IDGA Biometrics for National Security and Law Enforcement wraps, re-affirms military commitment to biometrics

Originally posted by Adam Vrankulj on Biometric Update

February 1st wrapped up the IDGA Biometrics for National Security and Law Enforcement conference, closing a productive two days of presentations, networking and deal-making.

I attended the IDGA conference Jan. 31, and sat in on a few of the day's sessions to get a sense of what's new in the community and what to expect in the coming months and years from government agencies, independent vendors and the industry as a whole.

If one thing is for certain, the American military will continue to ramp up its use of biometric technologies as they become more deeply integrated into work flows, both abroad and at home.

Kicking off Thursday at the conference was a keynote by Bob Mocny, Director of the Department of Homeland Security's US-VISIT program. Mocny's keynote touched on topics which included collaboration with the private sector, interoperability with federal partners, international collaboration, the importance of privacy, standards and outreach as well as the need for a biometrics governance body.

"Quite simply, the continued success of biometrics is based on adhering to and fostering a culture that supports interoperability, appropriate information sharing, privacy principles, common standards and educational outreach," Mocny said. "Helping shape that discussion is our responsibility."

During a well-attended session, Craig "Archie" Archer, the Identity Superiority Manager for the United States Special Operations Command (Socom), emphasized Socom's commitment to biometrics, as well as his gratitude for the creation of such technologies which have greatly improved and made field work more efficient.

Also during the presentation, Archer detailed Socom's process of finding the right mobile identification product for use in the field, citing an extensive field test performed by his department which promises to profile the capacity and performance of many products submitted for use.

According to Archer, the findings of this report will be released in March, 2013.

Also, causing a buzz of speculation in the room, Archer said that his department will make a massive biometrics purchase in 2014, though the details of this transaction are currently confidential.

For more information on this IDGA conference or other scheduled events, visit www.biometricsevent.com.