Gartner Dataquest’s Reynolds notes that many casinos, and even some police departments, use a combination of security cameras and facial recognition software to match faces against databases of known troublemakers.įacial recognition works by isolating human faces in still pictures and measuring an array of facial characteristics, such as the geometry of a person’s eyes, mouth and nose. It’s so passive, in fact, that the systems can scan people without their knowledge. Face-Offįacial recognition is another biometrics technology that’s widely considered nonintrusive. “It’s much more readily accepted by users,” he says. “Many people associate fingerprinting with criminal activity.” Iris recognition is a hands-off technology that works at distances of up to several feet and is less intrusive than fingerprint scanning. Regardless of cost, iris recognition offers an important intangible benefit, says San Jose State’s Wayman. Iridian, for example, recently introduced a low-end iris recognition product, Authenticam, which will sell for $299 as a single unit. But prices have fallen dramatically during the past few years. Iris recognition’s biggest disadvantage has been its high cost. “We have learned that iris recognition is consumer-friendly and easy to use,” says Coben. Bank United has operated its “EyeTMs” in Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, since 1999. “We wanted to use this technology to replace both the ATM card and PIN number,” says Ron Coben, Bank United’s executive vice president for community banking. To safeguard against false readings, a fingerprint expert (in this case, a Guilford, Conn., police officer) reanalyzes questionable matches.Ĭustomer convenience, enhanced security and rapid verification convinced Houston’s Bank United to test Iridian technology in its next generation ATMs (a recent acquisition by Seattle-based Washington Mutual may change those plans). The matching process takes less than five minutes, after which the applicant receives a photo ID card. While the system records and matches the fingerprints (to determine whether an individual may al-ready be receiving benefits under another identity), the operator photographs the ap-plicant and records the person’s signature. The Connecticut Department of Social Services uses a Polaroid identification system that creates digital fingerprint images of welfare recipients. In Connecticut, fingerprint scanning already helps the state government snare welfare cheats. The units are so reliable, in fact, that they will accurately match fingerprints even when a user gains weight or ages. “They’re also reliable and very rugged,” he adds. Complete systems can cost less than $100, says Martin Reynolds, a vice president and research fellow at Gartner Dataquest, a technology market research company in San Jose, Calif. Fingering Cheatsįingerprint readers are the most widely used and least expensive biometrics technology. Others worry about how much of a trade-off between security and personal privacy people will be willing to accept. But as biometrics gain momentum, many CIOs still wonder which of the major technologies?fingerprint, iris or facial recognition?is best. During the same time span, the average unit cost for biometrics devices dropped from more than $5,000 to less than $600. The biometrics market has skyrocketed, rising from just $6.6 million in 1990 to $63 million in 1999, according to Wayman. National Biometrics Test Center and a biometrics researcher at San Jose State University in San Jose, Calif. “PINs and passwords can be lost, but it’s hard to misplace your hands, face or eyes,” says James Wayman, director emeritus of the U.S. Propelled by cheaper and better software and hardware, as well as enhancing security and eliminating pesky passwords, biometrics, many experts believe, will become increasingly popular during the next few years. Once the stuff found only in James Bond movies, biometrics?identification technologies based on biological features?is rapidly moving into the mainstream to help prevent unauthorized access to ATMs, computers, buildings and other important assets.
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