We've interviewed a leading vendor in each of those segments to help you understand the state of their respective arts, channel strategies and fastest-growing markets. Finger-Pointing Fingerprint scanning is the most widely used and inexpensive biometric technology. Law-enforcement applications must store the complete image of a finger pad. It is impossible to reconstruct a complete fingerprint from this partial template, eliminating that privacy concern. Also, minutiae templates can be compared in less time than it takes to type a password, and can be stored in just 200 to 1,000 bytes.
Many users have multiple passwords, compounding the administrative costs.
Identix licenses its reader technology to such OEMs as Compaq, Dell and Toshiba. The company also works with large integrators, such as EDS and SAIC, providing them with software, training and leads. Those providers include banks, ISPs, wireless carriers and other companies operating on a subscription model. They have nothing to do with fingerprints, a point that allays many worries about Big Brother. The measurements are recorded in as few as 9 bytes, enabling storage of many templates on a standalone device.