SmartMetric, Inc., a Wall Street company, has developed a means to reliably answer this deceptively simple question. It has developed the world's first practical fingerprint microchip/sensor for use in any type of wallet-sized plastic card-credit cards, ID cards, smart cards, drivers licenses, passports and more.
Affordable and portable, SmartMetric's technology stores a person's fingerprint profile in digital form on the microchip. To activate the card for any purpose, the person touches the card in the designated area; readings are 99.999% accurate, even if the person's hands are dirty or calloused.
SmartMetric's biometric ID technology has applications in dozens of fields, especially in the credit, medical, military, banking, technology, and transportation industries. State and federal governments have already expressed interest in the product due to its simplicity and dependability.
"We believe this is the most sophisticated, yet functional security and identity solution in the world," said Colin Hendrick, president and CEO of SmartMetric, Inc. "Not only is the technology reliable, but it simplifies the entire process of identity authentication since no central fingerprint database is required. Everything that's needed is on the card itself."
Cards using SmartMetric fingerprint sensing technology can be deployed in two forms: a contact card suitable for use in smart card readers, ATM machines and other situations where the card is inserted in a reader; and a contactless card employing RF (radio frequency) signaling for use in building lobbies, schools and other locations where fast throughput of individuals is desirable.
The contactless version can also be used within wireless networks to establish identity before logging on to computer networks.
SmartMetric was formed in 2002 to develop and market this groundbreaking technology. Hendrick, an inventor and software engineer, created the on-card microchip sensor and reader technology and has patents and patents pending.
"The SmartMetric superthin microprocessor includes flash memory and a rechargeable power supply," Hendrick notes. "It is essentially a nano PC, making it suitable for a wide range of digital and/or software-based applications with the proper initial programming."
In addition to its other uses, SmartMetric technology can be employed as a "gatekeeper" for personal computer settings. By validating the person's identity at the beginning of a computer session, the card can not only establish pre-set desktop preferences automatically, but also create a secure environment for online shopping, instant form filling, and other financial or personal activities.
Cost per user of SmartMetric-powered cards support mass deployment, with economies of scale in production making the card even more affordable. SmartMetric has working prototypes of the card in various formats available for evaluation.