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

To: Hockeyfan who wrote (15898)	11/29/1999 11:38:00 AM
From: David	Respond to of 26039

Veridicom announcements . . . I think Hockeyfan has it about right on IBM's qualifying Veridicom as a peripheral vendor (along with Digital Persona). IBM is apparently willing to sell biometric options, but is clearly agnostic regarding which solution it prefers, and will allow the marketplace to make that decision. The benefit for IBM is that it doesn't commit to a losing solution, and the downside is that, not being an OEM, it is probably forgoing some profit potential from the biometric company providers and doesn't itself own a biometric 'brand.' That could change over time, when and if biometrics become mainstreamed and a clear technology winner emerges. I fully expect IDX to qualify as an IBM partner alongside others. Of course, the big Identix advantage remains price. They should easily be able to come in below the $119 Verdicom price (as they already do with the older and more expensive DFR-200 technology for $99 from CPQ), and even adding $69 for BioSafe/ BioShield, should even more comfortably underprice the $199 Veridicom option. Perhaps Veridicom could sell its basic product for $100 via an OEM, but it would still be losing out to a physically more robust and every bit as functional IDX product available for $50 to $60. Veridicom's not even in the ballpark on price. Notice how Veridicom qualifies all their "firsts" and "volume shipping" comments with the modifier "silicon" -- they couldn't make these statements if optical were taken into account. I do, however, like the Veridicom term "PasswordBank" more than IDX's "BioShield."