The use of biometrics technology is growing fast among local and African businesses.
This is according to Cape Town-based biometrics group Biometrics.co.za, which was recently named the "most innovative IT company" by the Cape Information Technology Initiative (CITI), for successfully securing participation in two international projects.
Biometrics.co.za CEO Dr Harold Kimmel is positive about the prospects for the time and attendance and access control software market, which he says is "growing steeply", as many businesses are abandoning the "swipe-card" system.
"The move away from swipe-cards is mainly due to inherent security flaws within this system. Biometrics.co.za`s fingerprint technology avoids the danger of lost or stolen access cards, as well as the 'buddy system`, where someone else swipes an attendance card for an absent employee," Kimmel states.
"The market for these products is also growing outside of South Africa, as we are seeing increasing exports to most of Africa, to countries such as Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Kenya."
Africa and beyond
Kimmel says the recent CITI award recognised the use of the company`s biometrics software in a medical benefits programme in Kenya and a US school-child psychiatric evaluation programme, in the state of Alabama.
In Kenya, the company`s technology was used to develop an electronic identification verification system for the newly-established medical aid scheme, allowing people seeking treatment to be identified as bona fide members of the medical aid.
The US programme, used Biometrics.co.za`s software to establish an identification database for school children, to be used to capture learners` personal details for government records.
While mainly focusing on software development, Biometrics.co.za has also recently started producing some access control and time and attendance hardware at its Cape Town operation. The advantage of the locally-produced products, claims Kimmel, is that these are robust and built to suit harsh African conditions, such as mining and factory environments.
The company is also about to announce a deal with a publicly-listed US group, which has bought a majority in the South African group. This is expected to boost Biometrics.co.za`s North and South American markets.
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