Fujitsu Asia launches PalmSecure™ palm vein biometric authentication device

Company News

New Delhi, March 29

Fujitsu Asia Pte Ltd, leading IT and communications solutions provider today announced the launch of PalmSecure™ palm vein biometric authentication device for the Indian market. The device has received great reviews at the recently held CeBIT 2006 trade show held in the German city of Hannover where it was exhibited.

The PalmSecure™ is a more compact and efficient version of the award-winning Palm Vein authentication device launched for the ASEAN and India markets by Fujitsu – the world’s third-largest IT services provider – last June.

“Fujitsu’s palm vein authentication technology was commercialised in 2004 and has since been deployed by financial institutions, universities, libraries, government offices and private enterprises,“ said Chandran Sashi Kanth, India Business Manager “We are extremely proud to use this award-winning technology to develop the PalmSecure™ and position ourselves as a dominant player in the dynamic biometrics market.“

Engineered using Fujitsu’s award-winning palm vein authentication technology, the PalmSecure™ emits near-infrared rays that are subsequently absorbed by deoxidised haemoglobin present in blood flowing through a user’s palm veins. This causes an image of the palm to be captured as a vein pattern, which is then verified against the user’s pre-registered pattern to grant (or deny) access to a physical location or computer network.

As veins are internal in the body and have a wealth of differentiating features, assuming a false identity through forgery is extremely difficult, thereby enabling an extremely high level of security.

Based on Fujitsu's internal research, the PalmSecure™ exhibits a false acceptance rate (FAR) of less than 0.00008 per cent and a false rejection rate (FRR) of only 0.01 per cent. The FAR is the rate at which an unauthorised person is falsely granted access, while the FRR is the rate at which an authorised person is not recognised as such.

The device captures a vein pattern only if haemoglobin is actively flowing through a user’s veins. Additionally, research by Fujitsu indicates that no two individuals – not even identical twins – have vein paterns that are exactly alike. These factors give the PalmSecure™ an edge over competing biometric identification products.

In addition, a user only needs to place his palm above the device – without having to touch it – for a vein patern to be captured. Thus, the PalmSecure™ is a contactless, hygienic solution suitable for deployment in locations or networks with high human traffic. Furthermore, palm vein authentication is not compromised by external factors such as bodily scars, skin abrasions and wounds.

The PalmSecure™ offers several improvements over its predecessor the Palm Vein, such as:

• Smaller footprint

At 35×35×27mm, the PalmSecure™ is smaller – albeit thicker – than a matchbox and only one-quarter the size of its predecessor, thereby expanding the range of potential applications.

• Faster authentication

The time required for one-to-one authentication using the PalmSecure™ is approximately half the time required for one-to-one authentication using its predecessor.

• Wider operable temperature range

The PalmSecure™ has a maximum operable temperature of 60°C (compared to 50°C for its predecessor), thus expanding the range of possible outdoor applications.

• Greater connectivity

The PalmSecure™ can be connected directly to the universal serial bus (USB) port of a notebook PC or embedded into the keyboards of desktop PCs.

• Enhanced worldwide technical support

A dedicated PalmSecure™ support website offers technical data, enhanced services for related software and timely Q&A support. In addition, software development kits (SDKs) provide sample applications and tools for evaluating authentication rates. Japanese and English versions of such SDKs will be available from end-April and end-June respectively.

Applications for Fujitsu’s palm vein technology are vast and span several vertical markets including security, financial/banking, access control, healthcare and government applications. Awards that the palm vein authentication technology has won include:

• The Wall Street Journal 2005 Technology Innovation Award – Security (Network) category

• The 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show “Best of Innovations“ Award – Biometrics category

The PalmSecure™ will be available for the ASEAN (including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam) and India markets from end-June 2006.

The suggested Retail Price for the product is Rs15,750/- per Sensor.

For more information:

Visit sg.fujitsu.com or call 6512-7555