Today, BIO-key International – a company specializing in biometric identification, cloud-based mobile credentialing and identity verification – announced a new piece of technology that it’s calling revolutionary: a new, compact and low cost fingerprint reader called SideSwipe.
The SideSwipe Mini-Reader is priced at $34.99. It connects to a device through USB without the use of a cable, offering BIO-key fingerprint recognition to mobile devices like tablets, laptops and other mobile form factors with the proper port. BIO-key has positioned the new authentication device as ideal for banking, retail, enterprise and commercial applications.
Mike DePasquale, BIO-key’s chairman and CEO, calls the launch of SideSwipe a major announcement for the identity management industry.
Measuring in at 0.75″ long, 0.6” wide and 0.5″ in height, the SideSwipe Mini-Reader is a tiny device that brings two-factor authentication to associated mobiles. The reader is required in order to scan a user’s finger, adding a “what you have” factor to the equation and allowing the SideSwipe to act as a biometrics-powered key. It’s also unobtrusive, allowing for users to conveniently leave it connected in appropriate situations.
“The SideSwipe scanner sets new benchmarks for price point, size and product quality,” says DePasquale. “We all understand that the future for biometric technology is bright, but the market needs a catalyst to expedite adoption. Paired with our WEB-key solution, any enterprise can deploy a market competitive, cost effective and highly secure biometric authentication option to eliminate passwords or tokens.”
“Additionally, for our larger enterprise and OEM customers, SideSwipe offers a unique branding opportunity,” he says. “The case of the SideSwipe reader can easily be branded with a company logo / icon and then offered to customers as an additional layer of security or as part of a loyalty program. We anticipate that our existing customers will immediately want to take advantage of the benefits of SideSwipe and we believe that our pipeline of prospects will also see the potential of groundbreaking new product.”
According to the company, the SideSwipe will be made available to enterprise customers both directly from BIO-key and through select distribution partners in North and South America. Its low cost will no doubt make SideSwipe highly attractive to mainstream markets wanting a strong authentication solution without having to put money down on a new flagship mobile device with a built in sensor.
Recently, BIO-key announced a strategic hardware and software partnership with NEXT Biometrics that will see the former’s fingerprint matching algorithm on the latter’s new low-cost sensors.
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