automated border control system include the prevention of terrorism, illegal immigration and other crimes at the border. Fingerprints and facial images are obtained from persons entering the country who are 16 years of age and older (except legally exempted person).

Responding to system requirements from Japan's Ministry of Justice (MOJ) prime contractor NEC, together with Daon deployed a highly scalable, flexible and secure COTS-based solution.
NEC's technical teams independently developed the client side applications required for the system, using the Daon client side SDKs.

Throughout a 12-month trial period, the NEC-Daon joint solution demonstrated the advantages of the flexible, vendor-neutral architecture which allows for a variety of biometric capture devices, new matching algorithms and seamless integration with third-party hardware and software.

NEC's biometrics technology provides maximum matching accuracy and speed, which have been validated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in a comprehensive range of tests. NEC's identity management solutions set the standard for fail-safe ID checks in the most critical conditions and are used worldwide.

Fully integrated with the NEC technology, Daon's identity management system provides the centralized and client biometric infrastructure for the border clearance and automated system, with DaonEngine serving as the platform and additional Daon software being used at over 500 immigration workstations at over 34 airports and seaports.

Based on the publication of the original tender by the MOJ in April 2007, the November go-live date clearly demonstrates the speed of delivery that can be achieved when deploying a centralized national biometrics infrastructure based on the NEC-Daon integration. This project is just one of the deployments considered when Frost & Sullivan recognized Daon last month with their 2008 Award for Product Line Strategy Leadership of the Year. This award acknowledges the ability of Daon to introduce a suite of products that responds to the perceived needs of end-users in the world biometrics market.
About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation is one of the world's leading providers of Internet, broadband network and enterprise business solutions dedicated to meeting the specialized needs of its diverse and global base of customers. NEC delivers tailored solutions in the key fields of computer, networking and electron devices, by integrating its technical strengths in IT and networks, and by providing advanced semiconductor solutions through NEC Electronics Corporation. The NEC Group employs more than 150,000 people worldwide. For additional information, please visit the NEC home page at: http://www.nec.com

About Daon

Daon is a leading provider of identity assurance software products focused on meeting the needs of governments and commercial organizations worldwide. Daon supports customers and system integrators in building enterprise solutions requiring the highest level of security, performance, scalability, reliability and privacy. The DaonApplicationSuite provides a powerful tool for faster development of scalable, robust and secure identity registration and vetting solutions.

Daon's multi-modal authentication infrastructure, DaonEngine, integrates seamlessly with IT platforms and applications and manages the identity life-cycle of small and large populations. Daon's offices are located in Washington DC, Canberra, London and Dublin. For further information please visit www.daon.com.

Cheryl W. WaldrupDaonTel: 703-984-4040 (U.S.) cheryl.waldrup@daon.com