Digimarc strikes another deal with Iowa Department of Transportation

Published 6 November 2006

Company has a long history with the state, including a recent deal for driver’s licence watermarks and instant issuance cards; new deal includes “one to one” and “one to many” facial biometrics authentication; intent is confirm ID on renewal and prevent multiple issuances

Beaverton, Oregon-based Digimarc looks set to lock up the Iowa drivers licence market. Earlier this year we reported the company had completed the implementation of the state’s new digital driver’s license system by installing its Digimarc IDMarc and Digimarc ExianDual card architecture. Both products are designed with security squarely in mind. IDMarc is a digital watermarking-based, machine-readable security feature embedded and authenticated on identity documents, while ExianDual is an instant issuance card embedded with inventory control numbers for enhanced security and card accountability. Now we hear Digimarc has finalized another deal to improve Iowa’s drivers license system.

Under the $1.4 million contract, Digimarc will install “one-to-one” and “one-to-many” facial recognition biometrics to help prevent a single person from obtaining multiple identification cards. When a person comes to the DMV to renew their card (as they must, under the REAL ID Act mandates), the system initiates an automated one-to-one comparison of his new picture against his previous photo in the license database. It also checks newly captured photos each night against the full database of driver’s license images as another means, thereby foiling attempts to get a driver’s license under several names.

According to company officials, Alabama, Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Texas, are all using the Digimarc Biometric Identification system.

-read more in this company news release