SecurityWorldMarket

20/04/2011

Precise Biometrics achieves fastest result in MINEX II evaluation

Lund, Sweden

As the results from the MINEX II test is released, Precise Biometrics emerges with the fastest standardised match-on-card technology showing outstanding performance. Precise Biometrics has announced it is the only biometric supplier who passed with 3 different card vendors - a unique achievement in the industry. MINEX II is a key standard for US federal ID implementations.
MINEX II is a test that assesses fingerprint match-on-card technology and is performed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Precise match-on-card achieved the fastest result and reached top ranking accuracy scores on three separate smart card platforms. MINEX stands for Minutiae Interoperability Exchange.

Precise Biometrics is the only biometric supplier that has passed the performance requirements with three different smart card vendor submissions - Gemalto, Giesecke & Devrient, and Spyrus. All three submissions passed with nearly identical, outstanding results; while the submission with Spyrus proved to be the fastest overall of any vendor in the test.

This successful result together with three smart card vendors is a unique achievement in the biometric industry. It shows that Precise match-on-card functions independently of smart card and it gives Precise Biometrics a unique position to offer unparalleled options and flexibility for upcoming match-on-card deployments in the US government.

New developments show that MINEX II will be a key in upcoming Federal ID programmes. The US government deploys Personal Identity Verification (PIV) which specifies the identification process of employees. NIST has issued proposed amendments to the Federal Information Processing Standard 201 (FIPS 201) that defines the PIV credential. The amendment states that match-on-card now is an approved authentication mechanism for the PIV smart cards. Also, a new Presidential Directive calls for all Federal agencies to immediately develop and issue an implementation policy for PIV. Through this policy, each agency will require operational use of the previously-issued PIV smart card credential as the common means of authentication for access to the agency’s facilities, networks, and information systems starting 2012.

These two developments will lead to a significant new market for Precise Biometrics that includes 5.7 million users in the U.S. government who soon will be required to use PIV smart cards for secure access. match-on-card biometric authentication provides the highest level of assurance that the PIV card belongs to the card-holder seeking access.

Thomas Marschall, CEO and President at Precise Biometrics, comments on the great results: “Precise Biometrics continues to be the market leader for match-on-card. We have the highest number of deployed match-on-card licenses in the world and with these top-ranked MINEX II results we are very well positioned for the PIV market. We expect the PIV market to grow extensively with this new presidential directive, and we also expect to see PIV extending beyond U.S. Federal ID programmes. As such, we estimate the PIV market demand to be 15-20 million people within the next 3-4 years.” says Marschall.


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