Press Release

 

November 3, 2005
CLEAR CEO Steven Brill Says Team Poised to Launch "Clear" Registered Traveler at "30-40" Major Airports. Cites TSA Willingness to Extend Program, Add Benefits; Metrics Report From Orlando Launch Shows High Customer Satisfaction and Fast Throughput.

 

In a hearing today on "The Future of TSA's Registered Traveler Program" before the House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection and Cybersecurity, Steven Brill, CEO of Verified Identity Pass, testified that the company is poised to launch registered traveler programs at "30-40" major airports. Verified Identity Pass, Inc. is the company that operates Clear™ the private sector Registered Traveler program at the Orlando International Airport, the first of its kind and now the only existing Registered Traveler program in the country.

 

Mr. Brill testified registered traveler programs should not be funded by the government or taxpayers. He remarked, "it is hard to imagine that the government could offer the efficiency, customer service, incentives for continual innovation, and privacy protections that a robustly-competitive private sector industry could provide." Clear™, in compliance with its stringent privacy controls does not track its members movements while "one government program would mean that one data base could track people's movements."

 

Brill explained Clear's capability for expansion of the program moving forward. "I can tell you that if TSA mapped a clear blue print for benefits to RT members and then allowed airports or airlines (where airlines control their own terminals) to present proposed programs for approval, we and our competitors would likely be rolled out at 30 or 40 of the 50 largest airports within six months. We and our partner and general contractor, Lockheed Martin, have already begun assembling teams to do that in anticipation of a go-ahead from TSA. I assume our competitors have, too."

 

According to an elaborate metrics report that Verified Identity Pass, Inc. prepared for TSA's evaluation of the registered traveler program, it typically takes an applicant about 15 minutes to complete online enrollment, which happens at home or in an office on their personal computer. It then takes them only eight minutes to complete in-person enrollment at an enrollment station where their fingerprint and iris image are captured. Members typically spent "four seconds and never spend more that three minutes waiting to go through security, whereas nonmembers often spend more than thirty minutes." The metrics report showed that customers are highly satisfied. As part of Clear's customer service program "every member who goes through Clear security kiosks is given a self-addressed feedback post card." The committee received copies of every one of the hundreds of post cards received (the names were blacked out to preserve privacy). The feedback demonstrates a very high level of satisfaction and the major complaint is that the program is not in more airports.

 

Mr. Brill praised TSA's willingness to move forward with registered traveler and to provide more benefits to members. "TSA has said in recent weeks in various forums that they are considering amending the Standard Operating Procedure at RT lanes, for example, to allow for members not to have to remove shoes or laptops or take off their suit jackets."

 

He emphasized Verified ID's commitment to interoperability, which means that "if someone with a card sold by a competitor of ours who operates a TSA-sanctioned program in, say, Chicago, shows up at Orlando airport, we have to work with that competitor to figure out a way to recognize that card." Steve Brill remarked, "Interoperability is not only logical and doable but is also a lynchpin of what the most important feature of this new industry ought to be: competition."

Click here to view the complete written testimony.

 

About Verified Identity Pass and Clear
Verified Identity Pass, Inc. was founded in 2003 by journalist and entrepreneur Steven Brill. Clear is the first privately run Registered Traveler program operating at a U.S. Airport. Brill's partners in VERIFIED ID include Lockheed Martin and ARINC.

 

Clear has been operational since July 19, 2005 at Orlando International Airport. Open to all travelers at a fee of $79.95 per year, enrollees begin an application online at flyclear.com and then submit biometric data (fingerprint and iris images) at the ClearSpace enrollment stations in the airport. Once approved by TSA, Members use the specially designated ClearLanes upon arrival at the airport's security checkpoints for expedited passage.