Accenture [ACN] yesterday said that the Department of Homeland Security has notified the company that it will exercise the first option year of a three-year old contract aimed at tracking the arrivals of foreign visitors to the United States.
The potential multi-billion dollar United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) contract was awarded to Accenture in May 2004 (Defense Daily, June 2, 2004). The contract has a five-year base period, which runs into May 2009, and the potential for five one-year options.
The first option year will run through May 2010. The value of the first option year has yet to be negotiated.
“The US-VISIT program will evolve over time with increasingly robust biometric technologies and interoperability with other countries’ systems,” Jerry Briggs, managing director of Accenture’s U.S. Federal practice, said in a statement.
Originally the US-VISIT program acquired two fingerprints from foreigners who applied for Visas to enter the U.S. Upon arrival in the country an individual’s fingerprints are checked against the US-VISIT database. The program is currently expanding to 10 fingerprints, which is expected to be accomplished this year.
Eventually DHS plans to develop an capability to check peoples’ fingerprints when the leave the country so assure Visa compliance.