LONDON - 14 November 2013 - Based on its recent research on the face biometrics market, Frost & Sullivan presents Cognitec Systems GmbH with the 2013 European Frost & Sullivan Award for Customer Value Leadership. Cognitec's blinkers-on focus on face biometrics earned the company strong domain expertise, which has allowed it to develop its flagship face recognition technology, FaceVACS-VideoScan.

FaceVACS-VideoScan analyses live video streams or video footage for information based on facial data. This face recognition data can be a great help in operations management and marketing departments, as well as security applications.

"In operations, the solution can be used to track real-time people movement, detect lines, and direct traffic flows to ease bottlenecks. In marketing, it can be used to generate highly accurate people counts in a retail store, as the advanced face recognition technology ensures that a face is not counted twice," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Ram Ravi. "The FaceVACS-VideoScan system can also be used to generate useful statistical data such as age, gender, and other demographic information." Additionally, it can be used in airports and train stations to manage people flow and prevent overcrowding.

The solution can correlate live images with the ones stored in photo databases. This is highly useful in security applications, as the solution can alert security staff when people of interest are automatically identified.

Along with the FaceVACS-VideoScan system, Cognitec offers the FaceVACS-PortraitAcquisition and FaceVACS-DBScan solutions. FaceVACS PortraitAcquisition aids the assessment and acquisition of digital images for ID documents, such as drivers' licenses, passports, and visas. It allows the user to capture images for ID documents in compliance with the ISO 19794-5 standards for full-frontal images. The solution's easy-to-use graphical user interface enables users to both review and manage portrait characteristics, such as lighting, skin colour, hot spots, and sharpness, to ensure that all the image requirements are met.

After the acquisition of the biometric image, FaceVACS-DBScan can support the ID issuance procedure by detecting duplicate entries in photo databases—an extremely important tool for government agencies issuing ID documents.

"Cognitec's FaceVACS-DBScan can also be used for face recognition applications in law enforcement, as its ability to accurately scan databases with millions of images in seconds allows it to compare facial images and identify a person, irrespective of age, hairstyle, and facial hair," noted Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Nandini Ghosh.

FaceVACS-DBScan enhances the quality of the original image to simplify comparisons. It uses a pose normalization filter that leverages 3D technology to create frontal views that better match the database images. Besides, FaceVACS-DBScan incorporates various filters that can compensate for quality issues common in images collected from mobile phones or video footage.

Cognitec is preparing the release of pioneering face recognition technology, both hardware and software, for border control solutions. A central component of the eGates, FaceVACS-Entry automatically captures a portrait image of the passenger entering the gate. The technology instantly compares the image to the passport photo in order to verify the identity of the passenger. Cognitec has optimized the system to ensure efficiency and ease of use for the passenger while capturing best-quality images that guarantee high verification accuracy, thus fully complying with guidelines published by the European Border Police (Frontex).

In addition to its focus on innovation and technology, Cognitec offers unmatched value through its efficient customer support services. Engineers working from the company's offices in Germany, the United States and Australia support customers and partners around the clock.

Cognitec also offers a software development kit, the FaceVACS-SDK, which helps customers design new face recognition applications in line with their specific needs. The company recently introduced a software development kit for Android devices, which is extremely useful to the police and the military, as they need to identify suspects anywhere, anytime. Through this application, Cognitec facilitates the migration of face recognition technologies from computers to mobile phones, which can prove highly advantageous in future.

"Cognitec's superior capabilities in facial biometrics have allowed it to emerge as the vendor of choice for large governmental and security agencies across the globe," noted Ravi. "The company's solutions also hold significant potential in newer applications such as the banking and retail sectors."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to a company that has demonstrated excellence in implementing strategies that proactively create value for its customers with a focus on improving the return on the investment that customers make in its services or products. The award recognizes the company's inordinate focus on enhancing the value that its customers receive, beyond simply good customer service, leading to improved customer retention and ultimately customer base expansion.

Frost & Sullivan's Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

source:Frost & Sullivan