L-1 to speed New York job, licensing applications

L-1 Identity Solutions Inc. will provide New York state with technology and facilities to process job applications and license requests under a five-year contract estimated to be worth $250 million.

L-1's Enrollment Services Division will provide the services through the state's Division of Criminal Justice Services. As a result, New York state residents will have more than 75 new facilities for fingerprinting, background checks and processing of other data required on applications for certain jobs and state licenses.

The company initially expects to process more than 200,000 applicants annually, but that figure could increase to more than 500,000 if other state agencies and employers use the network, company officials said. More than 6 million people nationally have been fingerprinted through L-1 enrollment services.

The state-of-the-art live scan equipment captures fingerprints without the use of ink and submits them electronically. As a result, agencies and organizations receive reports on criminal histories in days, so they can make licensing and hiring decisions faster and more accurately.

Most network processing traffic in New York is expected to come from the Office of Children and Family Services, Department of Health, Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of State, L-1 officials said.

The Stamford, Conn., identity management company already has a strong enrollment services presence in California, Texas, Florida and Illinois, said Robert LaPenta, chairman, president and chief executive officer of L-1 Identity Solutions.

The contract, which is in the process of being finalized, is expected to include two additional one-year renewals, for a duration of seven years.