DHS looks to consolidate aging biometric examination tools The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is exploring the acquisition of a multimodal examination platform that would allow government biometric specialists to review fingerprints, facial images, irises, and latent prints from within a single integrated environment. A Request for Information (RFI) issued by DHS’s Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM) seeks details from technology companies about available software, integration approaches, and costs. The notice is for market research and does not constitute a solicitation or commit the government to making a purchase. OBIM operates the department’s central biometric identification services, providing identity information to federal, state, and local government personnel who need to determine who they have encountered and whether the person may pose a security or public safety risk. Although much of the initial matching process is automated, human examiners remain necessary when biometric searches produce uncertain results, when records contain errors, or when candidate lists require expert adjudication. OBIM describes its Biometric Support Center as the largest biometric examiner operation in the U.S. government and says it supports mission critical services around the clock. The center, however, continues to rely on several separate and increasingly outdated examination systems. One internally developed tool is more than 20 years old and supports only ten-print fingerprint work, according to the RFI. DHS now wants to determine whether commercial technology can consolidate those functions without tying OBIM to a particular biometric matching vendor. The contemplated platform would support fingerprints, facial recognition, iris recognition, and latent-print examination, and needs to be able to operate in a high-volume environment where examiners may be required to review biometric results in real time, while also integrating with OBIM’s existing biometric system and complying with DHS security requirements. The examination platform would not itself collect biometrics from travelers, immigration