Sun Microsystems and Aware, a provider of biometrics software, announced the integration of Aware's Biometric Services Platform (BioSP) with Sun identity management solutions. The integration of BioSP with Sun Java System Identity Manager introduces a next-generation biometrics-enabled identity management solution with comprehensive biometric capabilities for delivering Personal Identity Verification (PIV) and other mission-critical biometric identity assurance solutions. The integration of BioSP with Sun Java System Access Manager enables fingerprint-based biometric authentication for establishing single sign-on (SSO) and identity federation. BioSP leverages over fifteen years of technical leadership in the biometrics industry towards a complete biometric solution that addresses the ever-advancing demands of the identity assurance marketplace.

"Bridging the gap between physical and logical access is one of the biggest challenges facing our U.S. and Global Government customers. They will benefit from the integration of leading Identity Lifecycle Management applications that are in compliance with HSPD-12/PIV and ICAO standards," said Bill Vass, President and Chief Operations Officer, Sun Microsystems Federal, Inc. "Combined with Sun's strength in identity-based security and management, Aware's BioSP helps Sun with biometric enrollment and enabling biometric credentials for smartcard issuance and multi-factor authentication."

"The completion of this project caps off a substantial effort by technical staff of both companies to deliver and deploy an identity management solution with comprehensive biometric capabilities," commented Robert Mungovan, Vice President of Aware's Biometrics and Imaging Group. "Its modular, service-oriented design makes it uniquely flexible and easy to deploy for both government and private sector credentialing and identity assurance applications."

Together with Aware's biometric enrollment software components on a client, BioSP enables Sun Identity Management Suite with advanced biometric functionality, including:

    -- fingerprint, face, and iris autocapture and enrollment

    -- standards-compliant formatting and parsing of interoperable biometric

    data structures

    -- secure transport and archival of biometric images, templates, and

    metadata

    -- biometric authentication for enterprise and Web-based applications

    -- connectivity with FBI IAFIS and OPM for fingerprint-based background

    checks

    -- connectivity with card management systems and certificate authorities