Government ID, Smart Cards, Identification and Authentication

Merkatum deploys facial recognition system for Florida's Department of Motor Vehicles

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Miami-based Merkatum, a biometric ID management solutions provider, has deployed a facial recognition system for Florida’s Department of Motor Vehicles to detect possible identity fraud and duplicate records in the agency’s driver license database. The system is capable of comparing a person’s facial image against 52 million others in three seconds.


MIAMI–Merkatum, a leading developer and provider of multi-biometric identity management solutions, announced that it has successfully deployed what it calls the largest facial recognition system in the world for Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV).

Merkatum was awarded a project through a competitive bid by the DHSMV to provide a fully-functional, large-scale facial recognition and record adjudication system in order to detect possible identity fraud and duplicate records in the agency’s driver license database. Currently, the launched emfiva-based system can biometrically compare a person’s static facial image against 52 million others in 3 seconds, providing relevant identity matching results for data cleansing (“scrubbing”) and criminal investigation purposes. Merkatum provided a turnkey solution that included software, hardware, and professional services delivered as an integrated managed service, thus enabling its client with best-of-breed multi-biometric technologies with a quick deployment turnaround at competitive costs.

“We are proud and satisfied of having successfully deployed such a technically complex and robust solution, unique in the world, in record time, on target and on budget, and with such positive results for our customer. Merkatum is ready to help other institutions worldwide with their project requirements in biometrics and identity management in accordance with REAL ID and HSPD12 guidelines,” commented Jose Luque, President & CEO of Merkatum.

Merkatum was awarded the project due to the company’s emfiva platform, its focused expertise on biometric technologies and to the utilization of Cognitec Systems’ matching algorithm.

About Merkatum Merkatum Corporation (www.merkatum.com) is a leading, single-source provider of biometric technology software and managed services that help reduce identity fraud and security threats and increase labor productivity for government agencies, financial institutions, and corporations worldwide. The Company designs, deploys, and fully-manages “end-to-end” solutions for its clients, decreasing operational risks and acquisition costs and enabling them to comply with governmental mandates.

Merkatum’s patent-pending “emfiva” multi-biometric identity management system fuses best-of-breed fingerprint, facial, and iris matching technologies with a fully-integrated, modular, open, scalable, and multi-purpose application environment. The system is ideal for processes requiring civilian data enrollment, credentialing, access control (physical and logical), identity background screening, fraud detection, wireless identification, time & attendance, and/or other tailor-made requirements. Merkatum is headquartered in Miami with offices in Austin and Mexico City.

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