Biometrics Security News and Information

Biometrics On The Go

Technology Is Advancing

A Biometrics/Security Vendor known as “Sagem Securite” has just announced that it has unveiled a new Biometrics Product at the Biometrics 2009, a major Biometrics Tradeshow held in Europe in which the various Vendors come and show case their Biometrics Products and Solutions.

This new Product is called “Finger On The Fly”, and can literally capture images of a Fingerprint of a moving Hand.  Here are the details:  “For the first time, a contactless biometric recognition technology can capture and process the fingerprints from four fingers on a hand in movement, in just a few seconds. Well suited to current requirements, this technology enhances security and speeds up flows in crowded areas, such as airports. It can also be used as the basis for a more user-friendly identification system, involving fewer restrictions for users.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7484/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

This is truly a testament to how much Biometrics Technology is advancing.  This is the first time I have come across a technology which can capture Biometrics from something in motion.  Quite some time ago, I wrote a Posting on a breakthrough in Iris Recognition, and how it can now be used to capture the Iris Images of people in motion as well.

Probably the next Biometric Technology which would be devoted to examining something in motion will be Gait Recognition.  This examines the unique ways and features in the way we walk, or our stride.  There is still some time till this proves to be a viable Biometric Technology, but when compared to the speed and level of the Research and Development of other Biometric Technologies in the pipeline, Gait Recognition has the most promise.

It would be truly fascinating to see if all of the existing Biometric Technologies can be captured from a standpoint of mobility.  Right now, all of these Biometric Technologies require the end user to be stationary while the unique features are extracted and the Biometric Templates are created.

However, as I am writing this Posting, there is one drawback I can foresee.  That is of the issue of Privacy Rights once again.  If Biometrics does indeed come to a point where all of the technologies can capture objects and unique features in motion, could this type of technology be implemented in a way which is analagous to having a CCTV Camera on every street corner?  It could very well be possible.

But despite this, just think about the potential this new realm to be known as “Biometrics On The Go” can offer to all sorts of the various types of Market Applications.

It truly boggles the mind and stimyies the imagination.

Source for this Posting:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7484/

The Mobile Employee

Keeping Track Of Your Employees

Some time ago, I wrote a Posting as to how a trend could be emerging that the various Biometrics/Security Vendors are realizing the keyword “Integration”, which relates to creating Biometrics Products/Solutions to meet the everyday needs of the consumer, whether it is from shopping to social networking to accomplishing job related tasks.

I came across an article today which addresses the latter.  We all know that in the United States, a very volatile topic these days is  job loss and the overall economy.  Well, there is a Biometrics/Security Vendor known as “Simeio” has just launched what is known as a “Mobile Biometric Personnel Management System” which is designed primarily for those workers which are always on the go.

It is designed to be like a Cell Phone, and here are the details:  “The Simeio handset is a rugged and truly mobile device that uses a combination of finger print scanning, electronic signature and mobile GPS technology to verify a person’s identity and location. This removes the opportunity for data manipulation whilst ensuring that all people on a particular site have agreed to the site rules including, if relevant, acknowledging that they have the correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This information can be accessed in real-time, 24/7, by appropriate personnel using the secure Simeio web portal.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.biometricnewsportal.com/biometrics_news3.asp?articleid=263845&arttitle=Simeio%20mobile%20biometric%20handset%20verifies%20identity%20and%20location).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

This new type of device possesses a number of key advantages for both the worker and the employer.  For example:

*Significant savings:  This is realized in both time as well as money.  For example, if there is a dispute in the time worked, etc. between the worker and the employee, an audit trail is created, so such disputes can be resolved quickly and easily without wasting too much time;

*An easily acquired solution for all parties involved:  The contract which comes with this mobile product is designed to be just like a normal Cell Phone contract, so there are really no surprises or new gimmicks to be dealt with by either party (the worker and the employer);

*The mobile device reflects the latest in Healthcare Rules and Regulations:  Once a worker visits a particular place, they are required to sign in with the mobile device, and the signing in process also includes acknowledgement of the Healthcare Rules and Regulations of that particular location. 

For example:  “Simeio aids Health and Safety compliance as the signing-in process includes verified acceptance of the site specific regulations. If a site’s rules change, the handset can be instantly updated via the secure Simeio web portal immediately prompting personnel to accept revised requirements upon sign-in . . . Customisable instant text and email notifications can alert managers to the absence of first aid staff on site and late sign-in or early sign-out by staff.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.biometricnewsportal.com/biometrics_news3.asp?articleid=263845&arttitle=Simeio%20mobile%20biometric%20handset%20verifies%20identity%20and%20location). 

Another key advantage in this regard is that with this electronic method of acknowledgement, the paperwork is also greatly reduced.

*Worker productivity is greatly enhanced:  Since this entire system is based on the mobile device and there is an electronic audit trail, the chances of fraud or deception on part of the worker is greatly reduced;

*The mobile device is durable:  There is no extra installation required for the mobile device, can tolerate the harshest environments where there is a lot of external contaminants such as water and other types of air pollutants, and in cases where the mobile coverage gets dropped (as I am sure we are all famliar with), the mobile device can synchronize its most recent worker information and data to the server (whoever owns it) once coverage is established.

I have seen mobile devices like these before with the exact same type of functionalities as described in this Posting, but this is the first time I have seen Biometrics being implemented.  Although Fingerprint Recognition is a great Biometric to be utilized for such a system, I wonder if something like Voice Recognition could prove to be better.

For example, every time you log in, you have to Verify yourself with your Fingerprint, which can mean precious seconds or minutes or lost for the extremely mobile employee.  But with Voice Recognition, all the mobile employee has to do is just dial in and speak, and they will be automatically Verified into the system.

Source for this Posting:  http://www.biometricnewsportal.com/biometrics_news3.asp?articleid=263845&arttitle=Simeio%20mobile%20biometric%20handset%20verifies%20identity%20and%20location

The Entire Fingerprint

A New Method

There is no doubt that Fingerprint Recognition is probably the most noticeable Biometric Technology available today, and when the term “Biometrics” is conjured up, the Fingerprint is always the first to come to mind.

I have written about Fingerprint Recognition before many a time on various Postings.  Essentially, it works by having the sensor on the Fingerprint Scanner collect an image of the Fingerprint, and from there, examining what is known as the “minutae”, or the breaks and discontinuities on the whorls, ridges, and valleys.  These are the unique features which are captured, then converted into a mathematical file, and subsequently stored in the database. 

A question I often get asked is:  “What if there are cuts or bruises on my Fingerprint, will the Fingerprint Scanner still be able to work?”  I answer yes, because Biometric Technology has advanced to the point where these external variables can be taken into consideration, and are factored into the Enrollment and Verification Processes.

Well, it seems like that at the University of Warwick based out of the United Kingdom, researchers have developed another scientific method in which to overcome these external variables of bruises, cuts, abrasions, etc. located on the Fingerprint. 

Traditional Fingerprint Scanners look only at certain parts of the Fingerprint where the minutae are located, but with this new scientific approach, it is claimed that the entire Fingerprint image is collected and examined, and is literally “unwarped” to allow for the quick matching of Biometric Templates for Verification and/or Identification of an individual. 

Here are the details:  “The University of Warwick researchers consider the entire detailed pattern of each print and transform the topological pattern into a standard co-ordinate system. This allows the researchers to "unwarp" any finger print that has been distorted by smudging, uneven pressure, or other distortion and create a clear digital representation of the fingerprint that can then be mapped on to an "image space" of all other finger prints held on a database . . . any new print scanned by the system is unwarped and over laid onto a virtual "image space" that includes all the fingerprints available to the database.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026093731.htm).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

Apparently, this new scientific method has received a very warm reception, and is being used in the construction industry at various sites and locations, where the Fingerprints of the construction workers can become quite distorted because of the environment they work in.

Also, this new scientific approach in Fingerprint Recognition, has stood up to the test of some of the most stringent Fingerprint Testing Organizations, which include the National Physical Laboratory (also located in the United Kingdom), and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (also known as “NIST”).  It is even claimed that the individual sweat pores can be examined in detail as well.

Traditionally, Biometric Vendors are pretty tight lipped about the exact ways in which their specific technology works, or the mathematical algorithms they employ for the Verification and Enrollment processes.  This is very understandable, as this is their bread and butter which they survive upon. 

This is probably one of the very few times I have seen such an open release into the scientific methods of a new discovery in Fingerprint Recognition.  Actually, I think it is good that from time to time, such information is made available. 

I am not saying I support being completely open about all of the details, as this would destroy the profit motive of the Biometric Vendors, as they try to adopt this new scientific approach.  After all, we do live in a capitalisitic and free market society.

But openly discussing about some of the general features of a new Biometric Technology or some of the newer scientific approaches and/or methods being examined or discovered would certainly go a long way into the public acceptance area of Biometrics, and help to dispel the “Black Box” Phenomenon which is associated with Biometrics.

With this more open approach, the public will come to see that Biometrics, is just another Security Technology, and just like all other Security Technologies, it has its advantages and flaws, and should not be the only tool used in fortifying the Security of a place of business or organization.

Source for this Posting:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026093731.htm

Being Counted As An Individual

A Shining Moment For A Country

A Biometrics/Security Vendor known as “SAFE ID Solutions” has just announced that it has completed the Passport Infrastructure for the Ministry of Iraq.

Here are the details:  “The Ministry of Interior of Iraq awarded SAFE ID Solutions to design and implement a state-of-the-art passport solution. As sole contractor SAFE ID provides the entire solution including hardware, personalization management software, operator training as well as service and maintenance for the Iraqi personalization center that opened in April 2009. The project emphasizes the security of the document and people’s identities as well as the implementation of a scalable and adaptable system. That enables the Iraq Passport Department to operate the personalization system independently and increases the personalization capacity to more than 10.000 passports per day . . . After successful factory acceptance test the system was shipped to Baghdad in December 2008 where the setup, training and joint operation was conducted within the first quarter of 2009.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7455/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

Apparently, this Passport Infrastructure was completed on time, and has received a complete satisfaction rating, which is certainly good news, given what is transpiring in Iraq.  Other countries have evaluated and tested this system as well.

As a result, the people of Iraq can now apply for a Passport in a much more expeditious and efficient manner, in an infrastructure which has now come up to International Security Standards, which is truly remarkable, once again, given the extremely volatile and high Security Risk situation in Iraq. 

A major factor cited for the smooth deployment and implementation of this Passport Infrastructure was the strong support and clear lines of communications between the Ministry of Interior of Iraq and the Vendor.

Imagine that . . . clear lines of communication, meeting the needs of the people, and a quick acceptance rate by the public?!?!?!?!?!  Hmm, these themes sound awfully familiar . . . .

Ever since the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003, we have seen many ups and downs in that country in these last few years.  Unfortunately, there have been many more negatives occurring than positives, given your political views and values system.  Probably the worst nightmare for the people and the Government of Iraq has been the extremely weak Security Infrastructure.

But, this development, in my view, is certainly a good (in fact, very positive) news for Iraq, especially its citizens.  Why do I say this??? Well, probably for the first time in recorded history, the people of Iraq can now be counted as distinct members of a society, and being recognized as such by the rest of the world. 

In other words, one of the most fundamental rights a citizen can have is to be recognized as an individual, and today, with the completion of this Passport Infrastructure, we are seeing the birth of that in a place still marked by political strife and complete chaos.

Source for this Posting:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7455/

The New Buzzword: Integration

A Milestone In Fingerprint Recognition

A Biometrics/Security Vendor known as “AuthenTec, Inc.” has just announced that it has shipped its 50,000,000^th Fingerprint Sensor to a major customer.

Here are the details:  “AuthenTec (NASDAQ: AUTH), the world’s leading provider of smart fingerprint sensors and solutions, today announced the shipment of its 50 millionth fingerprint sensor, establishing a new record for the fingerprint sensor market. Founded in October 1998, AuthenTec established a previous industry benchmark of 25 million sensors in November 2007 and took less than two years to double that mark to 50 million. AuthenTec’s 50 millionth sensor was shipped to Fujitsu Limited for integration into its newest smart phone, where it will be used for touch-powered features including security, navigation, personalization and convenience.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7451/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

Back when Biometrics was just entering the marketplace, and was slowly starting to make news and being scrutinized the public, the trend appeared to be that each Biometric Vendor would develop its technology for just a very specific purpose, or for a component for an overall solution.  For example, when the Hand Geometry Scanner came out decades ago, it served two very specific and primary markets:  Physical Access Entry, and Time and Attendance.

The customer would often be left to do the software development on their own, or if they needed to have a very specific and customized Biometric Solution, the customer would have to depend on various types of Biometric Vendors to fill each part of the bill of materials for the overall aim of the Biometric Solution.

But today, as the various Biometric Technologies and Information Technology are converging together into a single, one stop shop platform for the customer, the key word now in the industry is, in my view, “Integration”.  This is best exemplified by the Cell Phone.  When it first came out, its primary function was just for two way communication.  Now we see it for every part of our social, professional, and consumer type of lifestyles.

We are now seeing this trend in Biometrics, especially with the advent of the new Operating System, known as Windows 7.  I have already written a couple of recent Postings about this recently, especially with the Biometric Vendors now all coming on board to build and create solutions for the Windows Biometric Framework, which is introduced in Windows 7.

It seems like the word “Integration” is now being used very seriously.  We are witnessing Biometric Technologies not just for a specific market or a specific component, but rather it is now being integrated into the every day life of the average consumer into the products they use for their personal life or work life. 

For example, this ranges from such things as Identity Management Tools, Security for conducting online transactions of all kinds, types and sorts, uses in laptops, personal computers and smartphones, energy savings, use in social networking sites like Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, You Tube, etc.

I have seen and heard a lot of fancy corporate and technology buzzwords in my time with no solid substance behind it, but “Integration” seems to be getting a solid footprint with no froth on the top, in my opinion.  Let’s see if this continues well into the future, or it will just be another fancy word which phases out in time, like “dot-com”.

Source for this Posting:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7451/

The Hosted Way

Voice Biometrics

Two Biometric/Security Vendors known as “Prosodie” and “Persay, Ltd.” have just announced a collaboration in which both, together, will be offering a Voice Biometrics Solution, but it will be on a hosted platform.  Essentially, the former Vendor will be adopting and implementing the Voice Biometrics Technologies from the latter Vendor.

The anticipated Market Applications for this Biometrics Solution is expected to be in the areas of financial services (such as placing brokerage trades, transferring money from one account to another, etc.) and for call centers.

Here are some more details:  “ “Voice authentication is much more than just a technology". Said François Chaffard, Prosodie’s Strategic Marketing Manager. "When fully integrated in a voice application, it offers a wide range of possibilities to increase the customer satisfaction. We will be using PerSay’s Voice Biometrics technology to enhance security by providing strong, multi-factor authentication, in our voice services as well as to smooth customer identification process by enabling our customers to use simple passwords instead of cumbersome and easily forgettable PINs. We see significant potential for voice-based authentication in the banking and money transfer services arenas".”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7449/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

In the past I have written a couple of Postings with regards to Voice Biometrics, and especially its role as a hosted application.  On a much macro level, I think offering Biometric Hosting Services, in a manner which closely parallels web hosting and e-mail hosting, could be a great avenue for Biometrics as well as the Biometrics Vendor to grow into.

For instance, in today’s economy, the smaller to medium sized businesses are trying to keep with ways to improve their Security, both from a physical and logical standpoint.  But, cost is a major obstacle, especially in Biometric Systems, when more than one point of entry or more than one computer needs to be fortified. 

The Biometric Hosted way could be a strong potential in these kinds of circumstances.  For example, all the customer has to do is purchase the Biometric Hardware.  All of the software, databases, network connectivity, storage of Biometric Information and Data, the transactions which occur between the Biometric Templates would reside with the ISP (or maybe in this case, would “Biometric Hosting Provider” [“BHP”] be a more appropriate term???). 

All the customer would be responsible is making sure that their employees are enrolled properly into the Biometric System.  The customer would be able to choose and purchase the Biometric Hosting Plan which works best for them, just like a web hosting or e-mail hosting plan.

However, as good as this idea sounds, there will be several major obstacles which will impede its quick adoption, especially here in the United States.  The biggest one will be Privacy Rights once again, and having the Biometric Information and Data, as well as the Biometric Templates outsourced and stored to a third party. 

But look at it from this perspective:  When a business owner purchases a web hosting plan and creates an online store to go with it, he or she is already submitting private and confidential data by providing credit card information for billing purposes, as well as the confidential data of their customers whom shop at their online store.  All of this data is stored at a third party, namely the ISP.  So why should people “freak out” by having their Biometric Templates stored in the same manner???

In terms of technical issues, I am sure there will be some, but the biggest one that comes to my thinking right now as I am writing this Posting,  is the level of network connectivity between the ISP (or the “BHP”] and the customer.  Obviously, very quick Biometric Template processing times and transactions have to occur over the Internet.

Anybody out there have any thoughts or suggestions about the future of the “Biometric Hosting Provider”???

Source for this Posting:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7449/

Your Veins

A New Product

Ok, I was going to write about this on Monday, but China overtook the news, and I promised I would write about this topic later in the week.  So, here it is:

Two Biometric/Security Vendors known as “Sagem Securite” and “Hitachi” have, together, just announced a new type of Multimodal Biometric Solution, which utilizes both Vein Pattern Recognition and Fingerprint Recognition.  This Product is called “Finger VP”.

Some of the details:  “This new device combines Hitachi's Finger Vein imaging (VeinID) to detect the pattern of blood vessels under the skin, and Sagem Sécurité’s fingerprint identification technology (Morpho). It is the only multi-modal device capable of simultaneously capturing and processing two sets of biometric data and can be used either for one-to-one or one-to-many verification . . . FINGER VP is designed to be used either standalone or integrated into a vast range of end-user devices, e.g. access control terminals, ATM, mobile devices for identity checks and secure payments.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7440/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

I have written about Vein Pattern Recognition before, but it was from the standpoint of examining it from the palm area of one’s hand.  This is the first time I have come across anything which measures the pattern of the veins in the fingertip area.

This just shows how much Biometrics is advancing, and probably the next major trend will be in seeing Biometric Devices which are so small and much more powerful, they will literally be able to fit in your pocket, or even wallet or purse.  It’s really amazing to see how this trend correlates strongly with the Cell Phone.  Growing up, I remember seeing Cell Phones as big as the landlines are. 

I also think this type of Multimodal Biometric Solution would work great for such items as the National ID Card, and the e-Passport, where small size, durability, and portability, become critical features in order to insure an effective deployment.  As much of a critic as I have been about the Driver’s License, something like this could work well here also.

I am also curious to see how this type of product leads to Research and Development into examining the unique pattern of blood vessels in other areas of the body.  Currently, except for this, and the Vein Recognition for the palm, the only other Biometric Technology which examines the unique features of blood vessel patterns is Retinal Recognition.

Source for this Posting:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7440/

The Fear Amongst Americans

Results Of A Survey

A Biometrics/Security Vendor has just announced results and findings from its security measure gauge, known as the “Unisys Security Index”.  This is a study conducted twice a year, and measures people’s attitudes and concern levels with regards to various types of Security issues.

Here are some of the major findings:

*A majority of respondents (Americans) have a very strong distrust for the Federal Government and the Financial Institutions with regards to privacy of personal information and data.  For example, only 22% and 29% of the respondents trust the former and latter, respectively;

*65% of the respondents are very concerned about Identity Theft;

*Close to half of the respondents (42%) have serious worries about the Security of the Online/Internet Transactions they conduct;

*Surprisingly, a majority of respondents are willing to use Biometrics as a means of Verification and/or Identification.  Specifically, 93% and 79% of the respondents are willing to use Fingerprint Recognition and Iris Recognition, respectively;

*There is division between the concern about the computer and network Security related issues, for example, 40% of respondents are very concerned about these types of threats and risks, whereas a quarter of the respondents were not concerned about these types of issues at all;

*About one third of the respondents have serious concerns and reservations about their own personal safety;

*The level of income amongst the respondents also plays a key role in agreeing to submission of individual Biometric information and data.  For example, those respondents with an income level of greater than $75,000 per year are more willing to submit Biometric information and data than those with a smaller income level.

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

Overall, this study found that the level for the concern of Security is at a moderate level.  As thoughts about the economy seem to be improving (I have serious doubts on this one, but this is not a political blog site), the perception from Security threats and risks posed to the Financial Sector earlier this year are now shifting to a more macro level, such as the overall level of Security in the United States, and another outbreak of the swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus.

I am not surprised with the lack of trust and faith in the Federal Government and the various Financial Institutions with regards to the safeguarding of the private information and data.  Also, the increased level of the fear of ID Theft, is no surprise to me either, as the pace of hacking and attacks seem to outstrip the pace of Security professionals just trying to keep with it all.

But what does surprise me is the increased level of the interest in the use of Biometrics.  Of particular interest to me is the majority interest in the use of Iris Recognition, which in my opinion, still has issues of Privacy Rights to be overcome yet. 

It seems that the lack of Interoperability Standards and a common IT Infrastructure from which to leverage Biometrics to the public is still a huge barrier to entry.  For example, “ . . . the widespread use of biometrics in daily transactions with governments, financial or retail institutions . . . Adoption of interoperable identity management systems and an investment in shared infrastructure would hasten widespread use of biometrics . . .” (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7444/).

Another finding from this study which really piqued my interest is the correlation between level of income and the willingness to share individual Biometric Information and Data.  I have never seen a finding like this one before, and I think it could have significant impacts into the future with regards to the acquisition and adoption of Biometric Technology. 

I think much more research needs to be done in this area, especially on the part of the various Biometric Vendors, as this will greatly affect their Research and Development efforts into new Biometric Products and Solutions.  Also, this finding is of great importance, especially as money and finances are becoming of paramount importance in today’s economy.

Perhaps a reason for this correlation between income and willingness could be based upon the fact that people with more disposable income and savings have more resources at hand to protect themselves in case they, in the unfortunate instance, become a victim of ID Theft or related Security risk.

Source for this Posting:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7444/

The Most Populous Country

The e-Passport Revisited Again Today

I was going to write a Posting today about a new type of Biometrics Product-it’s a new Multimodal Solution which incorporates Vein Pattern Recognition and Fingerprint Recognition, and is supposedly the first type of this kind to be available in the marketplace.

But instead, I found another news story which I thought had larger scale ramifications.  Ok, here it goes.  A Biometrics/Security Vendor known as “NXP” has just announced that it has been selected by the Chinese Government to form the backbone of its e-Passport Infrastructure.

Here are the details:  “NXP today announced that its SmartMX security chip has been chosen by the Chinese government to power the country’s first ePassport scheme. Utilizing the latest developments in cryptography and security to protect the chip at both hardware and software level, NXP’s portfolio of SmartMX products enables data to be securely stored on the passport, creating an even stronger link between the document and its owner.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7439/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

Ok, you may be wondering why I picked this news story over the new Biometric product.  Well, there are a number of reasons.  First, China is the most populous country in the world, with India following behind a very close second.  So whatever these two countries do with regards to the e-Passport will have great ramifications, especially anything having to do with China.

Second, this is a major move for the Chinese Government as well as for the people of China-this is the first time an e-Passport has been introduced (or for that matter even anything remotely like this).

Third, the rollout for the e-Passport in China will be massive, in comparison to the other countries I have written about this year.  For instance, there are some 30+ million passport holders in China, and the rollout is expected to happen starting in 2010. 

Fourth, significant deployments are expected in later years as well..  For example, “ . . . substantial roll-out volumes of ePassports is expected in the coming years.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7439/).  So massive and quick, to say the least.

Fifth, from what I can surmise, I think the Chinese Government is planning to eliminate all traditional forms of the paper passport, and replace every one with the new e-Passport.

So when the most populous country in the world comes out with news (and not just about outsourcing or floating their exchange rate) relating to Security, yes, I think it is very important. 

Stay tuned for the new Multimodal product later this week.

Source for this Posting:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7439/

The e-Passport In The United States: Where Is It???

The e-Passport Several Thousand Miles Away

On Wednesday of this week, I wrote about the National ID Card being implemented in Angola.  Well, it is time to travel some 1,000+ plus or so miles to the north and a little bit to the west, as we land in the country of Georgia.  It is located near Turkey and Russia.

Two Biometric/Security Vendors known as “SAFE ID Solutions AG” (based out of Germany), and “Cognitec Systems GmbH” (also based out of Germany) have both made significant technological and Biometric milestones in Georgia for the implementation of its e-Passport.  The former has provided the over arching Biometric Infrastructure, and the latter has provided the Facial Recognition aspect for the Georgian e-Passport.

Here are some details:  “Within a very short timeframe of only 3 months, this project has been implemented by SAFE ID Solutions AG, a German based security solutions provider who specializes in electronic ID document issuance and control processes. SAFE ID Solutions AG was responsible for the delivery, installation and integration of various biometric equipment and software for capturing electronic signatures, fingerprints, face recognition, as well as technology for certification and document verification purposes. Specifically for this project, SAFE ID formed a consortium with German based Cognitec Systems GmbH who in turn delivered the face recognition component of the solution.”  (SOURCE:  http://findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7435/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

Apparently, this is just the first phase of the e-Passport rollout for Georgia.  It is anticipated that by 2010 and beyond, the e-Passport will be in full force for the Georgian citizens.

Granted, it has been some time since there have been a lot of developments with regards to the e-Passport (at least to my knowledge), but it seems like the there has been a lot of developments now just happening in this part of the world, and the Middle East.  For instance, I was just reading something about Kuwait and its National ID Card system. 

Notice the trend here:  It’s the smaller countries in size when compared to the European countries and the United States which seem to be a lot more engaged and proactive about implementing their own version of the e-Passport.

Logic would dictate that the reverse would happen, given the economic and technological stature of the European countries and the United States when compared to the rest of the world.  In fact, as much as I have been keeping my eyes and ears open about the e-Passport development here in the United States, I have not heard anything.

Could it be perhaps buried in the sea of legislation that is occupying the Hill right now???  My guess is that this is probably the reason.  We have the technology to implement a great and effective system for an e-Passport, but once again, government bureaucracy is getting in the way.

Hello, where is the United States in being at the forefront for the e-Passport???

Source for this Posting:  http://findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/7435/