Steve, I like the way you think :-). You would definitely have earned bragging rights if Checkfree was the next partner.
Here is another city using biometrics, unfortunately they don't have the good taste that Oceanside does...
City of Glendale Introduces DigitalPersona's U.are.U Pro Fingerprint Recognition System to City Employees
www2.marketwatch.com{92B900B7-D47A-443B-A6E1-B1C323A5D5A8}
THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2001 5:00:00 AM EST
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Jan 4, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- In a move that validates the consensus opinion among industry experts that biometrics are gaining increased acceptance in mainstream America, DigitalPersona today announced an agreement with the City of Glendale, Calif., to provide U.are.U(R) Pro Fingerprint Security Systems to all 2,100 city employees. The first phase of the introduction of the ring-box sized fingerprint sensors that eliminate the need for passwords already is underway at one of the city's most sensitive installations - the Police Department. Currently, more than 60 percent of computers in the Police Department have been updated with U.are.U sensors.
"Glendale is the third largest city in Los Angeles County and home to more than 210,000 people. We're committed to bringing them a more efficient, informative government," said Scott Harmon, Information Services Administrator for the City of Glendale. "We're pleased to be DigitalPersona's adjunct in this project, which will enable us to move toward a more Internet-based city government."
The initial objectives in upgrading computer systems city-wide with the U.are.U fingerprint recognition system are to secure desktop environments and eliminate workers' dependency on passwords, which can become cumbersome and expensive (i.e., administrative costs) to continually change. With U.are.U, Glendale is expecting to remove these administrative costs of up to $50,000 per year -- passwords currently must be changed every 90 days. They will also alleviate the volume of calls to the city's Help Desk, 45 percent of which are related to lost or forgotten passwords.
"Government agencies are under constant pressure from auditors to maintain security standards. We expect this pressure to only increase with the rising amount of Federal privacy act legislation," said Fabio Righi, president and chief executive officer of DigitalPersona. "U.are.U Pro utilizes proven Biometrics technology and allows leading organizations to protect access to sensitive information while cutting support costs. We're excited to have City of Glendale join other leading government agencies in deploying these breakthrough solutions."
"Many of the world's foremost security and law enforcement organizations have used biometrics as a means of identification for years, and I'm extremely pleased that the technology now is available to our police force," said Russell K. Siverling, Glendale's chief of Police. "The U.are.U sensors have gained great acceptance among the police force, one-third of which are civilian employees. We're looking forward to seeing a dramatic reduction in administrative overhead resulting in more efficient operations."
Following the deployment within the Police Department, subsequent phases of the roll-out will introduce the biometric solution to upper level city managers and administrators. The City expects to have more than half of the desktops retrofitted with U.are.U sensors within the coming year.
About DigitalPersona
DigitalPersona, developer of the innovative U.are.U(R) biometric security solutions, brings both heightened security and convenience to users. DigitalPersona has developed next generation fingerprint recognition hardware and software technology enabling market-ready solutions. With a user-friendly interface and the highest level of security for corporations, Internet, and home, users can now safeguard their digital accounts and information. Based in Redwood City, Calif., the company distributes its product through an extensive network of OEM, VAR, reseller and retail channels and has attracted strategic partnerships with major computer and peripheral manufacturers. Third party developers also are selling the product into medical, legal, finance/banking, retail/POS and access control markets.
DigitalPersona's award-winning U.are.U biometric security solutions include U.are.U Online for the Internet, U.are.U Pro for corporate networks and U.are.U Deluxe for home and office computers. Each solution is designed to confirm an individual's identity and protect access to sensitive information, while reducing the high costs associated with password management. U.are.U has received numerous awards, including the "Editor's Choice" award from PC Magazine and Network Computing and the "Best of Comdex" award from PC Week.
CONTACT: Trish Borrmann of DigitalPersona, 650-261-6070, or TrishB@digitalpersona.com; or Mark Palermo of Neale-May & Partners, 650-328-5555, ext. 147, or mpalermo@nealemay.com, for DigitalPersona.
SOURCE DigitalPersona
CONTACT: Trish Borrmann of DigitalPersona, 650-261-6070, or
TrishB@digitalpersona.com; or Mark Palermo of Neale-May & Partners,
650-328-5555, ext. 147, or mpalermo@nealemay.com, for DigitalPersona
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