NEC Signs Contract With Fort Wayne Police Department for Purchase of AFIS21 DeskTop Solution.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

GOLD RIVER, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 29, 2001

"Dollar-for-Dollar, the FWPD AFIS Procurement is Viewed as an Excellent Investment in Automated Identification Technology Needed to

Fight Crime" -- Chief Rusty York, FWPD

NEC Technologies, Inc., a world leader in the development and implementation of Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS), announced today that the Fort Wayne Police Department has procured the first NEC AFIS21 DeskTop Solution (DS) fingerprint identification system.

The product will provide the City of Fort Wayne with an automated fingerprint identification system that makes it possible to identify and process fingerprint image data using a scalable, modular system. AFIS21-DS is powered by NEC's patented fingerprint matching algorithms to match fingerprints accurately and quickly for both civil and criminal identification needs -- a technology in high demand.

AFIS21-DS brings 21st century technology to today's identification applications. Incorporating the same powerful matching technology as its larger, parent system, AFIS21(TM), the AFIS21-DS features world-renowned matching accuracy in a distributed computing environment, client/server application, which is unparalleled in the industry.

Since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, law enforcement agencies around the U.S. have been on heightened alert. As such, the need for making positive identifications of people has become critical. With the acquisition of the NEC AFIS21-DS, the Fort Wayne Police Department will have the capability of providing the local community and surrounding areas with an accurate method of making positive identifications.

"Fort Wayne Police Department is one of the best equipped and trained police departments in the state of Indiana," said Chief of Police, Rusty York, of the Fort Wayne Police Department. "We feel the acquisition of an NEC AFIS21-DS system is the next step in crime fighting. As the AFIS21-DS database is populated with finger images removed from crime scenes, we expect to see a reduction in crime in both residential and business burglaries, and a probable reduction in our number of stolen vehicles as well. The AFIS21-DS system will provide immediate assistance to the Allen County Sheriff's Department and City of New Haven with future networking capabilities to the State of Indiana, Indianapolis Police Department, and FBI. The advancement of fingerprint identification within the Fort Wayne Police Department is an achievement which I am very proud to be a part of," said Chief York.

"NEC has been a leader in AFIS technology for over 30 years," said Tony Doonan, vice president for NEC Technologies' AFIS Division. "We have continued to invest in research and development over the past three decades. We are now able to offer a scalable, automated fingerprint identification system suitable for any user. AFIS21-DS provides an affordable solution that will empower the Fort Wayne Police Department to utilize their fingerprint image database to the fullest extent possible. We are proud to be a part of the city's commitment to use technology for increasing police service and reducing crime in the greater Fort Wayne area."

NEC Technologies' AFIS Division

NEC Technologies' AFIS Division is recognized as an industry leader in biometrics technologies having developed some of the first and finest automated methods of identifying people by their fingerprint and palmprint characteristics. NEC Technologies' AFIS Division provides identification solutions for law enforcement, government, and commercial applications requiring network security. Headquartered in Gold River, NEC Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Corp., is a leading manufacturer of computer peripherals and other technology products for the North American market. Information on NEC AFIS and its products can be obtained by calling 1-800-777-AFIS or on the web at http://www.nectech.com/afis.