Authenticam Launches at Comdex; Iridian Technologies' Dual-Function Camera Bundles Iris Recognition, Videoconferencing Tools to Deliver Unparalleled Network Security

Business Wire, Nov 13, 2000

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

COMDEX Fall 2000

Booth L963

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 13, 2000

Iridian Technologies, Inc., a leading biometrics company formerly known as IriScan, Inc., unveiled a groundbreaking network and workstation security product - Authenticam(TM) - today at the Comdex technology trade show.

Built around the unmatched authentication capabilities of Iridian's patented iris recognition technology, Authenticam is a dual-function desktop camera that reads the unique patterns in the iris - the visible, colored ring around the pupil of the human eye - with just a glance from up to 20 inches away, positively identifying network users in just seconds. More accurate than fingerprinting, convenient, and fast for today's busy workplace, iris recognition technology is stable, scalable and affordable for enterprises large and small.

"Fortune 1000 companies spend more than $200 per user per year managing passwords. Furthermore, 70 percent of the systems used by these companies and by government organizations have recorded unauthorized use of one kind or another," said William H. Voltmer, president and CEO of Iridian Technologies, Inc. "Authenticam is the single best way to address both of these issues: It's easy to use, it offers the most accurate authentication technology available at any price - let alone at about the price of a conventional videoconferencing camera. In fact, it is projected that IT managers will see a return on their investment in as little as a year."

While allowing businesses to do away with the need for passwords and tokens - and the expense of managing them - Authenticam also offers a cost-effective, user-friendly way to address the profound network security issues faced by organizations everywhere. And Authenticam can help companies enhance workplace collaboration in addition to security, with videoconferencing capabilities that support high-resolution videophone, video capture and video e-mail, among other practical applications.

At five inches tall, Authenticam is compact and portable for use in the office or on the road. It sits on or beside a user's desktop or adjacent to a laptop, connecting via cable to a USB or parallel port. Designed to work with Windows(TM) 95, 98, NT 4.0 and 2000, Authenticam supports a range of authentication needs, including LAN/WAN logon, digital document signature and e-commerce transaction authorization. Its average image capture time - less than two seconds - means increased productivity for users who would otherwise have to manage multiple passwords.

"Authenticam is one of several steps we're taking to refocus Iridian Technologies on products that can help close the security gaps in corporate information networks," Voltmer said. "In a variety of applications, iris recognition has proven itself the most accurate, reliable and non-invasive authentication technology on the market, and the introduction of Authenticam brings that unparalleled performance to the knowledge economy at a price that breaks down the old barriers to adoption. By every measure, Authenticam is a sensible security investment for any company."

About Iris Recognition

Swift, scalable and statistically more accurate than DNA in establishing individual identity, the iris recognition solutions pioneered by Iridian Technologies examine 240 degrees of freedom in the human iris to create the patented IrisCode(R) record, a 512-byte data template used to identify individuals and/or authenticate user privileges.

Using standard video technology, iris recognition devices capture images of the eye from a comfortable distance, without bright lights or lasers - requiring no contact, only cooperation, from their users. The combination of accuracy and ease of use gives iris recognition significant advantages over other biometrics like fingerprinting, voice and facial recognition, and retinal scans. The IT consulting firm Gartner Group predicts that by 2002, iris recognition will be the preferred and preeminent biometric authenticator in applications serving many users.

About Iridian Technologies, Inc.

Iridian Technologies, Inc. (formerly IriScan, Inc.) of Marlton, N.J. and Geneva, Switzerland, leads the world in research, development and marketing of authentication technologies based on iris recognition, the most accurate biometric identifier. Holder of exclusive U.S. and international patents on the core concepts and technologies behind iris recognition, Iridian offers unparalleled security for physical facilities, information networks and electronic transactions. With blue-chip investors and Fortune 1000 customers in banking, transportation, healthcare and security as well as law enforcement and government, Iridian Technologies is committed to providing the authentication infrastructure critical for today's rapidly evolving e-commerce needs and for tomorrow's wireless world.