Biometric devices are more practical and affordable

With innovations in the field of biometrics, manufacturers are integrating biometric technology with several other security devices to offer fool-proof security

By Richa Chakravarty

Monday, July 21, 2014: According to a Frost & Sullivan report, the biometrics market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 48 per cent to touch US$ 359 million by 2016. Biometric technology became popular in India with the UIDAI project. Today, the government and businesses are increasingly adopting biometric devices, as these have become more practical and affordable.

Devices to recognise fingerprints, the iris, retina, face and hand geometry are now commonly used. Signature verification and voice verification devices are also in widespread use. Here is a sneak peek at some of the new biometric devices available in the country.

What’s new in the market

With technological advancements, manufacturers are integrating biometric technology with several other security devices to offer fool-proof security. Keeping the consumers’ requirements and the changing trends in mind, players are offering complete biometric systems. For instance, advanced devices integrate the face identification feature with an inbuilt camera to capture the images of the employees while marking their attendance.

Also, the latest cloud technology helps users to save huge amounts of money by spending on static IP that synchronises data with a central server in a remote location.

Fingerprint identification: The fingerprint biometric devices used for time attendance at work places are among the most popular and common biometric devices across industries, including office complexes, manufacturing units, the hospitality sector, etc.

Fingerprint identification devices with particle image velocimetry (PIV) sensors are the new entrants into the market. PIV technology can identify each particle in an image, using which eSSL Pvt Ltd launched the X990 time attendance and access control terminal, featuring a new fingerprint algorithm that provides very fast and accurate identification. It can verify fingerprints within 0.5 seconds. “X990 can be used in multi-factor authentication that supports fingerprint, password and mifare card. It comes with standard TCP/IP, RS-232/485, a USB-host, USB-client, optional Wi-Fi and GPRS connectivity, and battery backup,” says Ankit Shrivastava, regional head channel sales, eSSL Pvt Ltd.

Several innovations have taken place in the fingerprint reader field in recent years. For instance, manufacturers are increasingly offering sophisticated mobile fingerprint readers such as sub-dermal fingerprint readers, which read patterns of blood vessels or tissue beneath the fingerprint, making identity management more accurate and secure.

Facial recognition: Recent technology in facial recognition is addressing and overcoming the challenges posed by image quality (lighting, angle, resolution, obstructions). The latest technology being used is 3D facial recognition—individuals can be identified as they walk past the sensor. The technology involves a 3D vision system, similar to the human optical system. It creates a 3D human face based on the dimensions and measurements taken by the sensor and matches it with the templates available in the database within three to four seconds. Most of the manufacturers integrate the facial recognition feature with time and attendance machines.

Fortuna Impex launched two new biometric models in April 2013. Informs Soumen Ray, general manager, sales and marketing, Fortuna Impex Pte Ltd, “The face recognition based system is the new technology added to our access control and time attendance solution. This technology offers a high level of accuracy as it uses the most natural biological features, compared to the traditional technologies available in the market. It is hygienic and completely contactless, and the results are unaffected by the viruses around.”

Secureye launched its S-B600 time and attendance-cum-access control machine with the face identification facility in May 2014. “It is based on a 600 DPI sensor and auto adopt technology with 360 degree rotational matching. It increases the matching speed of the device faster than other devices in the industry,” shares Krishna Mohan, product manager, biometric and access control, Fortune Marketing Pvt Ltd.

Intellix Security Solutions’ FAC-300 is an advanced face recognition terminal that uses high quality infra-red cameras to scan facial features and to verify identity. It is designed to cater to the demand for a contactless solution, while maintaining its quality, performance and high reliability. Also, its FaceLock-2 electronic door lock can be customised to accommodate dozens of users. It can be remotely operated, as it is easy to grant and revoke access privileges from users’ computers.

Palm readers and iris recognition systems: Matrix Comsec is all set to launch a palm vein reader (PVR) based door controller for the highest security and to overcome hygiene concerns. It is an IP65 certified touch screen door controller with PoE connectivity. “COSEC door PVR is a highly secure and contactless biometric device that works by reading the vascular pattern of the palm. Being contactless and technologically advanced, it is appropriate for places like hospitals, chemical industries, factories, corporate houses, R&D centres, etc, where security and hygiene cannot be compromised,” informs Jatin Desai, product manager, security products, Matrix Comsec India Pvt Ltd.

4G Identity Solutions has introduced eAccess, an integrated access control system that has been specifically designed to meet the demands of high speed identification and smart access control in highly secure premises. The system is integrated with iris recognition technology that enables real time identification in less than one second, using a database comprising hundreds of thousands of subjects. The best part is that eAccess can be easily integrated with existing security and access control systems of an organisation and is highly scalable.

Logical access control solutions: This is the next big growth area for biometrics, particularly with respect to mobile devices. Today’s smartphones can capture voice, face and even hand geometry biometrics without resorting to add-on scanners or other peripherals. In future, tablets can be used for security clearance in organisations, as they can capture enough physical information to authorise the entry of personnel. Today, most of the laptops and smartphones offer biometric features like voice recognition or iris recognition. So, users will not have to use a new password to secure their phones or laptops. Some of the major players in this space include Samsung, Lenovo, Apple, etc.

How to choose the right device

As a wide range of biometric devices are available in the market, a buyer must evaluate the product and the credibility of the manufacturer. The next important factor to keep in mind is the software, which plays an important role. Biometric devices are high end technology products; hence, it is important to know if the manufacturer offers in-house developed software to protect the interests of the buyer.

It is equally important for users to know their requirements as well — whether they need a multi-functional biometric device (currently used in factories or offices purely for attendance records), or whether a high end sensitive device like a 3D face scanner would serve the purpose better.

The next consideration is the security offered by the device and its supporting systems. As data gathered from biometric devices is sensitive, it should be transferred to a tamper-proof device, transmitted over an encrypted channel and stored in an encrypted database. 

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