Press Release
August 12, 1998
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.
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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. Payne
Mentalix, Inc.
(972) 423-9377 Ext. 124
