Switzerland chooses Steria's system for the secure transmission of fingerprints.

SECURITY, POLICE AND IMMIGRATION Switzerland chooses Steria's system for the secure transmission of fingerprints. A solution already adopted by 16 European countries. Developed by Steria Norway, the FIT (Fingerprint Image Transmission) system enables European immigration services and police to reproduce and transmit all types of fingerprints from a remote site to a central or international site. It is compatible with main international standards, especially those of Interpol and the FBI. The FIT system has just been adopted by the Swiss police in the 26 cantons, which are all linked to the central system in Bern. The EURODAC project was launched by the European Commission two years ago to process asylum requests from the member states of the European Union and other states belonging to the Dublin Convention. Within this framework, Steria implemented the European Commission's central Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). Steria then designed FIT, a comprehensive solution allowing each country to connect to the EURODAC system, whatever their automatic fingerprint identification system. Steria has set up FIT systems in 16 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The FIT system allows national police and immigration services to transmit fingerprints and quickly compare them with the central national database as well as with the new EURODAC system database. Furthermore, the NAP (National Access Point) server allows communications to be securely transmitted on the TESTA network, which is dedicated to European administrations. Thanks to its quick and effective identification of fingerprints, the system provides an efficient tool for improving border control and combating illegal immigration and organised crime. The FIT system has been effective for more than ten years in Scandinavian countries, which have seen the number of searches on their central databases rise considerably. The number of positive identifications has also increased significantly. FIT has also been adopted by Schengen countries for the exchange of information on the SIRENE (Supplementary Information Requested at the National Entry) network. It allows police to electronically exchange fingerprints and mugshots in order to identify people they are looking for. "The FIT system is the first highly secure system that can electronically check fingerprints. It also corresponds to the requirements of national immigration services, which need to be able to quickly identify fingerprints in the short time they are detaining suspects," says Odd Elness, senior consultant for Steria in Norway, who is in charge of the FIT programme. The biometrics technology makes it possible to read the body's unique biological characteristics (fingerprints, iris, voice...) and it will provide in the future more secure identification solutions than cards and codes. The FIT solution, which is part of Steria's global 'biometrics' offer, can also be applied in fields such as electronic voting, authentication and verification in sensitive areas such as airports (passengers and personnel), nuclear power stations, research laboratories or e-commerce, Internet kiosks, etc.. Acknowledged for its pioneering role in the field of e-government, especially in systems integration, managed services and security, Steria boasts numerous customer references such as the Danish and Norwegian customs authorities, the Ministry of Defence and Norwich City Council in Great Britain, the Belgian Ministry of the Interior, the French Ministries of Economy, Finance and Education, the Spanish Ministries of Economy, Labour and Health, the canton of Vaud in Switzerland and the European Commission, to name but a few. About Steria (http://www.steria.com/ and www.steria.no/fit ): Steria is one of the top ten IT services companies in Europe, following the acquisition of the majority of Bull's European services business. Steria boasts 9000 employees and forecasts 2002 revenues of over ?1bn, 60% of which will come from outside France due to its presence in 12 countries worldwide. The Group has also confirmed the sound nature of its strategic positioning as an IT services global operator in three core businesses: consulting, systems integration and managed services. Backed by 33 years of experience in the banking and insurance, utilities, public service and telecommunications sectors, Steria is a pool of business, process and technological skills enabling it to partner its customers throughout their successes and their development. Steria is a pioneer in employee shareholding, with 31% of its capital being held by employees. Steria is listed on the Premier Marché of the Paris Stock Exchange and in the SBF 120 index. Steria Group press office Dominique Lambert Tel.: +33 1 34 88 64 44 e-mail: dominique.lambert@steria.com Actus Corporate Agnès Gilbert Tel.: +33 1 53 67 33 36 33 e-mail: agilbert@actus.fr More information about Biometrics: - Steria's Biometrics solution - Biometrics Expert Opinion part - www.steria.no/fit/ ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/10/09/20031009BIT01570/wkr0001.pdf