AMREL has received FBI certification for its XP7-ID handheld biometric scanner, the company has announced.

The device was assessed using the FBI’s Next Generation Identification (NGI) System Image Quality Specifications, and was deemed to be compliant. In addition to validating the quality of the XP7-ID’s technology generally, the certification may also open the device up to new government-affiliated clients. In a statement, AMREL VP Richard Lane called it “an important milestone not just for us, but for the security and law enforcement community,” referring to the major markets to which the device can now be better targeted.

The certification was helped along by the device’s use of Integrated Biometrics’ Sherlock fingerprint sensor, itself an FBI certified device that was developed primarily for law enforcement applications. The Sherlock sensor has also previously been integrated into AMREL’s Flexpedient AT80B Rugged Tablet.

Rugged devices are AMREL’s speciality, and as such its XP7-ID device, an Android-based mobile device compatible with major US networks, could prove appealing to the law enforcement community. Commenting in AMREL’s statement, retired California Highway Patrol Assistant Chief Bill Leist said the device’s “exceptional ruggedness will ensure it will not break down at critical times.”