Griaule shows two inexpensive biometric solutions

Were you aware of the Fingerprint Verification Competition (FVC)? Apparently it is the most important competition in biometrics, and after winning FVC2006, Brazilian biometrics company Griaule Biometrics is launching two new products: An integration software kit for Java developers and a biometric logon for Windows Active Directory.

And a good thing, too. Biometric recognition applications have typically required expensive, complicated products and multiple licenses. GrFinger Java, however, is a new fingerprint recognition software development kit (SDK) that allows multiplatform program development which works on both Windows and Linux platforms. “This feature can reduce costs for companies because they will not have to invest in creating or adapting two versions of the same program,” says Jose Alberto Canedo, Griaule’s R&D director. It also appears to be the first SDK to support the Microsoft Fingerprint Reader.

Griaule’s second new release is a biometric authentication solution, using fingerprint recognition for secure access to Windows networks. According to a Gartner Consulting study, 30 percent of help-desk calls are password-related. Biometric Network Logon aims to increase network security, simplify password management, and reduce help-desk support costs.

Griaule has R&D headquarters in Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and offices in San Jose, California. It is also linked to State University of Campinas. The company has some major clients, among them Intel, Eastman-Kodak, Diebold-Procomp, and Francois-Charles Oberthur Fiduciare. We note that Griaule has received six certifications from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.