Almost missed this today, but I'm HAAPI I can post it.....
Monday January 26, 11:49 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: The National Registry, Inc.
Biometric Technology Companies Join Forces To Support New Software Interface
Standard
The Human Authentication Application Program Interface (HA-API) specification is
gaining favor in the commercial market by providing a common link between
multiple biometric identification technologies and application software developed by
system integrators and end users
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Several members of the biometric technology community have agreed to
work together to support a generic application program interface (API) standard that should lead to faster adoption of
the emerging technology by system integrators and end users. The Human Authentication API (HA-API) was first
announced in December, 1997 at the Tenth U.S. Biometric Consortium and Commercial Biometric Developers
Consortium (CBDC) meetings in California and has rapidly gained support among the suppliers of the technology that
provides positive identification of individuals through their unique human characteristics such as speech pattern, facial
shape, fingerprint pattern, hand geometry, signature dynamics, or eye characteristics. Uses of biometric technologies
range from providing strong authentication of network users accessing sensitive information systems to securing
physical access to buildings and protected areas.
At a January 22nd meeting here hosted by the U.S. Biometric Consortium, several biometric technology companies
met to review and comment on the specification that was initially developed under contract to the U.S. Department of
Defense by The National Registry Inc., a Tampa-based biometric technology developer. As acceptance of the
specification gains momentum in the commercial market, it is expected that responsibility for maintaining the
specification will eventually transition to a standards organization. Work began on the specification in early 1997 in
recognition of the need for a common set of software functions that would allow the application developer to write
software that would permit the easy interchangeability of multiple biometric technologies by making their unique
attributes transparent, or hidden from the application software. A copy of the HA-API specification is available to the
public on the U.S. Biometric Consortium's web site at www.biometrics.org.
Dr. Steven Boll, Director of Licensed Products for ITT Industries' Aerospace/Communications Division said,
''HA-API also offers an extremely flexible approach for providing multiple or alternate biometrics. Use of more than
one type of biometric can increase overall security. Alternatives come into play when certain types of biometrics
cannot be used for one reason or another, such as medical applications when gloves and/or masks are in use. Use of
the HA-API standard provides a flexible, low-cost way to use an alternative, such as ITT's SpeakerKey(TM)
voiceprint-based biometric. Flexibility of choices provides convenience for the customer without sacrificing security.''
Francis Declercq, President and CEO of Keyware Technologies, Inc. said, ''Standardization at the developer's level
will facilitate the integration of our layered biometric verifications (LBV(TM)) into the fields of electronic commerce,
Internet, network security and telecommunications.'' John Gustafson, President and CEO of The National Registry
Inc. said, ''The goal is to benefit end users by ensuring that they are not 'locked-in' to one biometric supplier in an
environment of rapidly changing technology.'' Dr. Michael Kuperstein, President and CEO of Miros, Inc. said, ''Miros
is pleased to support these emerging biometric standards. They encourage better integration of solutions and
accelerate market acceptance for all biometrics including our Trueface(TM) face recognition solution.'' Dr. Joseph
Atick, President and CEO of Visionics Corporation said, ''We welcome the development of standards. They are a next
step for achieving maturity in this biometric marketplace.''
The Human Authentication API is written as a high-level specification covering the primary functions needed to
integrate a biometric identification technology. As such, it should complement other emerging biometric. APIs that are
written to a more detailed level of functionality, such as the Speaker Verification API (SVAPI) developed by a
committee chaired by Novell and a generic biometric API recently announced by IBM. While the initial HA- API
specification is limited in its scope, it is believed that this simplicity will speed its adoption and use in the most popular
application environments and system platforms by authenticating that a person is who they claim to be through their
unique biometric characteristics.
Biometric technology companies that have stated their willingness to support the HA-API specification in their future
technology development efforts include Biometric Identification, Inc., Computer Data Systems, Inc., Identification
Technologies, Inc., ITT Industries' Aerospace/Communications Division, Keyware Technologies, Inc., Miros, Inc.,
The National Registry Inc., T-Netix, Inc., Veridicom, Inc., Visionics Corporation, and Who? Vision, Inc. Other
biometric technology companies, system integrators and end users are also expected to support the specification.
Interested parties should contact the respective biometric technology companies listed below for more information.
SOURCE: The National Registry, Inc. |
