wireless exits possible for U.S. visitors

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 14:47:44 -0800
From: Jim Warren <jwarren () well com>
Subject: fwd: [E-GOV:518] wireless exits possible for U.S. visitors
X-Sender: jwarren () mail well com
To: "Dave Farber: ;Declan McCullagh" <declan () well com>

At 4:49 PM -0500 2/19/04, "Patrice  McDermott" <pmcdermott () alawash org> 
posted to E-GOV:

> http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/25001-1.html
>
> Wireless exits possible for U.S. Visit
> 02/19/04
> By Wilson P. Dizard III,
> GCN Staff
> The Homeland Security Department is considering wireless technology for
> the exit phase of the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator
> Technology program, a senior DHS official said today.
>
> "We are looking at a wireless device to run the watch list" at exit
> points, said Shonnie Lyons, Increment One manager for U.S. Visit. He
> spoke at a lunch meeting sponsored by the Association for Federal
> Information Resources Management.
>
> DHS already is operating two exit kiosk pilots, one at
> Baltimore-Washington International Airport and the other at a cruise
> line port in Miami.
>
> "One of the issues, we know, is that people won't stop by" to use
> the kiosk, Lyons said. For example, some travelers leaving the country
> wouldn't understand signs directing them to the exit kiosk.
>
> "We are looking to a mobile device to be used at the [airport] gate
> or security" checkpoint, Lyons said. "Once we select the preferred
> option, we will deploy it in the December [2004] to January time frame
> over a period of four to six months."
>
> Unisys Corp. now operates the exit kiosk pilots under its contract with
> the Transportation Security Administration, but responsibility might
> shift to the integrator chosen this summer for U.S. Visit, officials
> said.
>
> Other officials at the AFFIRM meeting said U.S. Visit is identifying
> about three travelers on watch lists each day at airports and sea ports
> nationwide. In contrast, during a pilot at John F. Kennedy International
> Airport in New York last year, the system tagged about 10 travelers
> daily. James Jeffers, project manager for the U.S. Visit Coordination
> Desk, said officials believe the bad guys have gotten the word that U.S.
> Visit will catch them.
>
> "We are trying to convince our oversight bodies that the reduction in
> hits is not a systems problem," U.S. Visit CIO Scott Hastings said.
>
>
>
> © 1996-2004 Post-Newsweek Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.



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