Press Release
August 12, 1998
FBI Certifies Pixel! Products For Fingerprint ID System
Pixel!ENGINE® Is the First Scan Software to Attain 1,000
PPI IAFIS Certification
PLANO, Texas -- Mentalix, Inc. announced that its Pixel!ENGINE
application, part of the company's highly regarded
Pixel!FX®
imaging software suite, is the first software product
to receive certification at the 1,000 ppi level for
use in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI's)
Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System
(IAFIS). Mentalix's scanning software, which is also
the first UNIX application to be  certified
for IAFIS, was tested on the HP-UX 10.20 platform
with the UMAX PowerLook 2000 scanner and satisfied
the Criminal Justice Information Service (CJIS), Electronic
Fingerprint Transmission Specification (EFTS) Appendix
F requirements for both the 500 ppi (Section 2.0)
and 1,000 ppi (Section 3.0) levels. (IAFIS utilizes
500 ppi scans to obtain ten-print card images, while
the 1,000 ppi level is used for scanning latent fingerprints.)
Specific image processing functions that enable IAFIS
qualification have been added to the newest release
of Pixel!ENGINE, which means that systems integrators
can now utilize Mentalix's software to provide IAFIS-certified
systems to their law enforcement customers.
"This first certified product is the catalyst for Mentalix's
plans to supply a variety of IAFIS-ready applications
and customized imaging solutions for the law enforcement
community," Paul Siegert, Mentalix President, stated.
"We already provide imaging software to several of
the leaders in the fingerprint  scanning
industry, but recently, we have seen additional opportunities
with various systems integrators and other suppliers
of FBI-certified solutions. Rather than continuing
to invest in developing custom solutions that need
to be frequently re-certified to meet changing scan
device and platform requirements, these customers
are looking to experienced imaging software suppliers
like Mentalix to relieve this burden. In addition
to offering the trademark customization services and
support that Mentalix is already widely known for,
we are currently developing an API product for both
UNIX and Windows-based systems to satisfy the certification
needs and broader imaging requirements of this specialized
market."
The company created its current IAFIS product at the
request of Litton PRC Inc., a master integrator for
the Identification Tasking and Networking (ITN) segment
of IAFIS that supplies IAFIS workstations, storage
media and software. The ITN segment provides scanning
of both the ten-print cards and latent fingerprints
into IAFIS for analysis by latent fingerprint specialists.
To meet Litton PRC's requirements, Mentalix engineers
developed and implemented additional image processing
features for Pixel!
applications, then submitted the software to the
FBI for IAFIS certification testing. Upon the conclusion
of its testing process, the FBI confirmed that Mentalix's
software meets each of the stringent IAFIS Appendix
F requirements and is now certified for use in both
ten-print and latent fingerprint scanning.
What Is IAFIS?
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is developing the IAFIS for
the purpose of providing faster, more efficient electronic identification
services to members of the law enforcement community as well as
other organizations that require criminal background histories.
Scheduled for full implementation by July 1999, the IAFIS will provide
ten-print, latent print, and subject search capabilities, as well
as criminal history request services, document submission and image
request fulfillment to FBI Service Providers and law enforcement
users at the federal, state and local levels. The system's scope
also includes civilian security clearance services. The IAFIS criminal
database currently contains at least 33.5 million fingerprint records,
and of course, this number, as well as the number of security clearance
records, will increase steadily as the system is widely implemented
by law enforcement agencies and additional records are added.
With the transition to an electronic identification system, service
providers can produce identification results much more quickly;
rather than the typical two-week turnaround of the "paper" system,
results can be returned in as little as two hours. This faster service
also allows the service providers to handle more requests each day,
which in turn gives law enforcement officials the opportunity to
apprehend suspects more quickly and hold suspects that would otherwise
be released.
To establish consistency, compatibility and data quality throughout
the system, the FBI has established a rigorous set of multi-level
IAFIS certification standards. The test procedures aim to verify
compliance of all scanners and scanning software (among other components)
with the IAFIS Image Quality Specifications. By setting such precise
guidelines, the FBI can ensure that everyone in the criminal justice
community who submits fingerprint identification requests via the
IAFIS will receive the same high-quality results.
For more information, send e-mail to
info@mentalix.com, or call a Mentalix sales representative at
800-MENTALX or 972-423-9377.
###
Incorporated in 1987, Mentalix was founded to develop
easy-to-use products for the purposes of scanning, editing, and
printing photographic images from UNIX-based workstations. As a
result of several years of development, Mentalix is currently recognized
as the leading image incorporation solution to the UNIX-based desktop
publishing, graphic arts, and Web-page authoring markets. In addition,
Mentalix provides fast, elegant solutions for scientific, technical,
GIS, manufacturing, fingerprint analysis, medical, educational,
and government industries. The company maintains its headquarters
north of Dallas in Plano, Texas.
Mentalix, Pixel!ENGINE and Pixel!FX
are registered trademarks of Mentalix, Inc. UNIX is a registered
trademark. Windows and Windows NT are trademarks or registered trademarks
of Microsoft Corp. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other
trademarks acknowledged.
Press contact:
Alissa F. Turner
Mentalix, Inc.
(972) 423-9377 Ext. 24
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