Biometrics Security News and Information

Software Development Across Windows and Linux

Cross Development Platforms

When making the purchase decision to acquire a Security system, especially ones with regards to network security and Biometrics, the customer looks at the overall cost of the package, and what is included with it.  Very often (actually, I would be even willing to guess about 99% of the time), it comes down to two things:  The hardware and the software.  The former is not too difficult to grasp for a customer, but the latter can be much more difficult.  This is so because the customer very often has exacting needs which need to met in terms of software application development, and now these days, since Biometric devices can be networked together, and tied together in a client server topology, the demands becomes even greater. 

When I started in the field of Biometrics, having a self contained unit (such as the Hand Geometry Scanner) with the canned, Vendor developed software was good enough.  But not anymore.  Given the explosion in open source software, and how much Biometrics have become dependent upon software development, the demands are even greater.  So it is with all this in mind, I came across a Press Release in which the Biometrics Vendor known as “Digital Persona” announced new developments in this ever growing demand for software development, as it relates to Biometrics.

Here are the details:  “DigitalPersona, Inc., a global provider of authentication and endpoint protection solutions, today announced the availability of cross-platform Java APIs that provide fingerprint biometrics on both Linux and Windows. These fingerprint recognition APIs are now part of the company’s One Touch  for Linux and One Touch for Windows Software Development Kits (SDKs), both of which can be downloaded free of charge. Java programmers can now add advanced biometric authentication to their applications once and then run those applications on multiple operating systems without modification. This helps reduce both the upfront development and ongoing support costs for application developers who add biometric authentication to their solutions. With its latest release, DigitalPersona also boosted the speed and efficiency of the high-performance biometric engine its Linux SDK and added support for a broad range of distributions.” 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

First, I should make mention that the name of this new software solution is called “OneTouch”, as can be seen from the above quote.  There are a number of key advantages here:

*Although as archaic as it may sound, JAVA is still a software language which is still used by many developers, and this new solution heavily supports that language, thus making communications between software development teams that much easier (in other words, a common language is being spoken among developers-a pretty novel idea!!);

*In today’s trying economic times, corporations and businesses are looking towards another, very cheap option to develop robust applications-in other words, Open Source is now the way to go.  It is pretty much free.  This solution supports this Open Source software, especially in the way of Linux;

*This solution as described in this Posting, can support both Linux and Windows platforms.  In today’s development world, although Open Source is still the up and coming trend, many, many developers still depend upon Windows for the development platform.  So for those customers who run both platforms, this can be a great boon;

*Because of the consistency which is offered in this software solution, developers can now offer a much greater level of Security in the applications in which they create;

*Probably the greatest advantages to be garnered since the cross platform model is supported is cost savings, rapid applications development (especially for those customers who want and need everything yesterday), and as mentioned, a common software development model and as mentioned, a consistent flow of communications amongst developers.

Software development will continue to be a lucrative market, in the Biometrics Industry.  In fact, when I first started my first Biometrics business, I should have done this, as it was recommended to me by a venture capitalist I was talking too, and had a lunch meeting with.  But, software development is not my forte, writing is, so I am glad I did not take the geek route!!!

Energy Conservation With Your Finger

Another Aspect

When one thinks of Biometrics, of course, the first thing that comes to mind is Security, James Bondonian technology, international airport body scans, the Federal Government misusing the Biometric Templates, and of course, who can forget the Privacy Rights Issues???  So as you can see, unlike really any other Security Technology, Biometrics encompasses both the technical and the social spheres of business and life. 

But now, there is another realm in which Biometrics is touching upon (I guess you could really say that it is a newer application).  And, that is the market area of energy conservation and usage.  In the Press Release in which I found this new information, a Biometrics/Security Vendor known as “Hirsch” is mentioned, and they have developed a rather innovative solution to help tenants save energy costs in a borough of New York City. 

Here are the details into this:  “Hirsch, a security systems manufacturer and a business unit of Identive Group, Inc. has delivered an access control solution to New York City's first supportive housing project to be Silver-level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. Hirsch's access control system provides security for residents and also tracks and shares occupancy data with the building's energy management system using communication protocols developed and published by BACnet(R) International, a building industry standards organization. As a result, building systems such as heating and lighting are automatically turned on or off as residents enter and leave their apartments, reducing energy use and providing protection against appliance-related fires and other accidents . . . In this application, each resident is required to present his or her individual ID card to pass through Hirsch reader-controlled turnstiles when entering and exiting the building, which helps ensure the safety of all residents in the facility. Upon entering through the turnstile, heat and electric power circuits are enabled in the resident's apartment. Upon leaving, the exit reader at the turnstile switches off those services. Energy costs are reduced by turning off unnecessary lights, heating and other electrical services, and life safety is enhanced by ensuring that residents cannot leave items cooking on the stove, electric irons turned on, etc.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8850/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

First, it should be noted that the dwelling in which this application is being used is not in some high end district in NYC.  Rather, it is located on the lower east side of Manhattan, and I guess the actual, physical complex is known as “The Lee”.  It is 99,000 square feet of space (now, that is huge) and can hold up to 263 tenants.  This housing complex is designed for the lower income workers, those on government subsidy programs, homeless people, foster kids, as well those who have special needs which cannot be met in a normal housing environment. 

As you can see from the above quote, the tenant is required to present some sort of ID card, and they have to enter into a turnstile, and once they enter it, the heat and electricity is turned on automatically, and as the tenant has to leave the housing complex, and exits the turnstile, the heat and electricity is turned off.  This can also greatly help to prevent fires and other such accidents if the tenants forget to turn off their stove.  Although Biometrics is not specifically mentioned here, it can be used in two different places.  First, the tenant can be give a Smart Card which can consist of the Biometric Templates, or a Hand Geometry Scanner, Iris Scanner, or even a Fingerprint Scanner can be used in lieu of the turnstile. 

When it comes to the latter, I often imagine a housing complex as a place which is your own space and abode, not a place where there are turnstiles, so in my view, using actual Biometric hardware would be much more appealing than using turnstiles.  In my years in Biometrics, I have seen numerous kinds and types of applications, but I have never come across a story like this where it can be used for energy conservation and management.  In today’s economy, saving money and trimming costs is on everybody’s mind, and now it seems like that Biometrics can even help in this regard as well. 

There may be people who question out there if the benefits of a Biometric energy management system outweigh the costs, and in the short term, it could very well be a capital expenditure.  But in the long run, it can save a lot of money for people, especially for those whom are low income workers, or on Federal Government assistance.  But, there is one point I want to caution on.  As housing complexes start to realize the benefits of Biometrics in this regard, it is important that they implement the Biometric Systems in such a way that tenants feel that they are not inmates being monitored as they enter and exit their apartment building.  Just a thought from the ergonomic perspective of things . . . . . . .

Major News Happenings In Biometrics

The Major Headlines

Today, we are going to have a somewhat change in content, and rather than covering just one major Press Release, instead I am going to review a few of them, because I think they are all worthy of mention.  I do this from time to time, in order to keep things lively on this blog site.  So, here we go . . .

On The Top Of A List

A Biometrics Vendor known as “Lumidigm” has just announced that it has been placed on the top of a Startups List.  Here are the details of this:  “Lumidigm today announced that the company has been chosen for inclusion in the 2011 edition of the fundedIDEAS publication TOP 300 STARTUPS. Lumidigm develops and deploys biometric fingerprint sensors that use multispectral imaging to capture superior images quickly, on any person, in any environmental conditions . . . TOP 300 STARTUPS features those startups that secured the highest rating in 14 parameters that were applied to over 2500 companies which secured venture funding in 2010. Lumidigm emerged with a final ranking of 29, placing them near the top of that elite list - on the strength of its management team, business model, execution strategy and technological innovations.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8841/). 

Well, I have to say that this is a major accolade for this Biometrics Vendor.  Being placed near the upper third on such an elite list does certainly speak well. I think what makes this Biometrics Vendor unique, and what stands them out from the rest of the crowd is that their technology and solutions incorporate what is known as “multispectral imaging technology”.  With this technique, not only can the fingerprint image be captured, but also on the subsurface, or what is beneath it.  This can be a great thing to have, especially if a Fingerprint Sensor cannot capture a reliable image directly from the fingerprint itself.  It can then go below the skin, capture and extract the unique features, and create a robust Biometric Template.

An Alliance Announced

A major Biometrics Vendor (known as “Morpho”), and an engineering school known as the “Telecom ParisTech” have publicly released the details of a partnership.  Here are some of the details:  “Morpho (Safran group) and French engineering school  Telecom ParisTech (part of Institut Telecom) have launched a collaborative research center, the IDentity & Security Alliance (The Morpho and  Telecom ParisTech Research Center), to address the technological challenges of data security and identity protection . . . The IDentity & Security Alliance will have an international scope and will focus on developing and enabling next-generation identity-based applications while guaranteeing privacy and security.  It's aim is to build a scientific knowledge base covering research topics such as biometrics, cryptography, IT security, components security and identity management systems. Projects will be based on a mutual exchange of  technology and research expertise, involving researchers from both Telecom ParisTech and Morpho.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8840/). 

So as you can see, the resultant of this effort is the creation of a new research center.  In my view, what is unique about this is that the nature of this project seems to be international in scope, and is open to ideas and other entities in furthering the efforts of research and development when it comes to Identity Management and Cybersecurity.  What I like even more is that it is not just one piece of Security Technology which will be studied, but a whole mixture of them, including my favorites of Biometrics and Cryptography.

The Next Generation Fingerprint Database Launched

Remember, I have written some previous Postings about the FBI replacing its current AFIS database???  Well, the project has been completed, and here are the details:  “MorphoTrak (Safran group), the FBI and Lockheed Martin have announced the successful launch of the Next Generation Identification (NGI) system. NGI incorporates the Morpho Biometric Search Services (MBSS) as the core processing and matching capability using 10 fingerprints . . . This milestone is the culmination of a highly competitive evaluation of system performance and long-term value.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8837/). 

Well, this is certainly big news.  I have reviewed the details of this endeavor before, so I am not going to rehash it all here.  But, what I will be most interested in are the issues and the controversies which will surround the use of this next generation fingerprint database.  Since ten Fingerprint Biometric Templates can now be stored and analyzed, believe me, there will be people who will complain about it, especially from the suspects whom are apprehended based by the evidence collected by this database.  I think the biggest complaint will be about violation of Civil Rights, and the Federal Government misuse of fingerprints.

Which Is Better: Hosted Or Embedded?

A Major Bridge Crossed

In today’s world, Security is fast becoming the one of the major issues businesses and organizations today.  But given the current economic conditions (even though they seem to be improving a little bit, and I guess it must be if even a skeptic like me will admit it), IT budgets are getting even tighter by the minute, and Security happens to be the last thing to get worked on.  Although it is much needed (especially when it comes to combating issues of Identity Theft), it gets overlooked and thrown to the side because of extremely scarce resources.  So, in order to stay within the tight budgets and minimize costs, businesses and organizations are now to trying to grapple with the question of how to implement a new Security system into an existing, or a legacy one. 

True, the best thing would be for a business to rip out their old Security system, and put in an entirely new one (even adding software patches and hardware upgrades can be very costly-by the time this all adds up, a business or organization is probably better off just putting a whole new thing in). But once again, given the cost factor associated, the need for the new to exist with the old and co habitate nicely with each other becomes paramount.  But, putting in a new Security system is not as easy as just simply installing it, there could be a lot of software/hardware integration issues with the old system, thus putting the business even further back when trying to fortify their defenses.  So what is a business owner to do???  Well, there could be a solution here. 

In the Press Release I came across today, a Biometrics Vendor known as “Precise Biometrics”, has just announced a solution in which a software solution can be easily integrated into a hardware device. 

Here are the details:  “Precise BioMatch Embedded is a software product that enables hardware companies to integrate fingerprint verification in their products. Precise Biometrics’ improved embedded offer makes it much easier for any hardware company to quickly integrate fingerprint verification . . . the main obstacle for integrating fingerprint recognition on a hardware platform has always been related to a complex design cycle – which impedes a quick time to market. As a result of this finding, Precise Biometrics has put a lot of effort into designing a software product that reduces time spent on integration significantly, and offers the manufacturer to launch a product with a much shorter design and test cycle, time – a crucial competitive factor in the hardware industry today . . . Through its modular design, Precise BioMatch Embedded offers the possibility for a manufacturer to choose functionalities and optimize the biometric performance depending on the application of the final product.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8842/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

If you could not tell from the above quote, this integration with the new and the old is just strictly related to Biometrics, primarily Fingerprint Recognition.  In fact, this whole new spectrum gives way to whole new line of Biometrics, known as “Embedded Biometrics Solutions”.  This simply means that a Biometrics solution can come as a prepackaged item, and fit easily into an existing system.  It is even expected that the demand for embedded solutions will increase as much as three fold in the coming five years or so.

While I think this is all great for a small business owner, one of the key questions comes down to can this level of integration between the old and the new be magnified on a scale to meet the entire needs of a business or organization, not just on the local level, like Fingerprint Recognition.  And for that matter, can this level of integration be extrapolated to other Security Technologies as well???  I mean not all businesses are going to be interested in Biometrics, so they would obviously like to see something in the way of embedded solutions for other Security Technologies as well. 

To be honest, even a small business owner like me, despite how easy an embedded Security solution is to implement, time and patience is a huge premium.  Just by human nature, we simply do not want to do more work than what we have to, or even what is necessary.  We simply love to pick things on an a la carte fashion, and have something up and running in just a matter of minutes.  Heck, even I am like this.  I don’t like wasting time or putting extra effort if I know I can just pick and choose something. 

So, in this regard, this paves the way for Hosted Biometrics Solutions, something I have written about before.  It has already started with Voice Biometrics, but for some reason or another, it has not taken off like fire yet.  With this, a small business owner can pick and choose what they want, and be set up with a Security solution in just a matter of minutes. Now how slick is that???  In my humble view, forget the embedded approach, at least when it comes to Biometrics and the Biometrics Industry as a whole.  Let us go the hosted route, and join “The Cloud”!!!

The Birth Of New Security

Making Online Purchases

Well, as many of you know, for some time now, there is one thing that has always eluded me, and it has been that security exam called the CISSP.  I started studying for it last year, but ended it up giving up the idea of taking it in 2010.  So now, after receiving a voucher to reschedule it, I plan to take it next year.  Really, I have no choice in this matter, I have to take the exam next year.  A couple of nights ago, I was looking online at some websites to see what study materials I could get for a reduced cost (believe me, these testing materials are pretty darn expensive).  I came across Amazon.com, and after a doing a key word search for “CISSP”, I noticed one big, thick book. 

Well, it happened to be an updated version of the book I was using before.  But the package I got was a real sweet deal.  For about $70 or so, not only did get the updated book, but I got another book full as well as CD’s full of practice exams.  I will be getting the package next week, and this time, I really have to start studying seriously.  On another note, I was actually pretty impressed with how quickly it was to purchase online at Amazon.com.  Just a few clicks, my order was placed, and within seconds, I got a confirmation e-mail that my package was sent.  And of course, I also paid attention to the all of the Security details when it came to making the online purchase (such as only the few digits of the credit card number appeared, 128 bit encryption was being enforced, etc.).  In this regard, Internet and Cyber Security continues to be an ever, exponentially increasing, uphill battle for not only customers but for the major Security Vendors as well. 

Today, I came across a Press Release which the Department of Commerce announced a new initiative called the “National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace”.  This initiative is being led amongst some of the largest Security Vendors here in Corporate America.  Here are the details:  “A newly developed Cross-Sector Digital Identity Initiative, led by Northrop Grumman Corporation, Microsoft, CA Technologies, and CertiPath was demonstrated today as a "Proof of Concept" for the administration's announcement of the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (http://www.nist.gov/nstic/) . . . Unveiled by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke during an event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the NSTIC identifies a set of guiding principles for accelerating the use of trusted digital identity credentials. The strategy aims to deploy a system that helps secure transactions on the Internet, improve the public's awareness and control of personal information and stimulate growth of online commerce . . . the Cross-Sector Digital Identity Initiative brings together private and public sector participants to demonstrate key NSTIC concepts and to identify barriers to adoption across technical, political, social and economic domains . . . The Cross-Sector Digital Identity Initiative will prove their concept -- a proposed "trusted architecture framework" -- through various real-life case scenarios. Today's scenario will show how mobile devices enabled with cloud-based, trusted identity credentials can be used to authenticate online transactions in a way that improves both security and privacy.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8836/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

As you can see from the above quote, these are some big name Security guys involved here.  So, even just by this, this is some serious stuff going on here.  The primary thrust of this initiative is to create some sort of common and uniform standards for the use of digital identity credentials.  In this light, this is where E-Commerce and online Security relies heavily upon the use of the principles and the constructs of Cryptography. 

Examples of this include private and public keys, tokens, digital certificates, public key infrastructure, the entire works.  But more importantly, one of the other goals of this key initiative embarked by the Federal Government is to create a sense of awareness of the importance of being proactive about Security with the American public.  And believe me, we all could use a lot more education in this regard (yes, even me, as I was totally caught off guard when my laptop was hit with a very nasty piece of Spyware).  Both the private and the public sectors are taking part, which touches across all foundries of our daily lives, including the political, economic, and even the social spheres. 

Ultimately, the overall arching theme is to create what is known as a “Trusted Architecture Framework”. As I read through the Press Release and wrote today’s Posting, it struck me that there were no direct Biometric Vendors involved here.  In today’s E-Commerce world, everybody involved has to make use of all available tools involved in order to combat the Identity Theft thieves whom lurk on the Web.  And, this includes the use of Biometrics.  When making an online purchase, it is the password which is the weakest link in the chain.  I mean, what is the good of having all this fancy Security stuff if all of the private and confidential information about a customer can be stolen because of a hijacked password???  In this regard, Biometrics can be used, as Single Sign On Solution, to replace the password when making online transactions. 

Oh, well, here is another idea:  Why can’t the Biometric Vendors and all of these Security Vendors mentioned in this Posting all come together and discuss a newer means of Security for E-Commerce called “Bio-Cryptography”???  This combines the elements as well as the theoretical constructs of Biometrics and Cryptography, and makes into a super-duper line of defense???  Bio-Cryptography is currently being studied, and is still at the birth stage.  Who knows, given the continual rise of Identity Theft, this could give rise to its explosion . . .  

The Week's Roundup-Happy Easter

Ending The Week

As we come close to the end of the another yet busy work week, there is always exciting news happening yet once again in the Biometrics Industry.  To me, the news in the Biometrics Industry always comes in dribs and drabs, but once the news comes, it makes the headlines.  In other words, to use the analogies, it is feast or famine, or when it rains, it pours.  OK, so here is what is happening. 

A Major Award

The Biometrics/Security Vendor known as “Lockheed Martin” has just received a major award, and is also making progress in its project with regards to upgrading a massive Biometrics database.  Here are the details into this:  “Lockheed Martin has been named the North American Biometrics Operations and Integrations "Company of the Year" by Frost and Sullivan, recognizing the Corporation's success in delivering innovative biometrics solutions that offer high levels of customer value . . . Frost and Sullivan based the award on a rigorous analysis of the biometrics marketplace, including factors such as customer value, industry leadership, growth and performance. The award was presented at the Frost and Sullivan Best Practices Award Banquet, April 12, 2011, in Marco Island, Fla.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8825/).  Here are the details into them with upgrades into the database:  “The Lockheed Martin led Next Generation Identification (NGI) team is beginning to fully develop and deploy a capability that will enhance the FBI’s latent fingerprint matching accuracy and introduce palm print matching to the system. Development efforts began after a successful Critical Design Review (CDR) for the system’s Increment 3 . . . The milestone came just weeks after the FBI declared Initial Operating Capability on NGI’s Increment 1 fingerprint matching capability.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8821/).  To be honest, I was sort of surprised to hear that this Biometrics Vendor actually won this award.  They are no doubt a force to be reckoned with in terms of Biometrics, but I really thought that the award would come down to a Biometrics Vendor with a Biometrics sounding name, devoted exclusively to the industry.  When I think of Lockheed Martin, I always think of aircraft and aircraft engines (probably because the image of the L-1011keeps coming to my mind).  This award was based upon a number of key factors, which included customer value, performance, growth, and various types and kinds leadership attributes.  My hats off to this Biometrics Vendor.  With regards to the second part, remember some time ago I had written some stuff about the AFIS database being replaced by a new database called “NGIS”???  Essentially, this is a massive and gargantuan database which can hold tons of Biometric Templates, primarily Fingerprint Recognition Biometric Templates.  I am not going to rehash all of the details again here, but it is a rather significant milestone that the 3^rd phase is now being reached.  Apparently, this database is now up and running, and even operational, to some degree.  This new database will provide law enforcement officials with much more efficient and effective access to the Fingerprint Biometric Templates, focusing upon criminals like wanted persons, sex offenders, terrorists, etc.

A Partnership Announced

Two rather large Biometrics/Security Vendors has just announced a strategic partnership, and these are “ADITime”, and “Ingersoll Rand Security”.  They both specialize in Time and Attendance applications.  Here are the details of this:  “ADI Time, a  developer of cloud computing time and attendance management software-as-a-service (SaaS) for small- to mid-sized businesses and divisions of large enterprises, has established a partnership with Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies, a leading global provider of hand geometry-based Schlage HandPunch biometric terminals for collecting time and attendance information. The business partnership entails purchase of Schlage Biometrics' full product line, including F-Series and the new GT-400 HandPunch terminals, directly . . . To complement our popular SaaS subscription service and licensed time and attendance software, ADI Time was seeking a strong alliance with a leading provider of biometric terminals in order to address the needs of our partner and user communities," explains ADI Time CEO John DiPippo. "Partnering with Ingersoll Rand provides us with both a uniquely differentiated product via Schlage's hand readers, and a direct relationship with an organization that has the size, product breadth, and industry leadership to ensure we are in the best position to delight our customers and maximize market exposure.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8822/). Ingersoll Rand is one of those Biometrics Vendors which have been basically around since the start of time.  They have pioneered the development of Hand Geometry Recognition, and I know this for a fact, because I used to sell these devices in my first Biometrics business.  The Hand Geometry Scanners are used for both Physical Access Entry as well as Time and Attendance applications.  To me, this partnership is very unique.  How so?  Well, ADITime specializes in creating workforce management solutions are cloud based, or also known as “SaaS”, and the details of this can be seen in the above quote.  For the longest time, I have always been advocating of having Biometrics as a hosted solution.  True, there is Voice Recognition which is already a hosted application, but this partnership makes this possibility into that much of a reality.  For instance, Hand Geometry Recognition is probably the oldest of the Biometric Technologies around, and having this as a hosted solution will be a great boon for many customers who rely upon Biometrics for their Time and Attendance needs.  From my understanding, ADITime will be providing the hosted component, and Ingersoll Rand Security will be providing the hardware component, which is the Hand Geometry Scanners.  It will truly be interesting to see how things turn out here.  I will keep my eyes on it.  Oh, and remember just yesterday I had written a Posting about some recent buyout activity???  Well, my projection is that there could be some of these Security Vendors with hosted application tying up with Biometrics Vendors in order to provide what I call “BaaS”:  Biometrics as a Service.

A New Buying Trend

Merger And Acquisition News

Well, it has been a while since I have written about any major M and A activity from within the Biometrics Industry.  Lately, I have been writing about applications, and my rantings and ravings about the Federal Government involvement in Biometrics.  The Biometrics Industry is not one to see a lot of buyout activity, but when it does happen, it happens with a huge bang.  It for sure makes the headline news.  The most recent activity which happened occurred in the 4^th quarter of 2010, when there was something like 3 major ones. 

And, these were utterly huge.  I think there may have been one or two smaller ones I have written about.  But it has been some time, so here goes the news.  A Biometrics/Security Vendor known as “CSIdentity Corporation” has just announced it has rather successfully completed the 100% buyout of another Biometrics/Security Vendor, known as “IdentityTruth, Inc.”.  Both of these Vendors specialize in Identity Theft, but the latter focuses a lot more on Biometrics Solutions, primarily upon Voice Recognition. 

Here are the details of this latest M and A activity:  “CSIdentity Corporation, the industry's leading provider of wholesale identity theft protection and fraud detection solutions, has successfully completed its acquisition of IdentityTruth, Inc., a privately-held company based in Waltham, Massachusetts. The acquisition complements CSIdentity's industry leading product and service offerings by adding the IdentityTruth proprietary technology and analytics to its product set . . . CSIdentity funded the acquisition of IdentityTruth with cash from existing profits and funds from Investcorp Technology Partners, its anchor investor. "IdentityTruth represents a logical extension of CSIdentity's product portfolio and will make a significant contribution to the high growth trajectory CSIdentity is operating on," said Alex Guira, co-head of Investcorp Technology Partners . . . CSIdentity now employs more than 80 employees in Austin, Texas, San Diego, California and Waltham, Massachusetts and has a growing technology and patent portfolio unmatched by other identity theft solution providers.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8815/).  

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

As mentioned, this deal is mostly one dealing with Identity Theft products and solutions. The buyer is going to use the buyees intellectual property to complement its own line.  What is interesting is that this buyout is not being funded with internal resources, such as stock swaps or using existing cash on the balance sheet.  A bulk of the funding is coming from an outside investor, as can be seen in the above quote. 

So far, all of the M and A activity I have written about, I believe has come from internal funding sources.  But if you look at it from another perspective, the fact that an outside capital investor is willing to front the cash needed means that there could very well be some optimistic signs that the economy could be on some sort of recovery.  Granted, this is just one investor out of who knows how many hundreds of thousands here in the United States, but as of recent, how many headlines have you heard of external funders coming in???  Very, very few, if any.  There are always two sides to everything, and thus it is very important to look at things from this angle.  As a result of this buyout activity, the buyer will now have a much larger workforce, employing some 80+ people. 

What is my take on all of this???  Continue to expect this kind of buyout activity well into the future.  As long as the threats and risks posed by Identity Theft are still out there, the Security Vendors will do whatever they can to keep up, even if it means enormous amounts of takeovers.  For example, according to the Press Release, just in 2010 alone, some 11,000,000,000 + Americans were victims of Identity Theft, close to 90% of businesses and organizations worldwide have been impacted, and just in the United States alone, the costs of Identity Theft are as much as $54 Billion.  So, these statistics only back up my hypothesis and projections just that much more.  But, watch for another interesting trend to occur. 

As the risks posed to Identity Theft continue to proliferate in the near future, watch for these Security Vendors who specialize in this area to outright purchase some Biometrics Vendors. Why do I say this???  Well, as mentioned the Security Vendors are in a cat and mouse game to try to keep up with the attackers.  It’s a never ending battle.  But, by incorporating another type of unique solution, such as Biometrics, will just add another arsenal to the Security portfolio.  I mean why try to invent something when you can just buyout the intellectual property of another company, rebrand it, and make it your own???  Who knows, maybe the next Posting I write on this will be about this very type of M and A activity.  So, stay tuned . . .

The New World Trade Center

Remembering 9/11

9/11 is a day which we will never ever forget.  The worst act of terrorism on United States soil.  I remember where I was that fateful day.  I was supposed fly on that day, of all places to Washington, DC to attend a Biometrics Conference.  At the cost of 3,000+ innocent lives, there were many questions asked and answered (and still many remain unanswered), and many lessons learned.  But no need to rehash all that, we hear it in the news papers and online on an almost daily basis.  The important thing, is to look forward. 

So with that in mind, construction for the new site has begun a few years, and what was to be known as the “Freedom Tower” is now to be known as simply “One World Trade Center”.  Once it is completed, it will be some 1,776 feet tall (see the sense of symbolism here???), and will be the tallest building in the mainland United States.  I did some web searching on the status of all this, and rather than filling in the detail in this Posting, a ton of information can be seen at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_World_Trade_Center.  As construction continues and eventually comes to a complete stop, there is no doubt that Security will be of the prime and upmost concern as well priority.  So, it is with this in mind, I would like to provide an update in this regard.  The Press Release I came across mentions some new and serious Security for the new site, and the Security/Biometrics Vendor known as “Diebold, Inc.” is mentioned. 

Here are the details on this update:  “The WTC Transportation Hub, which is located on the historic WTC site, will include integrated state-of-the-art solutions comprising video surveillance, access control and alarm devices all through the hub that will host more than a quarter million travelers a day. Diebold's integrated surveillance system will enable the Port Authority to monitor all areas of the WTC Transportation Hub, including entrances, exits, rail platforms and other pedestrian zones, as well as high-priority areas such as electrical and telecommunication rooms. The implementation will also integrate existing PATH cameras, providing a consolidated view of the entire site . . . Diebold is also building a centralized security command and control center for the new 4 World Trade Center tower with numerous complex, security-related components, including biometric access control, video, destination-based elevator control and a stairwell crossing system. Diebold also implemented a perimeter security video and access control system, which is being used to secure the entire WTC site during construction.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8808/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

When all is said and done, the WTC Transportation Hub (as mentioned up above in the quote) will apparently be the 3^rd largest center of transportation in the entire state of New York, thus making it a huge population place of people.  This transportation center will serve some eleven subway lines (also linking the WTC site to a bulk of the ferry lines), and is expected to, over time, cater some 250,000+ commuters, on a daily basis. 

So as you can see, protecting and securing this site is on everybody’s mind.  To do this, the Security/Biometrics Vendor all types and kinds of Security Technologies which include of course Biometrics, Smart Cards, CCTV Cameras, Physical Access Control devices, alarms, you name it.  All of these will protect just about every corner of the new WTC site, and some of the details of it can be seen in the above quote as well.  And to add more to the Security artillery, this Security/Biometrics Vendor will be implementing a command and control center to make sure all of this is working properly, and at peak and maximum levels.  Heck, even a perimeter Security solution is in place to protect the construction site. 

What is my take on all of this???  Well, it all goes back to what I have been preaching before:  Technology is great, but is not the cure all.  What it all comes down to is just one very simple thing:  Human vigilance and proactiveness.  And when something does not seem right, report it to the law enforcement authorities (and hopefully they will do their job as well).  Probably the best way to exemplify this is when the reports were starting to come out about the terrorists, and the way they acted during their flight training.  They only wanted to learn to fly in certain directions and angles (in order to create the most effect when crashing the planes) . 

The flight instructors thought that this was very odd behavior to exhibit for a flying student, but never did do anything to report it.  Had this transpired, the authorities could have backtracked on the would be terrorists, and discovered their motives.  In this regard, it is quite likely that 9/11 could have been avoided.  As I mentioned up above, there were many lessons learned.  Hopefully this will be another one learned, and applied.  It should not take the sacrifice of another 3,000+ precious and innocent lives to figure this one out.

Let's Take A Trip To Poland

One Part Of The World

Security is an item (for lack of a better term) which affects everybody, everything, and knows no geographic constraints.  While this possesses enormous market potential for all of the Security and Biometrics Vendors out there, this huge market can also mean very murky waters of what to develop and what to produce for the end user, and other types and kinds of customers. 

And with regards to no geographic bounds, developing Security products and solutions can become even trickier and more complex, because the cultural and economic differences around the world dictates what should be developed.  Probably one of the most important variables is the latter:  the economic state of each country.  Logic dictates that countries who have a rather “decent” economy will demand more in the way of products and services, and those whose economy is in poorer condition will not demand as much, with way to Security.  But we are seeing the opposite with Biometrics. 

The Biometrics Industry is seeing much greater demand and boom in the developing nations (with less spending power) as opposed to the developed nations where demand can be considered negligible (especially here in the United States).  So, this brings us to today’s topic.  We see demand for Security (especially Biometrics) continue to be strong, and even continue to grow in a country which still can be considered to be developing.  And that country is Poland. 

From a Press Release I saw today, a very well known market research firm known as “Frost and Sullivan” just released a study called “Physical Security Market in Poland”, and here are some of the highlights of this study:  “Market participants and end users are increasingly aware of the importance of technical security. This trend, coupled with the recent consolidation activities in the manned guarding market, is gradually causing a positive shift in the structure of the physical security market in Poland . . . Growth is being driven by the falling prices of electronic security equipment and the consolidation of the manned guarding market . . . There are significant growth opportunities in monitoring systems and IP technology, with systems integrators emerging as the main candidates for rapidly saturating the IP market due to their pre-existing IT knowledge and business practices. Otherwise, manned guarding and installation companies are spurring the proliferation of intrusion detection and CCTV systems among end users, with the two technologies accounting for 90 per cent of the total revenues generated from the three technologies.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/8813/). 

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

Here is a summary of the findings, and my takes on it:

*In Poland, there is a growing consensus in general, that Security is fast becoming a very important issues, and of the key demands will be that for Physical Access Entry, focusing upon the “manned guarding market”;

*Based upon my calculations, by 2015 (revenues are expected to reach 2,925.9 Million Euros) there will be almost a 78% growth rate in the Physical Access Entry market in Poland, with intrusion detection and video surveillance being the prime market drivers (it is projected that these two Security solutions will account for 90% of the revenues alone, driven by sales from the various system integrators);

*Some of the biggest places for demand for physical Security will be hotels and sporting venues;

*Falling prices for physical Security hardware is amongst one of the biggest factors for the increase in Poland;

*Despite the above positive signs mentioned, the biggest variables which could hinder the growth for the Physical Access Entry market in Poland will the sluggish construction industry, and the respective lack of investments in this sector.

In my view, although Biometrics was not specifically mentioned, Poland represents a great market for the Biometrics Vendors, especially those that are focusing upon Physical Access Entry. 

Of course, the construction industry needs to pick back up again there, and this is all contingent upon the recovery from the global recession.  This industry is not lacking just in Poland, but worldwide, and even here in the United States.  But personally, I think a lucrative market could be for Facial Recognition. Right now, it is being used heavily in conjunction with CCTV cameras (which is slated to have a huge demand, as you can see from up above), and as far as I know, there has not been too much demand for it in Poland. 

I think Fingerprint Recognition and Hand Geometry Recognition are probably saturated markets there, thus there will be demand for something different which can be implemented into a Multimodal Security Solution, and Facial Recognition will be it.  Let’s if I can put my money where my mouth is with this rather bold prediction.  It is projected that if all this materializes, Poland will have a rather robust Security model which will closely resemble that of Western Europe.

Is It Really Your Kid???

Whose Baby Is It???

You know, the world’s population is growing by leaps and bounds.  The world’s population is at some 6 Billion people right now, and is far expected to surpass those levels who knows when.  A major thrust of this growth comes from the huge population centers and cities in India and China.  Even despite the policies of various governments around the world to limit the number of children per couple, the population still continues to grow at an ever exploding rate.  It is not the goal of this Posting or even this blog site to discuss how to manage the world’s growth, but what this Posting is about ways in which people can be properly verified and/or identified in the face of this rising growth.  And yep, you got it, Biometrics is once again in the limelight (hard guess, huh???). 

Biometrics has always been the tool used to confirm, without a doubt, the verification of individuals, from the moment they are born.  Granted, it may not be used everywhere, especially here in the United States, but in the developing parts of the world, where verification and identification technologies are still primitive, Biometrics is the one which provides the proverbial “smoking gun”.  And, the use of Biometrics in these parts of the world is very often used to verify and/or identify twins right after birth.  Today, I came across a news article (albeit a brief one) which provides further insights into separating twins, based upon their Biometrics.  Studies were conducted at Michigan State University.  

This research project is known as “Multimodal Traits of Identical Twins”.  And as usual, here are the details of this:  “The requirement for biometric systems to accurately determine the identity of a person who has an identical twin becomes more important with the rise in twin births. Anatomy and the formation process of the biometric characteristic, which state they are different even in identical twins due to a number of random factors during the gestation period supports the discriminability of some of the identical twin biometric traits, such as fingerprints, iris and palmprints . . . Unimodal finger biometric systems were show in these experiments to distinguish two different persons who are not identical twins better than they can distinguish identical twins; this difference is not as significant in the iris biometric system, and is much larger in the face biometric system . . . The best performance is shown in multimodal biometric systems that combine different units of the same biometric modality (e.g. multiple fingerprints or left and right irises), achieving an almost perfect separation between genuine and impostor distributions.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/articles/i/8803/).

Final Thoughts On Today’s Posting

A number of key thoughts come across my mind here:

*Both types of Biometrics Technologies classifications were utilized in this study, which includes both the unimodal (using one Biometric), and the multimodal approach (where two or more Biometrics are used);

*In this study, a representative sample of 66 families with twins were utilized (is this a big enough sample?  It could very well be, but I think perhaps a much greater statistical representation would perhaps provide more insight???);

*When the unimodal approach was used, it could verify and/or identify different individuals much better than trying to confirm the identity of individual twins;

*The performance results increased greatly when mulitmodal Biometrics were used.  But the key thing to remember here is that multimodal is not defined by using different types and kinds of Biometric Technologies, but rather using the same one (like Fingerprint Recognition, Facial Recognition, or even Iris Recognition) from different perspectives (like examining the iris twins using the same technology from the same Biometrics Vendor, but angling the template extraction process from both the left and right sides of the Iris).

Some number of years ago, I wrote an article about Retinal Recognition.  In it, I wrote, that the retina possesses enough rich and unique data that it can even discriminate against identical twins (in other words, even identical twins have different retinal structures).  So, the finding in bullet point #3 comes as a surprise to me as sorts. 

Heck, even I thought Iris Recognition could do the trick as well.  Well, irregardless of what Biometric Technology is used, this study simply underscores the significance of the social aspects of trying to confirm the identification of identical twins. 

It can be a very difficult task to achieve, but Biometrics will just make it that much easier.  And in countries where the population keeps booming on an ever increasing basis, like China and India, ascertaining an accurate count of twins becomes of even greater and more critical importance, so they can be recognized in the eyes of their own government and receive their fair share of entitlements and benefits as they mature and grown in their lifetimes.