BIO-key Awarded Biometric Order from Massachusetts Police Department

Biometric solution increases security and convenience

Wall, N.J. – Jan 13, 2005 - BIO-key International, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BKYI), the leader in finger-based biometric identification and wireless public safety solutions, for police and fire has received an order from the Blackstone Police Department, MA to secure their network computers with a biometric based logon solution. Blackstone PD, an existing BIO-key customer, deployed BIO-key’s PacketCluster system to fulfill their mobile data requirements more than four years ago. 

“The Blackstone PD award represents the first validation of our strategy and the fertile opportunities we have to add biometric security and convenience to our large acquired public safety customer base”, said Mike DePasquale, BIO-key’s CEO

The BIO-key Single Sign On (SSO) solution provides secure “True User Identification” - meaning the system verifies who the user actually is with a single scan of their finger. No password or PIN is required to be entered. This is a critical requirement for Blackstone PD, since their departmental computers are shared by multiple officers, allowing access to state and regional criminal justice databases plus other sensitive information.  With the BIO-key solution, officers will no longer need to remember passwords. With a single enrollment of their fingerprint, officers can log onto any supported computers by simply placing their finger on the reader, providing enhanced security and eliminating the need to constantly remember and reset passwords.

“We live in a time of enhanced security awareness; it is critical that police departments, take full advantage of the emerging technologies available” says Chief Atstupenas,  “it’s one way we can continue to maintain public safety and information security.” Blackstone PD is also considering upgrading their PacketCluster software on the laptop computers in the cruisers to include this biometric security capability. 

Blackstone PD will immediately recognize improvements in security and user convenience while reducing the administration overhead associated with maintaining a password based system. This will also yield increased computer utilization. 

Depasquale went on to say, “We are pleased to be working with Chief Atstupenus and Blackstone PD. We applaud their vision and leadership. There is a clear, compelling demand for secure access to critical information and we have a full and complete solution that can be extended to BIO-key’s 2500+ customers currently using our public safety products. The coupling of these two technologies, mobile and wireless access and biometrics provides a unique solution to our customer base as well as to the entire public safety market. We believe integrating BIO-key’s advanced biometric solutions across our public safety platforms provides us with a unique competitive advantage and will dramatically enhance the way information is secured in public safety agencies across the globe”.

About BIO-key

BIO-key develops and delivers advanced identification solutions and information services to law enforcement departments, public safety agencies, government and private sector customers.  BIO-key's mobile wireless technology provides first responders with critical, reliable, real-time data and images from local, state and national databases.  BIO-key's high-performance, scalable, cost-effective and easy-to-deploy biometric finger identification technology accurately identifies and authenticates users of wireless and enterprise data to improve security, convenience and privacy and to reduce identity theft.  Over 2,500 police, fire and emergency services departments in North America use BIO-key solutions, making BIO-key the leading supplier of mobile and wireless solutions for public safety worldwide.  (http://www.bio-key.com)

BIO-key Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected on the basis of these statements.  The words "estimate," "project," "intends," "expects," "believes" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.  Such forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management pursuant to the "safe-harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  For a more complete description of these and other risk factors that may affect the future performance of BIO-key International, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-KSB and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made.  The Company also undertakes no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

For more information contact:

Julie Garand

508-460-4036

julie.garand@bio-key.com