EyeTicket Corporation and Frankfurt Airport to Begin EyePass™ Evaluation Program.

MCLEAN, VIRGINIA, USA, and FRANKFURT, GERMANY (June 27, 2000) ­ EyeTicket Corporation and Flughafen Frankfurt have reached agreement to begin an EyePass™ Evaluation Program. The Frankfurt Airport is the first airport in Europe to introduce the EyePass™ program featuring the extraordinary reliability, security and convenience of iris recognition.

EyePass™ uses state-of-the-art iris recognition to control airport and airline employee access to restricted areas and enhance substantially security operations. The evaluation program for EyePass™ will feature five access control stations for FAG employees at the IT Operations Center. Many European airports and air carriers, as well as government agencies are expected to follow the program closely.

"EyePass™ represents a major turning point in the way airports and air carriers will address security issues in the future," explained Stewart Mann, Chairman and CEO of EyeTicket Corporation. "We are providing the airline industry and airports around the world with a revolutionary alternative for easing the cumbersome identification process and ensuring the security and well-being of its customers and employees."

"We continue to enhance our security profile. Making it more effective and, at the same time, even more transparent is quite beneficial," said Herr Johannes Endler, Milglied des Vorstandes, Flughafen Frankfurt Main AG. "We are excited about being the first facility to test this product, and are optimistic that it will meet our requirements."

"EyePass™ presents Frankfurt Airport with the unique opportunity to lead the way in setting a new global standard for airport security," explained Hans W. Gutsch, President and Vice-Chairman of EyeTicket Corporation. "Frankfurt Airport enjoys a particularly high reputation in the industry, and EyeTicket looks forward to working closely with management to ensure a successful Evaluation Program and achieve an improved security environment."

Participation in the EyePass™ Evaluation Program begins with an enrollment. The enrollment occurs only once and consists of a simple digital picture taken of the iris of the eye with a video camera. After that, a one-second glance into a camera gains instant recognition of the authorized employee. The iris of every eye is entirely unique and the identification affords the highest accuracy, far surpassing any other biometric method. Already in use in commerce applications including sporting events, retail banking and point-of-sale applications, the platform is non-invasive and user acceptance is consistently at 100%. Enrollments at Frankfurt will begin approximately July 17, with the full operation to commence on approximately August 1, 2000.

 

Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, U.S.A., EyeTicket Corporation, formerly Spring Technologies, Inc., is the exclusive developer and provider of the EyeTicket™ passenger check-in and boarding service. EyeTicket Corporation has also developed a companion aviation access control service known as EyePass™. Recognizing the unique benefits of iris recognition, EyeTicket Corporation has applied the capabilities of iris recognition technology to eliminate paper and plastic, and otherwise improve the travel experience. The Company is currently conducting a similar EyePass™ Evaluation Program at the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. That program began on May 7, 2000. EyeTicket Corporation has patents pending throughout the world, and holds a long-term worldwide commercial license for the basic iris recognition technology from Iridian Technologies, Inc.

Iridian Technologies, Inc. is located in Moorestown, New Jersey, and holds the exclusive worldwide patents on iris recognition. The patents include the original concept invented by Drs. Leonard Flom and Aran Safir, and the software and process technology invented by Dr. John Daugman of Cambridge University, England.