Bis

Motorola's Printrak Biometric Identification System (BIS) will improve law enforcement and other government agencies' ability to do their job by providing increased flexibility and access to biometric data. Although the database can be quite large, the benefits of an increased capacity to solve crimes out weigh the costs for many public safety agencies.

Motorola's use of Oracle 10g advanced database application is important because high-resolution graphics compromise much of the biometric data and must be managed by a powerful grid computing system. Increased efficiency through automated management features is an added benefit because the system does not require a great increase in staff to run the system.

The product's ability to maps to a wide range of customers' needs though XML content makes it very versatile. With Printrak, a customer has numerous options on how accurate to make their system because each layer of scans offered enhances the certainty of finding a match. However, because of the vast feature set, the Printrak system is costly and should be reserved for agencies that require this degree of accuracy.

Much like other information systems, Printrak is useless if the system does not hold data. For many agencies, especially law enforcement agencies, the system is best suited for interfacing with nationwide databases, such as AVIS, in order to reap the greatest benefits of the BIS. With only a small pool of information, the system will be limited in identifying individuals. Another critical aspect to converting to a system such as Printrak is that plans must be made to convert existing records into the new system. This process will be long and tedious, but well worth it for many public safety agencies, for example, Miami-Dade County Police Department recently upgraded to the Printrak system and reported a 30 percent increase in reverse search identifications since installation.