- Partnership Will Yield Mobile Multi-Biometric System -
HAMILTON, Va., and SAN DIEGO, May 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Catcher Holdings, Inc., (OTC:CTHH) (BULLETIN BOARD: CTHH) , the developer of CATCHER(TM), a portable, ruggedized, wireless, hand-held computer and communications control device built to military specifications for ruggedness, and ImageWare(R) Systems, Inc. (AMEX:IW), a leading developer and provider of identity management solutions, today announced that they have entered into a strategic VAR agreement.
Under terms of the agreement, ImageWare's Identity Management products and solutions will be integrated into the CATCHER ruggedized mobile platform. Federal, state and local government, public safety and law enforcement organizations as well as international government agencies will have the ability to deploy comprehensive multi-biometric, identification and investigative solutions that are mobile and have biometric searching and verification capabilities. ImageWare's flagship products, including its IWS(TM) Law Enforcement Booking and Investigation, IWS(TM) Biometric Engine(TM) MobileAcquistion, ePassport and Image Quality Assessment and Enhancement applications are expected to be available on the CATCHER platform in June 2006.
CATCHER is a portable, ruggedized, wireless, hand-held computer and communications control device built to military specifications for ruggedness. The CATCHER product utilizes proprietary software and offers mission-critical, real-time wireless data and communications through an integrated platform incorporating voice, video, data, GPS and biometric capabilities, including fingerprint and face. ImageWare's identity management offerings include its award-winning Biometric Engine and Law Enforcement product suites, enabling users to streamline investigative procedures and biometrically search and match populations of unlimited sizes for identity confirmation.
Charles Sander, President and Chief Executive Officer of Catcher said, "We are pleased to partner with ImageWare Systems in bringing the CATCHER to its client base. With its many mission-critical capabilities, we believe the CATCHER can become an integral part of ImageWare's advanced technological solutions." Jim Miller, Chairman and Chief Executive Office of ImageWare said, "As part of our strategy, ImageWare is focused on bringing advanced mobile multi-biometric identity management technology solutions to our customers. We believe the CATCHER and its impressive capabilities will complement the flexibility and scalability of the Biometric Engine and Law Enforcement products as well as offer an all-in-one product that can be customized to our customers' particular needs and specifications." ImageWare's IWS Law Enforcement is a complete digital booking, identification and investigative solution, enabling officers to capture, store and search booking data and images including mug shots, fingerprints, and scars, marks and tattoos (SMTs). IWS Law Enforcement solution also employs facial recognition technology to take an image or digital composite and search mug shot databases for potential matches based on similarities in facial characteristics and also integrates seamlessly with existing FBI, DMV, RMS, JMS, AFIS or other systems to capture live, scanned or imported images, as well as arrest and demographic data.
The IWS Biometric Engine's multi-biometric enrollment, management and authentication platform allows users to biometrically search and match populations of unlimited sizes for identity confirmation. Searches can be 1:1 (Verification), 1:N (Identification), X:N (Investigative) and N:N (Population Management). IWS Biometric Engine is technology agnostic, enabling users to employ biometric devices and algorithms from virtually any vendor, as well as support the combination of the following biometric types, including: single fingerprint, Livescan fingerprint, 2D face, 3D face, iris, palmscan, finger vein, palm vein, hand geometry, palm, DNA, signature, voice, and retina. The IWS Biometric Engine currently supports 93 devices and methods of biometric acquisition and 65 biometric algorithms.
Mr. Sander concluded, "We have made a lot of progress with the CATCHER over the past year, and we are extremely proud of our team that has been able to bring it to market in such a timely fashion. We believe that the CATCHER can play an integral role in the advanced communications needs of many different markets, including first responders, security, the military and DOD, as well as healthcare and insurance. We are proud to partner with ImageWare to help bring CATCHER to the end user and help build awareness of the product and its many capabilities." Photographs and detailed descriptions of the new CATCHER device are available on the Company's website at http://www.catcherinc.com/. For more information on ImageWare's identity management solutions, please visit http://www.iwsinc.com/.
About Catcher Holdings, Inc.
Catcher Holdings, Inc.'s wholly-owned subsidiary, Catcher, Inc., has developed a portable, ruggedized, wireless, hand-held command control device built to military specifications. Utilizing proprietary software, CATCHER(TM) product offers mission critical personnel essential real-time wireless data and communications through an integrated platform incorporating voice, video, data, GPS and biometric capabilities.
About ImageWare Systems, Inc.
ImageWare Systems, Inc. (AMEX:IW) is a leading developer and provider of identity management solutions, providing biometric, secure credential, law enforcement and digital imaging technologies. Scalable for worldwide deployment, the Company's biometric product line includes a multi-biometric engine that is hardware and algorithm independent, enabling the enrollment and management of unlimited population sizes. ImageWare's identification products are used to manage and issue secure credentials including national IDs, passports, driver licenses, smart cards and access control credentials. ImageWare's digital booking products provide law enforcement with integrated mug shot, fingerprint Livescan and investigative capabilities. The Company also provides comprehensive digital workflow solutions for the professional photography industry. ImageWare is headquartered in San Diego, with offices in Washington DC and Canada. For more information visit http://www.iwsinc.com/.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve known and unknown risks, delays, and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to differ materially from those results, performance or other expectations expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the applicable statements include, but are not limited to: the Company's ability to successfully complete development of the Catcher(TM) product, the Company's ability to commercialize the Catcher(TM) product, the Company's ability to generate product sales and operating profits, potential vulnerability of technology obsolescence, potential competitive products by better capitalized companies, potential difficulty in managing growth, dependence on key personnel, and other risks which are discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
CATCHER HOLDINGS, INC. Charles Sander, President & CEO
540-882-3087 Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc. Cheryl Schneider, Vice President - Investor Relations
Jeff Myhre, VP - Editorial
212-564-4700 ImageWare Systems, Inc. Joyce Watts, Corporate Communications
858-673-8600, ext 133
DATASOURCE: Catcher Holdings, Inc.
CONTACT: Cheryl Schneider, Vice President - Investor Relations, or Jeff Myhre, VP - Editorial, both of Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc., +1-212-564-4700, or fax, +1-212-244-3075, for Catcher Holdings, Inc.; or Charles Sander, President & CEO of Catcher Holdings, Inc., +1-540-882-3087; or Joyce Watts, Corporate Communications of ImageWare Systems, Inc., +1-858-673-8600, ext. 133 Web site: http://www.iwsinc.com/ Web site: http://www.catcherinc.com/
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