The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking to transition one of the world’s largest biometric identity management systems to a cloud-based architecture and is requesting information from vendors about their biometric data capabilities.
The department’s Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM) said in a request for information published to SAM.gov that it wants to move from DHS’s current storage system for biometric information – Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) – to the Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology (HART) system.
OBIM’s database contains over 260 million biometric data points – digital fingerprints, facial, and iris scans – from foreign travelers entering the United States. That information is collected to determine whether a person is eligible to receive a visa or enter the country, DHS said in its posting.
“This upgrade will shift from hardware-based matching to a cloud-based microservice architecture,” said DHS, noting that as “OBIM expands its biometric identity management services to incorporate additional modalities and stakeholders,” it hopes to work with additional biometric organizations.
DHS said that OBIM is collaborating with the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to transition systems.
Respondents are asked to provide their experience working with the HART system and biometric planning, approaches to research, and prior engineering and protype development. The posting is set to close on Oct. 25 after receiving a week-long extension from its original deadline.
The request for information comes as DHS continues to explore biometric technology, requesting additional industry feedback earlier this fall for facial recognition technology to run on drivers and passengers en route to the border prior to reaching a check point.
