U.S. Federal Border Security Markets

War on Terrorism and Threat of Illegal Immigrants Drive Border Security

Post 9/11, the U.S. Government has raised security levels at its entry points to prevent terrorists from entering the country, making illegal border entry more rampant. In addition, as the influx of illegal immigrants poses serious economic and social concerns, the Government has repeatedly stated its intent to tighten border security and thereby, gain better operation control over the country's borders. However, this is not an easy task as border security initiatives are difficult to implement, expensive, and always carry the risk of political ramifications. Nevertheless, early 2005 saw the Government taking credible steps to implement a truly effective border security regime.

This Frost & Sullivan research service is an analysis of the U.S. Federal border security markets. The research service provides a complete picture of the current market and the way it is expected to evolve. Further, apart from a total market summary, the research service details current and future market opportunities. Recognizing these opportunities is likely to allow companies to identify the border security concept of operations that their products, technologies, and solutions can fill.

ASI Aims to Develop a Comprehensive and Unified System of Electronic Surveillance

In view of the growing security concerns the U.S. Government has undertaken a number of programs to better its police and safeguard its borders. Among them the American Shield Initiative (ASI), formerly known as the Integrated Surveillance Intelligence System (ISIS), is an effort to develop a comprehensive and unified system of electronic surveillance that covers the entire land border. Nationwide, integrated ASI capabilities are likely to provide the border patrol with tactical, command and control situational awareness, as well as an intelligence collection and management system. While $64.2 million has been provided for ASI in the FY 2005 Appropriations Act, these resources are being used to solicit and award a contract for the nationwide integration of legacy ISIS capabilities and to deploy additional systems along the borders.

Among other programs, the US-VISIT program is a major technological undertaking designed to create a biometric computer system that will keep records on all foreigners entering and leaving the country. "US-VISIT will require foreigners entering the United States to have their photos taken, provide travel itineraries, and give their fingerprints," says the analyst of this research service. "This information will then be cross-checked with a host of federal and state agencies to ascertain whether the person trying to enter the country requires further investigation or not."

Information Technology Represents the Single Largest Area of Growth Within Border Security

Information technology represents the single largest area of growth within border security markets. Actionable intelligence is the buzzword around border security and the ASI is expected to create a need for an enormous amount of information to be collected, disseminated, analyzed, and then stored seamlessly within an extremely quick time frame. Detection equipment is the second fastest area of growth after information technology and the President’s FY 2006 budget has requested $125 million for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) detection technology. Also, while the ASI represents a large upcoming market for all types of surveillance equipment, the US-VISIT program represents the single largest program for biometrics in border security, with only a billion having been spent out of an estimated total program cost of over $10 billion.

"Installation of new age technologies on borders and other points of entry have only political upsides and the land-border security markets are strong with promises of good growth," says the analyst. "Overall, the products that are benefiting from increased border security are surveillance equipment, biometrics, information technology, air assets, sensors, and detection equipment."