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succeeding search of the IAFIS database results in a hit because of an arrest in
another state and the issuance of an FBI number. (This presupposes that the
arrest in the other state was for a fingerprintable offense that would be for-
warded to the FBI. Many are not.) Access to other state databases is therefore
quite important. Although the Interstate Identification Index (III) and the
National Fingerprint File (NFF) make many out-of-state identifications possible,
many challenges remain. For most agencies, searching other state databases is
not a seamless process. The introduction of standards and the conversion of
new tenprint records to a standards-compliant format will make such interac-
tions more possible in the future.
Each of the major AFIS vendors has developed its own application software,
and all of the software does not work on a single platform. Many versions of
the application software are not backward-compatible, i.e., a software platform
released in 1998 might not be able to communicate with application software
from the same vendor that was installed in another system in 2001. Coupled
with the differences in application software from different vendors, it becomes
virtually impossible for one AFIS system to directly search a latent print on
another AFIS system, with the exception of access through IAFIS.
This example might help to clarify the situation. Chevrolet manufactures
transmissions for its cars, and Ford manufactures transmissions for its cars.
These transmissions, however, cannot be interchanged. They perform essen-
tially the same function, but are proprietary and unique to the manufacturer.
In addition, the transmissions change over time, so that a 1998 Chevrolet trans-
mission might not work in a 2004 Chevrolet.
Third-party vendors exist in both the automobile and the AFIS industries. In
the automobile industry, the manufacturers of oil filters produce filters that are
customized to each manufacturer. Likewise in the AFIS industry, manufactur-
ers such as those specializing in image capture and transmission produce prod-
ucts that can be used by vendors and customers as part of the original AFIS
system or as a feature subsequent to the installation. For example, livescan
devices can be added to AFIS systems without necessarily installing new AFIS
application software. The third-party application software in the livescan devices
can be coded to interface with the existing AFIS and communicate with IAFIS
through electronic fingerprint transmission specifications (EFTS). The move
to COTS hardware and operating systems software has made a similar impact,
but this is just the beginning.
Of particular importance is the impact this lack of interoperability has had
in latent print identification. Latent print examiners are limited to searching
their local databases with only restricted access to other databases. Because of
the lack of interoperability and political will to make improvements, many
latent print identifications that could be made are not. The record of a burglar,