bg,
news from the lucent spinoff, "postage size devise" which reads fingerprints. the computer id business is getting tricky.
gw
News Alert from BusinessWire via Quote.com
Topic: (NYSE:LU) Lucent Technologies Inc,
Quote.com News Item #7006262
Headline: Techno Imagica Corporation Chooses Veridicom, Inc., Sensor Chips for
Low Cost Fingerprint Identification Devices
======================================================================
SANTA CLARA, CA AND TOKYO, JAPAN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 1998--
Veridicom, a Lucent Technologies spin-off and a leading supplier of
silicon fingerprint sensor chips, and Techno Imagica Corporation,
today announced that Techno Imagica will use Veridicom's sensor chips
in its fingerprint verification equipment
The Techo Imagica equipment is used in identification
applications, including security systems and authentication of
identity for access to computer networks.
Techno Imagica's compact, reasonably priced Simony series product
features complete algorithms for high-accuracy fingerprint
identification and high-speed search functions. Veridicom's silicon
sensor chips will lower the production cost and reduce the size of
Techno Imagica's optical scanning system, which uses prisms to read
fingerprints.
"The performance of Veridicom's sensor chips will give our Simony
series a solid lead over the products of our competitors," said
Hiroshi Koda, President of Techno Imagica Corporation. "We expect to
deliver products for all segments of the personal computer market, and
we have the right technology through Veridicom."
Veridicom's fingerprint sensor chip was named one of "25 Winning
Technologies" in December by Industry Week magazine, which hailed the
postage-stamp-sized device as an approach to biometrics that is
finally both feasible and affordable.
"The market for low-cost, durable fingerprint authentication
devices has arrived, and we are proud to be associated with Techno
Imagica," said Tom Rowley, president of Veridicom. "The Simony series
is a unique product line that delivers on the promise of convenient,
accurate security."
The Simony series products can ensure security for local area
networks which use the Techno Imagica fingerprint identification
server as a core product, and can help control access to in-house
databases, when it is connected to a personal computer. In August,
1998 Techno Imagica plans to release a Simony model for the USB
(Universal Serial Bus) interface priced at $500, followed by another
model priced at $600 for the PCMCIA interface in September 1998. The
company expects total sales of 100,000 units in fiscal 1998.
The Techno Imagica-Veridicom deal marks a rare collaboration
between U.S. and Japanese companies in combining algorithm and chip
technologies to develop new products. AKTON Technology and ASCII
Network Technology are expected to become responsible for the support
of the Simony series and related marketing. AKTON Technology has been
engaged in production and sales of network-related products in the
global market, and has begun commercializing personal identification
products in the field of network security.
ASCII Network Technology has developed a new log-on function for
Windows NT by using fingerprints, and plans to release ID input
devices for the consumer market.
Established in 1995, Techno Imagica Co., Ltd. develops and offers
a wide variety of products for the computer-related market in three
areas: computer typesetting systems, multimedia information exchange
systems, and fingerprint identification systems. Its accurate,
high-speed fingerprint verification technology is recognized
internationally. It is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
Veridicom, Inc. (http://www.veridicom.com), headquartered in Santa
Clara, Calif., is a venture originally formed by Lucent Technologies
and U.S. Venture Partners in 1996. It is the leading provider of
solid-state electronic fingerprint recognition technology to original
equipment manufacturers, value-added resellers and systems integrators
for computing, electronic commerce and security applications.
Lucent Technologies (http://www.lucent.com) designs, builds and
delivers a wide range of public and private networks, communications
systems and software, data networking systems, and business telephone
systems and microelectronics components. Bell Labs
(http://www.bell-labs.com) is the research and development arm for the
company.
CONTACT: Chris Pfaff
908-582-7571 (work)
973-509-6565 (home)
cpfaff@lucent.com
or
Miki Segawa Matsubara
Lucent Technologies Japan
813-5561-3167(phone)
mikisegawa@lucent.com
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