This is exactly an area in which we could see the breakthrough for Identix, although I'm less certain about the immediacy than you are -- maybe because I'm not holding options.
Mastercard is surely working with IDT, and has been for years. If anyone is locked into IDX-brand biometrics, it's Mastercard. The question has always been, will they deploy? And . . . when?
I don't believe Mastercard is in position to deploy yet, certainly not within weeks. For one thing, they have not finished with pilot testing, and they need to have all the bugs out in this kind of a system. For another, IDX/MOT have not even introduced a POS reader (or any other hardware product, given the DFR-300 delay), let alone in the quantities that Mastercard is going to need upon deployment. Finally, even the biometrics on a smart card is in preliminary pilot . . . so that part of the puzzle isn't quite ready yet, either.
Our speculations on AmEx and Visa are even less informed.
By the way, I don't agree with you that any AFIS deal is going to move the stock or scare the shorts. It hasn't worked that way for quite a while now. The best we can hope for is that the slipped $6M was well enough in hand to keep the stock price solid upon Tuesday's (.11) announcement, and keep us from a short selling attack.
I am waiting for COMDEX for the next chance at big news. |
