ImageWare Systems Biometric Engine Named Envisioneering Innovation and Design Award Winner Announced for ShowStoppers@Mobile World Congress 2014 - Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ShowStoppers @ MWC 2014 -- ImageWare Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: IWSY) (IWS), a leader in mobile and cloud-based, Multi-modal biometric identity management solutions, has today announced that it has been selected as an Innovation and Design Award Winner, 2014 for its Biometric Engine® (BE) a patented, real-time, high performance, Cloud enabled Multi-modal biometric database.  Visit ImageWare at Booth at MWC 7K08 Hall 7, mobile payment pavilion.

After three weeks of careful deliberation by five judges in North America and Europe, industry research firm Envisioneering recognized eleven companies for thirteen innovations which break new ground in technologies for improving work, home and play.  Envisioneering judges selected the winners of the Innovation & Design Awards from more than 30 companies who launched new products during ShowStoppers, the product showcase event for journalists at GSMA's Mobile World Congress, Barcelona.

The winners spanned from clever, efficient protocols which link the Internet of Things, to iOS and Android app toolkits to personal protection and peace of mind monitors for family members to biometric and eye control and log-in tools and products.

"The companies represented among this year's winners are stepping up their tempo and pace of innovation," said Richard Doherty, Envisioneering's Research Director and lead Judge. "With a keen focus on mobile products, services and lifestyle, they weave together original ideas in hardware, software, services and versatility to benefit the life of the consumer."

"In 2013, the United States alone saw more than 12 million identity fraud victims at a dollar cost of $24 billion, with the average financial loss per identity theft totaling $4,930.  Goode Intelligence predicts that by the end of 2015 there will be 619 million people using biometrics on their mobile device," said, Jim Miller, CEO of ImageWare Systems.  "We are honored to be recognized for our innovation in the next generation of identity management.  Legacy technologies are failing to protect business and consumer.  Cost effective, flexible, cloud based Multi-modal biometrics can authenticate and verify personal identity based human characteristics and cannot be replicated.  We are delivering new models that support the huge growth in mobile and desktop transaction, business and health services."     

Award candidates were judged for innovation, design and style in 26 categories of social benefit ranging from personal entertainment delivery technologies to health and wellness, peace of mind for loved ones and clever biometric voice and eye control of devices with ID.

Jim Miller, concluded: "Gartner's estimate of 30% enterprise adoption for biometrics as the authentication standard by 2016 presents a huge opportunity for ImageWare in the projected $400 billion dollar market place estimated for mobile payments by 2015."

About Envisioneering:

News media around the globe have deemed Envisioneering to be their most trustworthy resource for perspective and insight to major societal trends along with the technologies, people and public policies who benefit from advanced digital technologies, services and products. It is a hard-won, decades-old honor and distinction we appreciate – and we do not take it lightly. Beyond our core lab testing, publishing and social research business units, Envisioneering has a commitment to ensuring broad access of information to - and encouraging dialogues between - members of the creative community, distributors, financiers, educators, students, policy makers, standards' communities, news media and the general public.

About ShowStoppers

Now in its 20th year, ShowStoppers is the global leader in producing press and business events spanning the US, Europe and Asia. Each event organizes product introductions, sneak previews and demonstrations for selected journalists, bloggers, industry and financial analysts, venture capitalists and business executives. Industry leaders, innovators and startups exhibit to help generate news coverage and product reviews, make new connections, promote brand, and open new markets. ShowStoppers produces events at CES, CTIA and Mobile World Congress, among others, and the official press events at IFA, GITEX, NAB and Sandbox Summit; and partners with the CEA LineShow

About ImageWare Systems, Inc.
ImageWare Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: IWSY) is a leading developer of mobile and cloud-based identity management solutions, providing biometric, secure credential and law enforcement technologies. Scalable for worldwide deployment, ImageWare's biometric product line includes a multi-biometric engine that is hardware and algorithm independent, enabling the enrollment and management of unlimited population sizes. ImageWare's identification products are used to manage and issue secure credentials, including national IDs, passports, driver's licenses, smart cards and access control credentials. ImageWare's digital booking products provide law enforcement with integrated mug shot, fingerprint livescan and investigative capabilities. ImageWare is headquartered in San Diego, CA, with offices in Portland, OR, Washington, D.C., and Ottawa, Ontario. For more information on ImageWare Systems, Inc., visit www.iwsinc.com.

Follow IWS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/IWSINC 
Follow IWS on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/imageware-systems-inc.  
Like IWS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ImageWare-Systems-Inc/536493893061048 
Subscribe to IWS' YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjcTr2UMoDRfODCVBD3Ng3A 
For regular news updates, bookmark IWS' newsroom: http://www.iwsinc.com/about-iws/news-and-events-weblink/press-releases/

Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure
This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. In this context, forward looking statements may address the Company's expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "seeks," "will" and other terms with similar meaning. These forward-looking statements address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Although the Company believes that the assumptions upon which its forward looking statements are based are reasonable, it can provide no assurances that these assumptions will prove to be correct. All forward-looking statements in this press release are expressly qualified by such cautionary statements, risk, and uncertainties, and by reference to the underlying assumptions.

SOURCE ImageWare Systems, Inc.