Veridicom news:Subj: Veridicom Launches Third-generation Fingerprint Chip...
Date: 9/11/00 8:17:53 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: AOL News
Veridicom Launches Third-generation Fingerprint Chip Designed for Easy Integration of Strong Authentication Into Internet Appliances, PCs & Mobile Phones
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 11, 2000--
New FPS200 Integrates Higher Security, On-Chip Communication Options, Lower Power Consumption
and Higher Durability for Portable Applications
Veridicom, Inc., the leader in fingerprint-based e-business authentication devices and services, today introduced its third-generation fingerprint sensor chip with a host of new features and capabilities. Aimed at e-commerce requirements for convenient, strong authentication in a compact, portable format, the FPS200 makes it feasible to add strong biometric authentication essential to protecting sensitive data and assuring user privacy in a digital world. The FPS200 features three built-in interface communication modes, lower power consumption, and increased ruggedness for harsh portable environments.
"The FPS200 marks a significant breakthrough in size, performance, accuracy, and specially designed features for fingerprint authentication in next-generation, ultra-compact portable computers, communications devices and Internet appliances," said Mike D'Amour, Veridicom's president and CEO. "Our new chip offers enabling technology that will make it possible for business-to-business e-commerce to expand at even faster rates with greater user confidence and trust."
"As the volume of Internet transactions continues to grow and the devices to make those transactions continue to shrink, user trust and authentication issues will be crucial to the future of e-commerce," said Chris Christiansen, program director for International Data Corp.'s (IDC) Internet security research. "Veridicom's new FPS200 fingerprint sensor chip, with its smaller size and improved authentication accuracy, will help manufacturers of portable devices alleviate the security concerns that could hamper e-commerce growth by making fingerprint authentication easier to integrate and verification of identity more precise."
"When Key Source began planning to include fingerprint authentication sensors in its custom keyboards, ease of integration and high performance were at the top of our list," said Phil Bruno, vice president of sales and marketing at Key Source International. "Veridicom's FPS200 sensor chip was our first choice because it has made design-in of highly functional authentication extremely practical. The FPS200's power savings, high accuracy and ruggedness have all been important characteristics considering that our products are made for particularly demanding and rough environments."
Enhanced Image: The new chip introduces ImageSeek(TM), Veridicom's advanced fingerprint imaging technology that improves accuracy and opens the FPS200 to a wider range of applications and usage environments. ImageSeek marks a breakthrough in increased accuracy and higher security for fingerprint authentication because of its ability to extract fingerprint images accurately under a variety of environmental conditions. It features a programmable gain control and feedback mechanism that takes multiple images of a fingerprint in only a fraction of a second. Each image is independently obtained at an adjustable sensitivity level and then the highest quality image is selected. False accept and reject rates are lowered with ImageSeek because it captures high quality fingerprint images by adjusting for environmental humidity or skin characteristics. The FPS200 is one of the highest resolution sensors available, extracting a 500 dpi image of a fingerprint at higher speeds than existing silicon sensor technologies.
Higher Integration: The FPS200 marks the industry's first fingerprint sensor chip to integrate three modes of interface communications allowing designers to save on integration expenses. The built-in universal serial bus (USB) core interface provides high-performance fingerprint image output up to 13 frames per second (fps). An integrated microprocessor control unit (MCU) mode makes it possible to achieve 30 fps and a peripheral interface (ISP) mode for non-PC applications is also included.
Lower Power: The FPS200's new power-saving design includes standby power consumption of only 20 microAmps to preserve portable battery life. The chip also saves power with a new automatic finger detection feature that interrupts the CPU whenever a finger is placed on the sensor, eliminating the need for constant polling.
Ruggedness: Veridicom's new FPS200 chip -- available in a custom TQFP package measuring 24 mm by 24 mm -- is only 1.4 mm thick. The surface is scratch-resistant and extremely chemical resistant. To prevent damage from pens or other common objects that can contact the chip surface, Veridicom uses a patent-pending process that toughens the FPS200 for higher tap resistance.
Key Features of the FPS200
-- Only 1.4 mm thin package for easier design-in to portable
applications
-- First sensor to integrate USB core, MCU mode and ISP mode
communications, reducing system integration costs
-- Includes ImageSeek technology for high accuracy regardless if
fingers are wet or dry
-- Auto finger detect mode "wakes up" the CPU, saving power
-- Lower power consumption (35 mA while in operation, 20 mA
standby)
-- Higher resistance to tapping, abrasion, chemicals and ESD
Pricing and Availability
Samples of the FPS200 Fingerprint Sensor chip will be available in the 4th quarter of this year. The FPS200 is expected to be priced at $39 in 1,000-unit quantities with discounts for higher volume quantities.
About Veridicom
Veridicom, Inc. is the leader in fingerprint-based technologies and services that enable trusted e-business transactions across networks, intranets and the Internet. The company's extremely accurate silicon fingerprint sensors and peripherals, advanced recognition algorithms, and authentication software allow users to conduct business on-line without fraud or fear. Veridicom, the first technology spin-off from Lucent/Bell Labs, is delivering solutions with a distinct advantage over other authentication technologies that rely on passwords and personal identification numbers (PINs) that can be lost, forgotten or stolen. Veridicom's fingerprint sensors are being included in laptops, keyboards and mobile phones to provide secure authenticated access to the authorized users. Veridicom works closely with a growing list of vendors and systems integrators to provide network security solutions for Fortune 1000 companies around the world.
Note to Editors: Veridicom, FPS200, ImageSeek and the Veridicom logo are trademarks of Veridicom, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
CONTACT:
Veridicom, Inc.
Karla Falat, 408/565-6060
karla@veridicom.com
or
Tsantes & Associates
Kerry Swanson, 408/369-1500 x39
kerry@tsantes.com |
