LISCR Unveils New Seafarer's Identity Card

Datastrip announces that its 2D Superscript two-dimensional bar code is being used as the core technology on the world's first biometric seafarer's identity card, scheduled for rollout this month by the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry (LISCR). LISCR is the second largest shipping registry in the world, with approximately 2,000 vessels and 500,000 active seafarers on its docket. The initiative is intended to help improve maritime security by providing a counterfeit-proof identity document. Each LISCR seafarer's card will include a tiny Datastrip bar code containing either one or two fingerprint templates, a digitized version of the cardholder's photograph, and several pages of encoded personal information. Identity verification will be performed on vessels and at ports of entry with Datastrip's DSVerify2D, the first portable biometric ID card reader capable of decoding fingerprints, text and photographs with one swipe. The reader includes an optical fingerprint scanner that can match the stored fingerprint template with the cardholder's live fingerprint on the spot, preventing identity fraud. The initial six-month production phase of LISCR's implementation, which begins this month, will cover 2,000 seafarers around the globe. It will be used to ensure the smooth operation of the data collection, design, printing and identity verification processes associated with the new ID card. LISCR expects to introduce the card system-wide after the six-month testing period. Possible future enhancements include the addition of information on special seafarer's qualifications on the card. Other factors in LISCR's decision to use Datastrip technology included a production cost of less than $1 per card, the ability of Datastrip's DSVerify2D reader to function in standalone mode without connection to a computer network, and an open architecture that will permit interchangeability with other biometric standards that may be established in the future by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) or the International Labor Organization (ILO). Card printing and supplementary project management will be provided by Datacard Group, a leading identification solution provider with customers in more than 120 countries. Datacard's ID Works platform will be used to produce the cards.