Is UK's Iris biometric entry system being phased out?

The UK Border Agency has this to say:

IRIS is currently available at the following UK airports: Heathrow terminals 1, 3, 4 and 5 Gatwick North IRIS will continue to be available for registered passengers at these airports until after the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

IRIS is no longer available at Birmingham and Manchester airports.

Registration for IRIS is no longer available. All of our enrolment rooms at Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester airports are closed until further notice.

In short, Yes. IRIS registration is closed.

In heathrow they are being kept in operation for existing users in the hope that it will alleviate the pressure of visitors attending the Olympics, after which point they will be scrapped there too.

I am a registered IRIS user and in my experience it is a LOT more efficient to come back into the UK using the IRIS machine, however this is primarily because when I get off a packed aeroplane, I am one of the two or three people in the queue for the IRIS machine rather than the hundred or so in the EU passport holders queue I would otherwise have to stand in.

To understand why means understanding some of the politics.

Like every single technological advancement the very first implementation of a monolithic complex system is not likely to be flawless and perfect from day one. Understanding what works well and what could be made better is an iterative process that takes time, testing and careful management.

Unfortunately, however sometimes you get a Tory government who like to march in and announce that anything that hasn't been finished or hasn't had the opportunity to prove its value yet, or simply isn't something they thought of should be scrapped to "save the tax payer money". The conservative's flawless logic being its probably much more efficient to keep our health records on little bits of paper and post them about to each other and not worry to much about border control, we can just keep all the brown people out because we've got the recipe for curry now. ... (life imitating art ?)

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/customs-travel/Enteringtheuk/usingiris/

I don't have any inside knowledge so can't give any information that isn't already public, but they have upgraded the IRIS equipment in a few of the larger UK airports recently so the evidence would suggest that it is still a programme that is being actively pursued.

The fact that they are not accepting new members could be to due to budget cuts. Many government departments have had their funding reduced due to the ongoing financial crisis, and the UK border agency is no exception. Registering members requires extra staff, and perhaps they can't afford to pay for them at the moment!

IRIS is being phased out, as others have mentioned, but do not confuse IRIS for the newer e-Passport system.

A sign with the IRIS logo:

The IRIS programme was by enrolment only, so you had to find an open enrolment office, airside when travelling. I found this impossible, as they were always closed, and as soon as I got a new e-Passport they told me I didn't need to enrol anymore since it's already embedded (which is not strictly true).

e-Passport icon as displayed on signs and printed on passports:

The e-Passport system is the RFID chip and wire, visible in British passports behind the photo page, and in other countries are sometimes embedded in one of the covers. Anyone with the corresponding logo on their passport can use the e-Passport gates, no enrolment necessary.