Unisys and Verant certified to join Registered Traveller program
TSA grants its approval after both companies complete successful pilot programs across the country; Unisys looks to expand operations to Reno/Tahoe; certification adds momentum to an important project, but early leader Verified Identity loses potential market share
New York-based Verified Identity Pass has some new competitors in the Registered Traveler (RT) program. The Transportation Security Administration has approved Blue Bell, Pennsylvania-based Unisys and Rochester, New York-based Verant Identification Systems as certified RT providers. Under the program, frequent fliers pay an annual fee and submit to an extensive background check in order to receive expedited treatment at airport security checkpoints. It was just last November that TSA finalized the fee it would charge for the screening, and it was a relief to those entering the business that the selected charge would be $30 and not $100 as previously suggested.
Until recently, Registered Traveler has been operated as a demonstration project at a handful of airports, including a Verified trial in Orlando. As we reported at the time, Verified has also announced plans to expand its operations to JFK Airport in New York as well as at airports in San Jose, California, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati, and expanding to as many as twenty airports within a year. For its part, Unisys has been testing its systems at the Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Houston airports, and having been approved will now expand to Reno/Tahoe. Vigilant operates a Registered Traveler program at the Jacksonville airport, but as of press time there was no hint as to its future plans.
Also participating in Registered Traveler pilot projects was Plano, Texas-based EDS, which operated pilot programs at Boston and Washington airports. That company is still awaiting certification.
-read more in Alice Lipowicz’s WashingtonTechnology report
