BusinessWire
October 18, 2005 05:00 AM US Pacific Timezone

NEC Solutions America Receives FBI Certification for Sentrus WSQ Solution; Built on the Microsoft(R) .NET Framework, Solution to Be Implemented by the Western Identification Network

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 18, 2005--NEC Solutions (America), Inc., a premier provider of integrated solutions for the Connected Enterprise in North America, today announced that the NEC(R) Sentrus(TM) Wavelet Scalar Quantization (WSQ) solution has received official certification from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and has met the agency's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) Image Quality Specification (IQS) standards. NEC's Sentrus WSQ is one of the industry's best performing digital fingerprint compression algorithms and is one of the first applications of its kind to be built on the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1.

The Western Identification Network (WIN), a consortium of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies with a shared network and AFIS processing service bureau with approximately 18 million fingerprint records, will utilize NEC's leading technology for the compression and decompression of fingerprints in its data warehouse, forensic laboratories and image processing systems. Its use by WIN will allow state and local law enforcement communities to exchange fingerprint information with the FBI seamlessly and with improved accuracy and results.

"By building Sentrus on Microsoft .NET technologies we were perfectly poised to exceed the stringent requirements of the FBI WSQ certification process," said Phil Scarfo, senior vice president, Public Sector Division of NEC Solutions America. "We recognize that law enforcement agencies and large system integrators hold the technologies they deploy to a high standard, building on .NET allowed us to deliver that level of quality quickly. We are excited to deliver the exceptional image and identification quality that we are known for to the Western Identification Network with this new solution."

Microsoft's .NET Framework-based technology provides the ability to quickly build, deploy, manage, and use connected, security-enhanced solutions with Web services. This connected solution enables law enforcement agencies to integrate their systems with those of the FBI more rapidly and in a more agile manner.

"We are excited by NEC's adoption of the .NET Framework 1.1," said Tom Richey, executive director of Homeland Security for the Worldwide Public Sector at Microsoft Corp. "NEC's Sentrus WSQ will take full advantage of the flexibility and extensibility that .NET provides, and we are confident it will help our mutual customers take full advantage of their existing solutions, unlock key data, and harness the power and flexibility of Connected Systems."

NEC's Sentrus Public Safety System offers a series of mission critical information management modules that address mission critical public safety requirements. These modules -- including Computer Aided Dispatch, Records Management, Case Management, Crime Scene Management, Jail Management, and Automated Field Reporting functions -- combined with ruggedized mobile computers and NEC high availability fault tolerant servers, provide a comprehensive law enforcement information system to capture, report and analyze the critical information necessary for agencies to better serve their communities.

About WSQ Certification and Compliance

The WSQ Gray-scale Fingerprint Image Compression Algorithm is the standard for the exchange of fingerprint images within the criminal justice community. To obtain certification, a WSQ decoder must implement the full range of functionality contained in the WSQ specification. This includes the ability to reconstruct images using even and odd length filters and embedded restart codes. Compliance with the WSQ specification is determined by comparing the output from the implementation under test with the output from a double precision reference implementation developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

About the IAFIS IQS

The IAFIS IQS specifies the data acquisition standards for the fingerprint portion of the virtual fingerprint card, such as modulation transfer function (MTF) and signal-to-noise ratio. The MTF measures how much of the fingerprint data can be acquired; reflects the quality of the optics, the scanner detectors and the analog to digital converters. The IQS also specifies quality thresholds for display devices (printers and CRTS) for the fingerprint data. IQS standards for printers and other display devices are mandatory for the purposes of FBI procurements.

About NEC Solutions (America), Inc.

NEC Solutions (America), Inc. is a premier provider of integrated solutions for the Connected Enterprise in North America. As an affiliate of NEC Corporation (NASDAQ:NIPNY) (FTSE:6701q.1), NEC Solutions America taps into a global resource network to help clients leverage technology to achieve a competitive edge. From corporate performance management and biometric security solutions to digital cinema and in-theatre advertising systems, visual displays and server solutions, the expertise is delivered with the personal attention needed to address individual situations. With headquarters in Rancho Cordova, California, NEC Solutions America serves a wide range of markets, including the healthcare and public safety, financial services, cinema, retail and manufacturing markets. Information regarding NEC Solutions America can be found at www.necsam.com.

Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. NEC is a registered trademark of NEC Corporation and Sentrus is a trademark of NEC Solutions (America), Inc. Other product or service marks mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. (C)2005 NEC Solutions (America), Inc. All Rights Reserved.