CATSA contracts Unisys for biometric tech

OTTAWA, May 7 (UPI) -- The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority says it has contracted Unisys Corp. for the company's biometric security technologies.

The CATSA awarded the contract to Unisys subsidiary, Unisys Canada Inc., to replace the CATSA's Restricted Area Identification Card system with new fingerprint and iris biometric technologies and contactless smart cards based on off-the-shelf products from ImageWare Systems Inc.

Unisys will manage the new system that will be deployed at 29 airports across Canada. Officials say the contract is an effort to verify the identities of airport workers with access to restricted areas at the airports. The two-year contract also includes the security clearance status updates for all 100,000 CATSA airport workers, along with system support services.

"We are pleased to be able to assist CATSA in achieving its mission of increasing the security of air travelers in Canada," Bob Binns, Unisys Canada president, said in a statement. "This award, combined with our previous work, positions Unisys as a leader in providing biometric solutions for identity management to government and business in Canada."