CSC nets $52m US defence biometrics deal

CSC (Computer Sciences Corporation) has won a $52m contract for the evaluation, testing and support of biometric technology for the US Department of Defense (DoD).

The four-year deal will see CSC provide the West Virginia-based DoD Biometrics Fusion Centre (BFC) with biometric technology as well as application research, testing, product evaluations and technical support around iris and fingerprint scanning and facial recognition.

Chris Steinbach, vice-president of CSC's global security solutions business, said CSC will help the BFC in pushing the acceptance and integration of biometrics into the "greater culture of national defence".

Defence and Homeland Security contracts were one of the key factors behind CSC's revenue growth for the quarter ended 1 October 2004, which increased nine per cent to $3.93bn over the same quarter last year.

Separately, a new survey sponsored by EDS out today claims biometrics technology is gaining more widespread public support, with over two-thirds of US consumers open to the idea of using biometrics for identity management.