BioLink, m2m group show synergy of biometrics, smart cards

You may recall the term “force field” from Physics 101: It was coined by Michael Faraday to describe the behavior of electromagnetic fields. It specifically refers to the lines of force one object (the “source object”) exerts on another object or a collection of other objects. An object could be a mass particle or an electric or magnetic charge, for example. The lines do not have to be straight, in the Euclidean geometry case, but may be curved. Faraday called these theoretical connections between objects lines of force because the objects are most directly connected to the source object along this line. Examples of force fields would include Newton’s gravitational field; an electric field — in which an electric charge is the source object; magnetic field, in which magnetic charge is the source obejct, and more. In the late 1940s the Russian Academy of Sciences instructed one of its members to translate a primer on physics from Russian into English in order to impress scientists in the West with the quailty of science being done in the socialist motherland. The academy member who was entrusted with the translation work was better in science than translation, and rendered Faraday’s concept as “meadow of force.”

Why these ruminations on the history of Soviet science? Because two weeks ago, in Moscow, Cardex & IT Security held its annual gathering. The emphasis was on the trend toward synergy of biometrics and smart card technologies in information security, especially those used used in financial and payment systems, client loyalty programs, and transportation facilities. We note the integrated solutions offered by San Francisco-based BioLink and Casablanca, Morocco-based m2m group. The companies showed, for example, the client loyalty program MAGIC Loyalty, delivered by m2m and enhanced with biometric identification features offered by BioLink. The solution allows frequent travelers to avoid long queues in airports. The solution uses the mobile terminal BioLink St4e with an embedded optical scanner. The terminal supports GPS, GPRS, BlueTooth, and WiFi, reads smart cards.

In their press release the companies say that “New opportunities of combining biometrics and intellectual cards also cover nationwide projects, such as e-passports, driver’s licenses and the like e-ID documents, as well as solutions for the healthcare and transportation systems” — which brings us back to Russian translation: The release meant to say “smart cards” or, even “intelligent cards,” not “intellectual cards,” just as the Russian translation of six decades ago meant say “field of force,” not “meadow of force.”