Begin Accessing New Revenues With Biometrics
No Single Biometric Technology Is a Perfect Fit for All Settings
Biometric technologies are complementary; each version meets specific needs in the marketplace. But which technology is right for your individual customer applications?
To answer this important question, a prudent course of action is to concentrate on the two most widely used biometrics. That entails ruling out facial and iris biometric technologies, since they are nearly exclusive to high security or highly specific applications. (In the event face and iris solutions are necessary for a security-intensive environment, you can bet your client’s security department will eagerly specify these mo
re complex biometrics.)
Typically, fingerprint readers offer good protection and reliability in smaller, indoor applications such as server room doors. As the user population grows beyond 100, thereby increasing the number of access transactions, hand geometry readers become the better choice. With dramatically lower false reject and failure to enroll rates, the value of hand geometry grows as the number of users and/or transactions increase. Not only do they keep the bad guys out, hand geometry readers ensure the good guys gain access in any size application. This added layer of flexibility is the reason why hand geometry readers cost a little more.
Here’s the bottom line on throughput: In small applications with 50 or even 100 people, the slight inconvenience caused by the higher error rates of fingerprint readers is not a big problem. However, when 100 or more people create large numbers of transactions, such as 50,000 to 250,000 daily transactions at San Francisco Int’l Airport, it is a very big deal.
For low-volume openings, however, cost is a key consideration and fingerprint products meet that need, while adding much greater security compared to card-only configurations. For instance, a fingerprint reader is ideal for a lab area accessed by 10, 20 or 30 people. Solutions for similarly-sized applications have been a major growth area for fingerprint products. These diminutive units squeeze into small areas, like at the door to a medical cabinet.
Fingerprint readers are also a perfect choice for single-person verification applications, such as in logical access control, where they are used to log onto PCs or computer networks. In fact, this is another fast-growing fingerprint application.
Hand geometry readers are the installation choice for outdoors or harsh environments. The core technology of these units allow for operation in inclement weather, including severe temperature fluctuations. Special enclosures help fend off vandals and resist storms, while still allowing easy access for the user.
Tailor the Solution to the Application, Organizational Needs
Biometric readers can be standalone or networked and integrated easily into all popular access control and/or time and attendance systems. If a customer is using a smart card, biometric sales will naturally follow because such end users are already implementing newer and more secure technologies. They will be receptive to your biometric message.
Best of all, biometrics for the most part look just like a card reader to an access control system. Dealers and integrators need to be familiar with the differing systems.
Standalone systems — Many biometrics are available in a standalone configuration. Such devices are not only a biometric but also a complete door controller for a single door. Users are enrolled at the unit and their biometric template is stored locally for subsequent comparison. The actual comparison is accomplished within the unit and a lock output is energized depending on the outcome.
Networked systems — Many access control applications control more than one door. While multiple standalone units could be deployed, a network of biometric readers offers many advantages. The most obvious is centralized monitoring of the system. Alarm conditions and activity for all the doors in the system are reported back to the security management system. All transactions are stored on the computer’s disk drive and can be recalled for a variety of user-customized reports.
Networked systems also provide convenient template management. Although a user enrolls at one location, their template is available at other authorized locations. Deletion of a user or changes in their access profile is simply entered at the PC. Some biometric systems store all information centrally where template comparisons are also performed. Others distribute template information to the individual readers at each door. Either way, the net effect of template management is the same.
Smart card systems — Integrating biometrics with smart cards is fast becoming the de facto access control solution that leading dealers are adding onto the systems they sell. As costs of smart cards are coming down and their usage is more widespread, biometric devices can leverage the secure data storage they provide.
For example, a single smart card can store both the user’s ID number and biometric template. This negates the need to distribute hand templates across a network of readers or require the access control system to manage biometric templates. Therefore, integration to any existing access control application is greatly simplified, eliminating extra network infrastructure costs. Because the template only resides on the card, the solution also eases individual privacy concerns.
A smart card reader is embedded into the biometric reader. A plastic cardholder is affixed to the side of the unit. The verification process takes approximately one second and is virtually foolproof.
With the hand reader, the hand template requires only 9 bytes to define the hand, the smallest in the biometric industry. This ensures response times are fast and that the smart card can maximize its benefits by offering users increased room for other applications.
In addition, the implementation supports multiple secure applications on the smart cards. Possible applications include the storage of additional information to allow for secure logon to a PC or laptop and accessing the company’s network using fingerprint biometrics.
If your customers are using or purchasing a smart card access control solution, and you haven’t sold them on biometrics, you are simply leaving money on the table.
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