Lakota Software Solutions, already powering FBI and DoD biometric systems with its Ani SDK, is expanding globally by solidifying its role in developing biometric enrollment and identification systems.
Headquartered in Fairmont, West Virginia, Lakota Software Solutions has carved out a crucial niche in the biometric technology ecosystem, quietly delivering the software that ensures biometric transactions meet complex and varied government standards. Founded in 2007, the company began as an engineering services provider for the FBI and Department of Defense before evolving to create its own commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products.
The company’s Business Development Manager, Sam Cilento, featured on the ID Talk podcast recorded live in Amsterdam at Identity Week Europe 2025. Cilento describes their product Ani SDK as the “Microsoft Word for biometric files”, processing biometric identification submissions from top secure defence agencies in the U.S. Their Windows-based application allows flexible access and editing of government biometric flow databases across specifications, including FBI EBTS and international standards such as Interpol, NATO, and now EURODAC – the European Dactyloscopy System.
Recent participation in events like Identity Week Europe has yielded new opportunities, as a trusted leader in government biometrics, they were in the company of European and UK government representatives focused on global identity solution contracts and building multi vendor ecosystems.
They integrate a wide range of biometric capture modalities which are commonly used in use cases.
Cilento confirmed that conversations held during the Amsterdam show have already led to pilot projects and collaborations.
Cilento said: “These events are helpful in that regard to continue building the relationships. You stay top of mind. You stay in the industry. You’re seeing what trends are evolving, you know, coming out of the industry, and you get that face-to-face time with the vendors that you don’t normally get day to day.”“We saw a benefit in coming all this way because you get access to different vendors as well as, you know, we are supporting some international agencies and clients, so we get to finally meet them face to face.”
“There’s a lot of cool technology out there. We actually purchased a technology, a device that was at the startup booth. We can talk about that later, but we’ll probably integrate that device into our live scan solution. So that was pretty cool.”
Cilento discusses Lakota’s evolving role in the identity ecosystem, the technical challenges of biometric standards, and the company’s vision for scaling its solutions globally. Listen via the media player or wherever you get your podcasts.
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