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Pic4Pass Launches First Biometric ID Photo Site

Service Designed to Help Consumers Comply With Strict New Government Regulations for Identification Photos

Pic4Pass, a division of BioID, one of Europe's leading biometric security companies, has launched the first global online identification photo service that provides guaranteed government compliance based on sophisticated biometrics. The technology is designed for consumers to avoid the massive rejection levels for passport and visa applications.

Pic4Pass uses a unique, patented biometric technology that helps consumers create ID photos at home. The photos are guaranteed to comply with new government regulations for photo identification, especially for new biometric passports, but can also be used for any application where identification photos are accepted directly from consumers. These applications include driver's licenses, green cards, visas, health cards and membership cards. Photos can be saved as a digital image and printed by the consumer's choice of online or local photofinishing services. The service is fast, easy and inexpensive. Most countries have some very specific rules about how recent your passport should be. Renewing six months in advance is generally recommended.

"Biometric identification has been driven by the growing impact of global terrorism and cross-border criminal activity," said Ho Chang, BioID CEO. "Over ninety countries are currently requiring passports with facial biometrics. Last year, 105 million passports were issued, underscoring the need for our Pic4Pass technology."

Chang notes that in the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Customs, have established Global Entry, a service that allows citizens to move through passport control faster. The success of such programs relies heavily on the quality of the photos and other biometric data stored in the passport.

"Unfortunately, even professional photographers, and certainly retail outlets around the world, don't have sufficient knowledge of the international requirements for facial biometrics," Chang said. "Having photos rejected for lack of compliance can create considerable loss of time and money. Knowledge is growing and we intend to provide educational materials that will help as these requirements change."

The biometric methods of Pic4Pass consider both the relevant national laws and regulations for biometric ID photos, international standards, and the guidelines for biometric travel documents of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), currently adapted by over ninety countries around the world.

As a result, Pic4Pass users can easily create biometric ID photos that are tailored to individual countries with guaranteed government compliance, within a few minutes, and all from the comfort of home. The Pic4Pass website is also devoted to providing tips on taking compliant photographs; the nature of biometrics; and helpful updated information on regulations and requirements as they change anywhere in the world.

The new Pic4Pass site can be found at www.pic4pass.com.

About BioID and Pic4Pass

Pic4Pass is a business division of BioID, a leading European biometrics company, specialized in multimodal biometric authentication and IT security.

BioID is guided by the vision that multimodal biometrics will greatly enhance the convenience, user experience and security of Internet and mobile users and help them to protect their digital identities from identity theft. With the increasing use of the internet as well as mobile IT and communication services, people have a growing number of internet accounts and digital identities, which are typically protected only by a password or the combination of a token (card, key, USB stick, etc.) and a password. In contrast, BioID does not protect digital identities with insecure passwords and tokens, but rather with an indisputable link to the biometric traits of the user. Because biometric traits can't be forged, lost, shared, or stolen, biometric authentication is the only method known today that can verify the physical presence of a user.

BioID's authentication software recognizes a person reliably by their face, iris and voice, and thus prevents fraudulent use of digital identities. At the same time, BioID enjoys high user acceptance because BioID users no longer have to remember passwords. The technology behind Pic4Pass has been in use for many years in banking, enterprise, and government IT security applications.

Privately held, BioID's development facilities are located in Nuremberg, Germany. For more information, please visit www.bioid.com.