Biometrics

Smartrac to ship millions more inlays
Dutch company a major player in the ePassport market; deal with Infineon follows strong financial reports; company set to build two new factories, one in the United States, to expand capacity to 4 million units per month
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Australian social service agency first to take up access smartcards
Centrelink says winning bidders will lay a foundation for a FIPS 201-type program across the Australian government; Vasco token on their way out
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AFIS market set to reach $160 million annually by 2010
Technological innovation as well as the government-wide transition from manually processing rolled fingerprint cards to fully digital processes drive growth; local governments now taking a life-cycle approach, with fewer overhauls and more software updates
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Motorola wins Norwegian visa and passports contract
System will be among the first in Europe to meet “multi-mode” European Union standards for fingerprints, 2D face, and signature capture; to ease transition, software will be produced in multiple Norwegian dialects and languages; deal shows Motorola establishing itself in a competitive market
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Verified Identity gets the go-ahead to expand
DHS authorizations means the Brill-owned company can move in at airports in New York, California, Indiana, and Ohio; Lockheed to work as subcontractor for account and network management
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Sequiam receives a second order from CyberKey
Deal is worth $2.25 million; Under a previously signed dustribution agreement, Sequiam is to eventually manufacture a private label line of biometrics for CyberKey
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Bio-Sense makes its bones with dog biometrics
Attached to a dog collar, system can discern between an excited yip and a defensive alarm; when the latter, the police are immediately notified; animal biometrics a growing niche field
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Error rates cause havoc for TWIC roll-out
One percent error rate is fine for HSPD-12, but FIPS-201 sensitivity may cause problems at ports; long lines and delays are expected, and port officials are steaming
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Cross Match names a new chairman
Walter Raquet will take over the reins of this already-well-run biometrics company; new chairman founded Knight Capital Group and has served on Cross Match’s board since 1999
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Pay by Touch snags Citibank Singapore deal
Bank will allow credit card payments by fingerprint; biometric approach a first for Citibank in Asia, and rivals are keeping tabs; registration is easy, but long-term success depends on merchant cooperation
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Biometrically identifying dead bodies now a live possibility
Researchers at the Universities of Leicester and Hamburg use a portable fingerprint scanner to identify corpses; system seen as ideal for disaster relief efforts; dead elderly women present a technological challenge
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Gemalto strikes again with HSPD-12 deal
Company teams up with Intercede to provide card management services to an unnamed but important executive branch agency; deal another notch in the belt for this high-flying firm not satisfied with mastering the ePassport market
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CellMax secures $2 million in Round B funding
Company markets voice biometrics to the call center industry; financing will support a major market pentration effort; demand for voice authentication grows among call center operators in proportion to identity fraud claims
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Kwikset, Sequiam, and AuthenTec team up for new deadbolt lock
Deal follows Sequiam/KwikSet partnership announcement; fingerprint scanner permits home access to up to 50 friends and family members; intriguing feature permits homeowners to control access times to registered users — an ideal set-up for babysitters and household help
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Precise Biometrics wins Scandinavian Airlines contract
Deal folows on a succesful test of the company’s checked baggage-matching system; SAS plans deployment at Angelhom and Ronneby airports, with 10 million passengers eventually expected to participate
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