TRANSPORTATION SECURITY FORUM

Unparalleled quality of industry leaders meet to discuss hub security, border control and ticketing, as well as passenger and cargo security at Wise Media’s second forum in the 2009 calendar of ID WORLD events. International representation from governments and transport operators convene to share experience for a truly global conference.

Milan, June 1, 2009 – Wise Media’s fourth Transportation Security Forum opened its doors in Paris on May 28, with the endorsement of the European Commission, to welcome an array of world-class speakers, panelists and delegates focusing on how to increase security, while facilitating the circulation of people and goods around the world.

A highly successful event

The 186 attendees (13 percent up on the last event held in Amsterdam) and key players involved in the creation and operation of secure trade lanes and passenger routes, included central government representatives, border control and law enforcement authorities, as well as transportation administrators.

The truly global nature and focus of the event was illustrated by representation and participation from government delegates from Europe, America, Middle East and Asia including the European Commission, the UK Border Agency, US Customs and Border Protection and Department of State, the Dutch Immigration Service, the French Ministry of Immigration, the Austrian Ministry of the Interior as well as the German Ministry of the Interior.

In addition, the forum drew participation from a cross-section of representatives from international airports from Europe and the Middle East and a significant number of airlines such as Air France, Alitalia, American Airlines, Continental Airlines and Iberia Airlines, as well as Belgian, Dutch, French and Italian rail operators and port authorities. This was complemented by discussion and presentations from key people in the transportation, hub and cargo security vendor community to provide an over-arching view of the industry from every perspective.

In essence, all combined to provide a detailed picture of the status of regulations and legislation, as well as best practices for hub security on a global scale. The event also highlighted state-of-the-art technologies available today to improve the performance of front-end and back-end processes in airports, railway stations and seaports.

“We are delighted that with the two days of intense debate and information sharing of issues in the transportation industry, the Transportation Security Forum once again established itself as the platform of choice for experts from this community,” says Sophie de la Giroday, President of Wise Media.

“Much of the focus was about the customers, service provision and who would provide and pay for these services. Needs for more enhanced infrastructures and border security were weighed against the issues surrounding e-ID and privacy, while critical situations such as illegal immigration and its high risks to those migrating were discussed.”

Technologies including developments in biometrics and the issues surrounding border exit were compared to the strict controls surrounding entry and were further linked to more generic safety and environmental issues as well as the securing of cargoes, the transportation of goods and the protection and efficient management of fleets on sea and land including the trucking industry.

Hosting the second NFC Academy Conference

On the second day of the Transportation Security Forum, Wise Media’s NFC Academy met for the second time this year to explore and discuss successful deployments and profitable and sustainable business models for near field communications. Debate was brisk throughout the event with a strong emphasis on mobile ticketing, fare collection and next generation technologies and standards in NFC particularly in the world of transportation.

The NFC Academy is a year long initiative that went live in 2009 with a series of events featuring both a conference and a technology village. Its inaugural meeting was held in Abu Dhabi in February and was held as the first dedicated event ever in the Middle East under the patronage of the Minister of the Interior of the UAE, H.H. Major General Sheik Saif bin Al Nahyan, with the second, held in Paris alongside the Transportation Security Forum. For further information, please visit www.nfcacademy.com

The discussions continue at ID WORLD 2009

Both the Transportation Security Forum and the NFC Academy Conference will now take their message forward and continue their valuable discussions at their cardinal 2009 events at the ID WORLD International Congress, the eighth annual summit on automatic identification, in Milan on November 3-5, 2009 (www.idworldonline.com).

About Transportation Security Forum

The Transportation Security Forum is a global symposium focusing on how to increase security while facilitating the circulation of people and goods. The Transportation Security Forum is endorsed by the European Commission and takes place twice in 2009. The first opportunity was held in Paris on May 28-29 with a two-day gathering of the key players involved in the creation and operation of secure trade lanes and passenger routes; the second appointment, as part of the program of the eighth ID WORLD International Congress, the annual thought leadership symposium on auto identification taking place in Milan on November 3-5, will focus on how to secure the hubs of the global transportation network: airports, seaports, railroad stations and subway stations.
For further information visit: www.transportation-security-forum.com

About NFC Academy

The NFC Academy is a high-end technology congress focusing on the topic of Near Field Communication (NFC) and its applications. Its mission is to bring together researchers, pioneer developers and advanced practitioners in the areas of mobile applications, short-range communication and contactless security to educate the market and foster the adoption of NFC technology. The 2009 calendar of the NFC Academy conferences is: Abu Dhabi on February 16 at the Beach Rotana Hotel, Paris on May 29 at the Hyatt Regency Paris-Charles de Gaulle, and Milan on November 4-5 at the Milanofiori Congress Center. The aim of this series of appointments is to provide an opportunity for high-caliber networking and sharing of top-level knowledge on state-of-the-art NFC technology deployments in advanced contactless applications such as access control, ticketing and mobile payments – both at a conference level and with live demonstrations of the technology.
For further information visit: www.nfcacademy.com

About ID WORLD International Congress

The ID WORLD International Congress, organized by Wise Media, is the annual world summit on automatic identification. It is the most comprehensive showcase of RFID, biometrics and smart card technologies, and is the only international forum that looks at the auto ID industry as a whole, rather than focusing on a specific technology or vertical sector. ID WORLD 2009 will also host the Transportation Security Forum, the Citizens Identity Forum and the Asset Tracking Forum. The eighth ID WORLD International Congress will take place in Milan at the Milanofiori Congress Center on November 3-5, 2009, and explore the fundamental issues associated with automatic identification in a variety of market segments via three cornerstone initiatives: the Conference, the Exhibition and the Exchange.
For further information visit: www.idworldonline.com