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Technology Stocks : Identix (IDNX) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: David who wrote (15321)	10/27/1999 11:30:00 AM
From: Hockeyfan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 26039

David: "Cardholders who ask for a reader for their personal computers before January 31st will receive it free." Why do you need a biometrically enabled smartcard reader if you already have a scanner in your keyboard? These readers will be hooked up to personal computers which will all soon have IDX scanners and software. Maybe AMEX is just trying to avoid duplicating functions. P.S. My voice doesn't translate well over the phone.

To: David who wrote (15321)	10/27/1999 12:10:00 PM
From: brad greene	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 26039

David, David....the outstanding news is that Mastercard and Visa may go a step further......I believe you will find a product that has both a biometric scanner and a card reader in it........Yes? And......"Blue" will only be handing out a few thousand of these before Jan 1st..IMO....so it is more of a pilot than anything else. I think they want feedback. Perhaps Mastercard will go a step further......find a company that makes chips......hook them up with Multos......and find a "mass market" producer for the input devices. I know you can see where this is going........and sure seems interesting. There are 2 more articles at the Faulkner and Grey site that follows up on the one that I clipped from. Mastercard and Visa are right behind AMEX on this chip card. Not years or months.....but weeks. They should be moving on this soon. You may want to go over there and read the white papers. Mastercard and Visa will dwarf what AMEX does....of course. I found the giving away of the hardware to be very interesting..it shows that the card companies are willing to eat some up-front costs in order to get the new cards going....I don't know how much a chip reader add on would cost....but I would think that it would be in the ball park with....say....a DR 300?.....Perhaps more. Also......they are using digital certificates with each transaction.....so they are in the chip. I would assume VRSN and/or Entrust are involved? And also......the "additional applications" that AMEX would rather not discuss at this time are also interesting. We may want to try to find out who is the supply company for these "chips". They may have "hooks" in them for lots of interesting stuff. (biometrics?) If you have problems finding these articles at F&G....let me know...I will try to re-trace my steps. This stuff is right up your alley, David......Happy reading. bg