Aware Introduces Astra™ Cluster Computing Platform for Scalable Biometrics and Identity Analytics

BEDFORD, Mass., March 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Aware, Inc. (NASDAQ: AWRE), a leading global provider of biometrics software and services, today introduced a scalable cluster computing platform named Astra™. Astra is highly optimized for performing large-scale identity-related security tasks, including biometric search and deduplication, biometric authentication, and identity analytics. Astra distributes comparison operations and data across multiple computing nodes, enabling rapid search of very large biometric databases and execution of high volumes of biometric authentications. Astra can also be used to perform advanced text-based search and analytics on large stores of identity data. Astra utilizes broadly-used open source platforms that help ensure its reliability and ongoing improvement. It is fault-tolerant, and includes a rich browser-based dashboard for system monitoring and alerts. Astra is designed to be algorithm-independent, but also works seamlessly with other Aware products, including Nexa™ fingerprint, face, or iris biometric search and match SDKs, Inquire™ text search and analytics SDKs, and Biometric Services Platform (BioSP™).

"Astra's algorithm independence extends Aware's modular software design approach to large-scale computing tasks within the biometrics realm and beyond," commented David Benini, VP of Marketing at Aware. "By leveraging open source infrastructure to achieve scalability, we help ensure that the platform is sufficiently reliable and well-supported to withstand the demands of consumer-oriented security applications as they grow."

Aware will provide more information about Astra and other software products in its booth at theconnect:ID exhibition taking place March 24-25 in Washington, DC.

About Aware
Aware is a leading provider of biometrics software products and development services to governments, system integrators, and solution providers globally. Our products include SDKs, software components, workstation applications, and a modular, centralized, service-oriented platform. They fulfill a broad range of functions critical to biometric authentication and search, including face, fingerprint, and iris autocapture, image quality assurance, data compliance, capture hardware peripheral abstraction, centralized data processing and workflow, subsystem connectivity, and biometric matching algorithms. The products are used to enable identity-centric security solutions with biometrics for applications including border management, credentialing and access control, intelligence and defense, and law enforcement. Aware is a publicly held company (Nasdaq: AWRE) based in Bedford, Massachusetts.

See Aware's website for more information about our biometrics software products.

Safe Harbor Warning

Portions of this release contain forward-looking statements regarding future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties, such as estimates or projections of future revenue and earnings, and the growth of the biometrics markets. Aware wishes to caution you that there are factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results indicated by such statements.

Risk factors related to our business include, but are not limited to: i) our operating results may fluctuate significantly and are difficult to predict; ii) we derive a significant portion of our revenue from government customers, and our business may be adversely affected by changes in the contracting or fiscal policies of those governmental entities; iii) a significant commercial market for biometrics technology may not develop, and if it does, we may not be successful in that market; iv) we derive a significant portion of our revenue from third party channel partners; v) hardware revenue is likely to decline in future periods; vi) we face intense competition from other biometrics solution providers; vii) our business is subject to rapid technological change; viii) our software products may have errors, defects or bugs which could harm our business; ix) our business may be adversely affected by our use of open source software; x) our intellectual property is subject to limited protection; xi) we may be sued by third parties for alleged infringement of their proprietary rights; xii) we must attract and retain key personnel; xiii) we rely on single sources of supply for certain components used in our hardware products; xiv) our business may be affected by government regulations and adverse economic conditions; xv) we may make acquisitions that could adversely affect our results, and xvi) we may have additional tax liabilities..