For the second time this year, the U.S. General Accounting
Office (GAO) has rejected the protest of a competitor and
affirmed Identix Inc.’s Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to
supply live scan systems for the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS). The DHS has lifted a stop order on the
agreement and Identix is resuming its supplying of
biometric systems such as 10-print scan fingerprint booking
stations in a BPA valued at $27 million.
Identix had been awarded the BPA Oct. 3, but that order has
been held up twice because of
protests filed by an
unnamed company that had competed with Identix for the
contract. After the protest
was rejected March 12, another protest was filed by the
same competitor.
Identix President and CEO Joseph Atick says the long
process will be worth it in the end for his company. “When
the world’s current largest adopter of biometrics
technology repeatedly puts its stamp of approval on you, it
sends a clear message,” he says.
