Local biometrics company Transmetrix has unveiled a fingerprint scanning solution that it says can be easily integrated into a company`s existing security infrastructure.
According to marketing director Charlie Stewart, the IdentiLite solution is a fingerprint reader with biometric enrolment and identification software, which sends data of all scan outcomes straight to developers` own software. This simple structure means integration costs are kept to a minimum, he says.
"Basically nothing is required. Companies just need to tell us what format they want to receive the data in, and we then add a small piece of code," says Stewart, adding that the solution is suited for local conditions.
While there has been local demand for biometrics for some time, certain limitations in the devices have prevented its uptake, says Stewart. "Most biometrics devices work by scanning minutia points - specific details - on the hand. But because locally many people work with their hands, these points are often mostly worn away, and thus the readers don`t work.
"Also, these readers can often be affected by elements like dust and dirt, so hands need to be kept clean at all times, which is just not possible in many of our local work environments."
The IdentiLite solution features an LCD screen, LEDs, a buzzer and a relay box. When someone uses the reader, their name, the outcome of their scan and the time and date are returned on the screen, says Stewart.
Coloured LEDs give further visual feedback, while the buzzer informs illiterate or visually impaired users that they have made a successful scan. If the terminal is being used for access control, the relay will trigger a lock, opening the turnstile or door. The software can be configured to run in either verification or identification mode.
In the past, fingerprint readers were generally viewed around the world as an insufficient security solution that could be easily bypassed, says Stewart. "Before you were just required to place your finger in a static position on a reader. This meant that a simple silicon replica of a fingerprint could allow someone to bypass the system."
Modern readers require users to roll their fingers across the panel, making it much harder to duplicate. These readers also feature a thermal scanner, which ensures fake imprints will not work, says Stewart.
"Obviously these new readers are not completely impenetrable, but they have raised the barrier significantly."
The reader costs R3 000, while prices for the software vary depending on the number of users.
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