News release

HP Servers Power Iris Recognition Study

New Jersey School District Is Country's First to Test Eye-screening Technology in School Environment

Powered by industry-standard HP (NYSE:HPQ) ProLiant servers, an iris recognition security program was launched today by Plumsted Township School District in New Egypt, N.J. The Teacher-Parent Authorization Security System (T-PASS) controls access to school campuses through positive identification of teachers and adults authorized to pick up students. The system is funded by a $293,000 school safety grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.

"Concern over school security has prompted many schools to take strict measures to control access to their buildings," said George Warren, director of K-12 line of business, HP Public Sector Organization. "Technology such as iris recognition can play an important role in making sure our children are safe. HP is proud to be a partner in this innovative program."

Iris recognition technology provides personal identification, much like a fingerprint. Using a video camera, a close-up photograph is taken of an individual's iris (the colored part of the human eye). The image is then stored electronically in a computer database and linked to identification information about that individual. If the iris image in the database matches that of the person seeking entry to the school, the school door automatically unlocks. Typically access is allowed or denied in less than two seconds.

The technique is similarly used to link student records with the iris records of parents or guardians giving school personnel a positive identification of individuals picking children up at school.

HP donated one ProLiant ML370 server and the Plumsted Township School District purchased two additional HP servers for the T-PASS project. The server's software has two major components -- a database, which stores records of iris images, and a processing engine, which enrolls records and provides high-speed, real-time exhaustive searches to match the iris code templates.

"HP ProLiant servers are rock solid. We chose HP equipment for this project primarily because of their reliability and durability," said Michael Dean, technology coordinator, Plumsted Township School District. "We've historically been an HP customer, not only because they deliver high-quality, affordable products, but because they are willing to work closely with us to design the right solutions for Plumsted."

The project proposal was put together with the assistance of New Jersey Business Systems, an HP reseller that is overseeing installation of the project. New Jersey Business Systems also designed the T-PASS application based on Iridian Technology's Private ID and KnowWho software. Iridian holds a worldwide patent on iris recognition technology. While the technology is not in its infancy, the T-PASS trial in New Egypt marks the first time it has been used in a public school in the United States.

Participation in the trial is completely voluntary but has received a strong positive response. So far, more than 300 parents and 200 teachers and school staff at the district's three schools have signed up to have their irises scanned. People who choose not to take part in the study have to ring a buzzer and wait to be admitted. Officials have no plans to include students in the study.

The Department of Justice will use the study to gauge the community's perception of using this technology in a school environment, as well as to evaluate its effectiveness to improve school safety.

"In today's security-conscious world, the use of iris recognition technology is an accurate way to control access to school campuses," said Warren. "If this study is successful, schools around the nation can use the experiences of Plumsted Township to help make their schools safer."

About HP

HP is a leading global provider of products, technologies, solutions and services to consumers and businesses. The company's offerings span IT infrastructure, personal computing and access devices, global services and imaging and printing. HP completed its acquisition of Compaq Computer Corporation on May 3, 2002. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.