ACB’s 1,000 bank members now can be armed with Edentify’s innovative technology to expose and squelch ID theft and fraud, and protect customers’ identities and banking assets.

America’s Community Bankers (’ACB’), the national trade association committed to strengthening the competitive position of community banks, has selected Edentify, Inc., a leading provider of identity management solutions, as a Preferred Solution Provider to its 1,000 ACB community bank members nationwide, providing the means to root out and thwart ID theft and fraud. Edentify is ACB’s Preferred Solution Provider of ID theft and fraud detection and prevention software, and will offer its proprietary IDBenchmark(TM) 2.0 software to ACB bank members.“Our solutions can provide ACB’s bank members with tight financial security and protection against ID theft and manipulation that works in real time,” says Terrence DeFranco, CEO of Edentify.

“Engaging proactive partners is a major component in our marketing strategy, allowing us to gain critical mass for our solutions, and it is very exciting for us to count ACB as one such partner. ACB member banks utilizing our solutions will be equipped with a robust suite of identity management solutions available in the market, and they will be able to uncover fraudulent activity immediately as it occurs, easily and quickly pinpoint the origin, and take prompt steps to mitigate any damaging effects. With our technology, ACB’s members will be well prepared to protect their organizations and their customers against the growing scourge of ID theft and fraud.”Edentify’s complete software package can detect, prevent, and monitor ID fraud and theft for ACB’s members via three products based on our IDBenchmark(TM) technology.” (more…)

Viisage Technology Inc. and Identix Inc. said on Tuesday their merger, announced in January, has been completed, and the new company will continue as L-1 Identity Solutions Inc.The combined photo and fingerprint identity equipment maker, led by Chief Executive Robert LaPenta, will trade its shares under the ticker “ID” on the New York Stock Exchange from Wednesday.

The new company is named after LaPenta, whose L-1 Investment Partners bought $100 million of Viisage stock late last year.

LaPenta is well known in the defense industry for helping build up L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. into a major Pentagon contractor through a series of acquisitions. L-3 was named after LaPenta, his business partner Frank Lanza — who died in June — and investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

The new company expects fourth quarter revenue of about $60 million and adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $15 million to $17 million.

Wall Street analysts had forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $56.5 million for Viisage, including the new Identix business. They forecast EBITDA of $11.4 million.

Pacific Biometrics, a provider of specialty central laboratory services, has been authorized by its Board of Directors to repurchase shares of its common stock up to an aggregate value of $500,000 as part of a new buyback program.

Ron Helm, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “It is our opinion that PBI’s current stock price does not accurately reflect the Company’s value, and that the repurchase of the stock is a good strategic use of our resources at this time. The Company has generated record revenues in the first three quarters of the 2006 fiscal year, as reported, and is on track to more than double revenues reported for the 2005 fiscal year. For this reason, we believe a buyback program is consistent with PBI’s growth strategy, and will help enhance shareholder value.”

The shares will be repurchased from time to time in open market transactions at the Company’s discretion, subject to market conditions and other factors. The repurchase program will occur over a period of 12 months through August 31, 2007, and may be modified, extended or discontinued at any time. There is no guarantee as to the exact number of shares that may be repurchased by the Company.

Japanese biometrics firm Secure Design announced today their purchase of 300,000 shares in Stockholm-listed biometrics component company Fingerprint Cards.

The stake cost the Tokyo-based outfit £447,500; amounting to a 2.5% share of total voting power.  The purchase highlights the strategic relationship between the companies, with FC manufacturing fingerprint image sensor components for Secure Design’s ITube and SD-Gate, amongst others.

Source - ShareCast

Countries around the world are introducing e-Passports to enhance the security of their borders. These e-Passports have an integrated chip with the information from the data page embedded in them. To secure this information on these chips, Entrust, Inc. has led the way and proudly announces that it, along with partner Netrust, is helping Singapore protect the digital security of its new passports.

The Entrust Authority solution will be used to help provide the assurance that an e-Passport has been issued by the Singapore Government. Netrust has managed the deployment of the Entrust Authority solution to conform to the strict standards required for the issuance of e-Passports according to the guidelines laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Netrust has also integrated the verification of the e-Passports in the border control system.

“As we move towards e-Passports, making sure they have actually been issued by the governing body and maintained their integrity is a critical role we are proud to play,” said Entrust Chairman, President and CEO Bill Conner. “Our efforts aren’t just helping countries continue their participation in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, our technology is helping put passport counterfeiters out of business. And that definitely makes me sleep better at night.”

The project is designed to offer an architecture that can provide flexibility, high performance, scalability and security. In addition to the many physical security measures to be implemented for information security, the electronic chip will have the passport holders’ information secured by a signature from the passport issuing authority.

“Singapore is one of the most forward-looking countries in the Pacific Rim, so it is not surprising that we are one of the first in the region to move forward so aggressively with the e-Passport program,” said Singapore- based Netrust CEO Foo Jong Ai. “We also are proud to partner with a world class leader in security such as Entrust. It is a great partnership that will benefit holders of the new Singapore biometric passports.”