Founded in 2004, Fernhurst Court Nursery is based in a listed building. The nursery is registered to care for up to eighty children aged between thee months and five years. Fernhurst Court Nursery in Blackburn has installed a Fingerprint Entry biometric access system to protect children and nursery staff. Owners specified the biometric locks to raise security while making access easier for carers and parents.
The new system, supplied by the Manchester office of UKB International Ltd allows nursery personnel to register parent’s fingerprints in seconds. Parents then simply press their fingerprint on a sensor pad at the door to gain fast, easy access. They can leave or collect their children without fuss while un-registered visitors must ring a bell and wait for a member of staff. The new biometric system means a member of staff no longer needs to monitor every parent entering the building.
The biometric scanner identifies key points on the users fingerprint. No actual fingerprint is stored since the scan is converted into data which is then encrypted and retained for future comparison. The encrypted data is only held by the nursery making it fully data compliant.
Fernhurst Court Nursery Manager Amanda Newsham says: “Our new biometric access system means greater security for children and staff, which is a paramount concern to us. Fingerprint entry means only registered parents and staff can access the nursery and they can do so easily without having to wait for a staff member to answer the door. With our previous key code security system people could forget the code, and we were concerned the code could fall into the wrong hands. Now we can be certain that only people registered on our biometric system can gain entry to the nursery”
Fernhurst Court Nursery recently attained a ‘Good’ OFSTED report in all areas of their childcare and education. Another OFSTED report praised the biometric entry system as ‘Protecting children from harm’.
UKB International Ltd Director Chris Williams says: “Security is a paramount concern at Fernhurst Court Nursery and the owners have specified the only key which cannot be lost, stolen, forged or hacked – the human fingerprint.”
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
UKB International Chief Technical Officer addresses Construction Excellence Event
UKB Chief Technical Officer Jon Telford will talk about ‘Developments In New Technology’ at the Construction Excellence Event held in Durham City on Wednesday 12th November. Jon will be joined by Gary Parkinson, Project Manager for the £50 million steam autoclave facility at Derwenthaugh Eco-Park under construction by the Clugston Group. The pair will profile the robust, ‘spoof-proof’ Integrated Biometric Turnstile (IBT) developed specifically for the construction industry.
http://www.ukbiometrics.co.uk/construction.php
http://www.ukbiometrics.co.uk/construction.php
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
UKB International dismisses fears on hand held biometric scanners
Concerns about the reliability of hand held biometric fingerprint scanners were dismissed by specialist company, UKB International, today
Commenting on the the roll-out of hand held biometric fingerprint scanners to all UK police forces by 2010 announced at Biometrics 2008 conference at Westminster last week, anti-ID campaigner NO2ID pointed to failure rates, as high as 1 in 5 for fingerprints, in the only medium-scale test of biometrics on the general population to date, carried out by the UK Passport Service in 2004.
Paul Easton, Communications Director with biometric specialist UKB International said: "Four years is a long time in biometrics. 2004 is three years before the advent of commercial sub-dermal, multi-spectral scanners capable of returning negligible 'Failure To Acquire' results. UKB International scanner technology was tested at a major US theme park chain on millions of transactions. It worked in extremes of heat and cold, scanned through dust, dirt, paint and latex gloves on a demographic from eight years old to the late nineties. Once again, NO2ID appear content to live in the past".
UKBI Chief Technical Officer Jon Telford challenges biometrics industry at Biometrics 2008 conference
UKB International Chief Technical Officer (CTO) Jon Telford issued a challenge to biometrics professionals during his address to ‘CTO Corner’ at the Biometrics 2008 conference held at Westminster, London last week.
Jon called for industry cohesion on standards and regulations’, claiming a lack of interoperability between systems was holding back the development of the commercial biometric sector.
Using the analogy of a mobile telephone SIM card which will work in any device, Jon said 'The biometrics industry needs to ensure that our technology ‘works out of the box’ and can easily interface with other security technology'.
Some early biometric technology providers had flooded the market with readers that did not match client’s expectations, leaving a perception of high failure rates Jon claimed, commenting. 'It is time the biometric industry matured and established agreed benchmarks for the robust technology at our disposal today'.
Jon spoke of the need for education, now and in the future, since the pace of biometric technology development and deployment means even industry insiders have trouble keeping up.
In conclusion Jon Telford said 'Public perception of biometric technology is either high-end Government projects, or gimmicky devices with questionable accuracy. This perception must change and it is up to industry insiders like us to change it by adopting standards and regulations. Biometric technology is no longer in its infancy.
We are maturing fast and are set for exponential growth within the next ten years. It is up to us to ensure our industry matures by accepting robust standards and regulation.'
Jon called for industry cohesion on standards and regulations’, claiming a lack of interoperability between systems was holding back the development of the commercial biometric sector.
Using the analogy of a mobile telephone SIM card which will work in any device, Jon said 'The biometrics industry needs to ensure that our technology ‘works out of the box’ and can easily interface with other security technology'.
Some early biometric technology providers had flooded the market with readers that did not match client’s expectations, leaving a perception of high failure rates Jon claimed, commenting. 'It is time the biometric industry matured and established agreed benchmarks for the robust technology at our disposal today'.
Jon spoke of the need for education, now and in the future, since the pace of biometric technology development and deployment means even industry insiders have trouble keeping up.
In conclusion Jon Telford said 'Public perception of biometric technology is either high-end Government projects, or gimmicky devices with questionable accuracy. This perception must change and it is up to industry insiders like us to change it by adopting standards and regulations. Biometric technology is no longer in its infancy.
We are maturing fast and are set for exponential growth within the next ten years. It is up to us to ensure our industry matures by accepting robust standards and regulation.'
Monday, 20 October 2008
UKB International time & attendance system featured in Nursing Standard magazine October 08.
Finger recognition technology has been introduced into some care homes to monitor how many hours nurses are working. Nurses place their finger on a scanner when starting and finishing shifts to record how long they have worked. The scanner recognises tiny points on the finger and converts them into storable data. Helen McArdle Care has introduced the ‘biometric attendance system’ into its five care homes. Managers argues that it will ‘prevent overpayment for time not worked’, and guarantee that the correct skills mix is in place. RCN senior employment relations adviser Keren Didovic said the system could be useful if it ensures nurses are paid for overtime.
UKB International technology partner Lumidigm and Methode to develop biometrics for vehicles
Lumidigm Inc. and Methode Electronics Inc. have signed an agreement to adapt Lumidigm’s fingerprint technology for vehicles.
Albuquerque’s Lumidigm offers a light-based scanner that creates three-dimensional fingerprints.
Illinois-based Methode (NYSE: MEI) is an automotive supplier that focuses on high-tech, application-specific components and subsystem devices.
Methode will demonstrate a prototype of the new automotive-grade biometric technology the two companies are developing on Oct. 20-22 at Methode’s Mobile Technology and Design Center at Convergence in Detroit, said Matthew Ennis, Lumidigm’s vice president of business development, in a news release.
“Methode knows what it takes to integrate new technologies in the specialized environments of transportation,” Ennis said. “The agreement allows Lumidigm to enter an important market. We believe our biometric technology, with Methode’s steady guidance, will transform the automotive industry’s relationship with identity, ownership, and personalization.”
Albuquerque’s Lumidigm offers a light-based scanner that creates three-dimensional fingerprints.
Illinois-based Methode (NYSE: MEI) is an automotive supplier that focuses on high-tech, application-specific components and subsystem devices.
Methode will demonstrate a prototype of the new automotive-grade biometric technology the two companies are developing on Oct. 20-22 at Methode’s Mobile Technology and Design Center at Convergence in Detroit, said Matthew Ennis, Lumidigm’s vice president of business development, in a news release.
“Methode knows what it takes to integrate new technologies in the specialized environments of transportation,” Ennis said. “The agreement allows Lumidigm to enter an important market. We believe our biometric technology, with Methode’s steady guidance, will transform the automotive industry’s relationship with identity, ownership, and personalization.”
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Biometrics market set to be worth $7.1 billion by 2012 says UKB International Operations Director
In an interview on the future of biometrics for Infosecurity magazine, UKB International Operations Director Shaun Oakes said:
"2012 seems to be a key date in most analysts predictions with the market set to be worth $7.1 billion worldwide by that date. Maxine Most of Acuity Market Intelligence predicts “Commercial deployment revenues will begin to supersede Public Sector revenues in 2012 and will represent more than 52% of the total global market for biometrics core technology by 2015. And commercial deployment today is the key to the future".
New participants announced for Chief Technology Officers Corner at Biometrics 2008 Conference, 21st – 23rd October 2008 at Westminster, London.
Joining UKB International Chief Technical Officer (CTO) Jon Telford to discuss “The future of biometrics – Tomorrow’s technology” are Jean-Christophe Fondeur, CTO, Sagem Sécurité, France; Dr Sri Hartati Kurniawan, CTO, RCG Holdings Limited, Hong Kong and Erik J. Bowman, Principal Engineer, Northrop Grumman Information Technology, USA.
http://www.biometrics2008.com/http://www.eubiometricsforum.com/
http://www2.biometrieforum.nl/
Matthew Ennis, Vice President, Business Development, Lumidigm, USA, (UKB International technology partner) will examine ‘Biometrics: A novel solution for your company’s bottom line’.
The parallel Biometrics 2008 Exhibition is free to enter. Visitors should pre-register online for their chance to win an iPoD Nano.
UK seniors' home tracks staffing with UKB International
NEWCASTLE upon TYNE, UK--Helen McArdle Care, the operator of residential care homes for the elderly, has selected biometric access control specialist UKB International, based here, to supply a time and attendance system to track employees across its network of care facilities.
Senior management at Helen McArdle Care was looking for a time and attendance system that was simple to operate while being able to provide information about staffing at all of its locations to a central point. After consultation, UKB recommended the FP 3000 system networked to a dedicated PC located at each care home administration office.
The networked PC provides accurate, up-to-the-minute reports of staff clocking on and off, while providing evidence of attendance, which eliminates potential disputes. Reports generated by the system provide the basis for payroll calculations and offering ROI by preventing over-payment for time not actually worked.
"The system is simple for our staff to use since they do not need to write working times in a record book or to remember swipe cards, pins or fobs," Helen McArdle Care financial director Nigel Dawson said in a statement. Management reports generated by the system offer a snapshot of the current situation with "the ability to quickly drill down for detail," said Dawson. "In the residential care home business, an awareness of staffing levels at all our locations is vital and the UKB International solution has provided us with this capability."
Senior management at Helen McArdle Care was looking for a time and attendance system that was simple to operate while being able to provide information about staffing at all of its locations to a central point. After consultation, UKB recommended the FP 3000 system networked to a dedicated PC located at each care home administration office.
The networked PC provides accurate, up-to-the-minute reports of staff clocking on and off, while providing evidence of attendance, which eliminates potential disputes. Reports generated by the system provide the basis for payroll calculations and offering ROI by preventing over-payment for time not actually worked.
"The system is simple for our staff to use since they do not need to write working times in a record book or to remember swipe cards, pins or fobs," Helen McArdle Care financial director Nigel Dawson said in a statement. Management reports generated by the system offer a snapshot of the current situation with "the ability to quickly drill down for detail," said Dawson. "In the residential care home business, an awareness of staffing levels at all our locations is vital and the UKB International solution has provided us with this capability."
Care home group Helen McArdle Care has specified a biometric time and attendance system to monitor staffing across a multi-site operation.
Helen McArdle Care operates five residential care homes for the elderly and five more are due to open in 2009.
Provided is 24-hour, year round care. The employer needed to be assured that this care was in place at all times and that the correct balance of qualified staff were on duty at all locations. The company recognises a duty of care to its residents and management needed to be aware that this duty was being discharged at all times.
The company needed to monitor staff attendance at all five care homes from head office to assure themselves that staff listed to work had actually turned up and that the correct mix of skills was in place.
Senior management at Helen McArdle required a simple to use time and attendance system which would allow them to see at a glance who had worked at which care home, where and for exactly how long. Following discussions, UKB International recommended the FP3000 system, networked to a dedicated PC located at each care home administration office. The FP3000 is a scanner suitable the biometrics company says for high volume applications. The scanner does not store actual fingerprints; rather it recognises minutiae points on the finger and converts these into Data which is encrypted and then stored for future comparison. Staff register their finger once at their place of work, then place their finger on the scanner located by the door when arriving at or leaving work.
The networked PC provides accurate up to the minute reports of staff clocking on and off, with irrefutable evidence of attendance which eliminates potential disputes. These reports provide the basis for payroll calculations. Pay-per-minute payroll calculations provide an incentive for timekeeping and prevent over payment for time not worked, thus demonstrating a return on investment.
Helen McArdle Care Finance Director Nigel Dawson says: “The system is simple for our staff to use since they do not need to write working times in a record book or to remember swipe cards, pins or fobs. With many managers and staff at five locations it is essential we can manage time and attendance both to ensure we provide a high level of suitably qualified care, and to ensure accuracy of the payroll. The management reports generated by the FP3000 provide snapshot data with the ability to quickly drill down for detail. In the residential care home business an awareness of staffing levels at all our locations is vital and the UKB International solution has provided us with this capability.”
UKB international Sales Director Steve Barnard says: “We are delighted to have helped pioneer the use of biometrics in the care home sector with Helen McArdle Care. Biometric technology is the ideal choice when management need pinpoint accuracy in terms of staffing data.”
Provided is 24-hour, year round care. The employer needed to be assured that this care was in place at all times and that the correct balance of qualified staff were on duty at all locations. The company recognises a duty of care to its residents and management needed to be aware that this duty was being discharged at all times.
The company needed to monitor staff attendance at all five care homes from head office to assure themselves that staff listed to work had actually turned up and that the correct mix of skills was in place.
Senior management at Helen McArdle required a simple to use time and attendance system which would allow them to see at a glance who had worked at which care home, where and for exactly how long. Following discussions, UKB International recommended the FP3000 system, networked to a dedicated PC located at each care home administration office. The FP3000 is a scanner suitable the biometrics company says for high volume applications. The scanner does not store actual fingerprints; rather it recognises minutiae points on the finger and converts these into Data which is encrypted and then stored for future comparison. Staff register their finger once at their place of work, then place their finger on the scanner located by the door when arriving at or leaving work.
The networked PC provides accurate up to the minute reports of staff clocking on and off, with irrefutable evidence of attendance which eliminates potential disputes. These reports provide the basis for payroll calculations. Pay-per-minute payroll calculations provide an incentive for timekeeping and prevent over payment for time not worked, thus demonstrating a return on investment.
Helen McArdle Care Finance Director Nigel Dawson says: “The system is simple for our staff to use since they do not need to write working times in a record book or to remember swipe cards, pins or fobs. With many managers and staff at five locations it is essential we can manage time and attendance both to ensure we provide a high level of suitably qualified care, and to ensure accuracy of the payroll. The management reports generated by the FP3000 provide snapshot data with the ability to quickly drill down for detail. In the residential care home business an awareness of staffing levels at all our locations is vital and the UKB International solution has provided us with this capability.”
UKB international Sales Director Steve Barnard says: “We are delighted to have helped pioneer the use of biometrics in the care home sector with Helen McArdle Care. Biometric technology is the ideal choice when management need pinpoint accuracy in terms of staffing data.”
Biometric system for care homes
Helen McArdle Care has become the first care home group in the UK to specify a biometric time and attendance system to monitor staffing across a multi-site operation, according to manufacturer UKB International.
Helen McArdle Care operates five residential care homes for the elderly and a further five homes are scheduled to open in 2009.
It provides twenty-four hour, year round care. The company needed to monitor staff attendance at all five care homes from head office to assure themselves that staff listed to work had actually turned up and that the correct mix of skills was in place. Staff are on different pay scales Throughout the organisation, from managers to cleaners.
Senior management required a simple to operate time and attendance system which would allow them to see at a glance who had worked at which care home, where and for exactly how long.
UKB International recommended the FP3000 system, networked to a dedicated PC located at each care home administration office. The FP3000 is a scanner suitable for high volume applications. The scanner does not store actual fingerprints – it recognises minutiae points on the finger and converts these into data which is encrypted and then stored for future comparison.
Register at work
Staff register their finger once at their place of work, then simply place their finger on the scanner located by the door when arriving at or leaving work.
The networked PC provides up-to-the-minute reports of staff clocking on and off, with irrefutable evidence of attendance which eliminates potential disputes. These reports provide the basis for payroll calculations. Pay-per-minute payroll calculations provide an incentive for good timekeeping and prevent over payment for time not worked.
Helen McArdle Care finance director Nigel Dawson said: “The system is simple for our staff to use since they do not need to write working times in a record book or to remember swipe cards, PINs or fobs. With many managers and staff at five locations it is essential we can manage time and attendance both to ensure we provide a high level of suitably qualified care, and to ensure accuracy of the payroll.
Drill down
“The management reports generated by the FP3000 provide snapshot data with the ability to quickly drill down for detail. In the residential care home business an awareness of staffing levels at all our locations is vital and the UKB International solution has provided us with this capability.”
UKB international sales director Steve Barnard said: “We are delighted to have helped pioneer the use of biometrics in the care home sector with Helen McArdle Care. Biometric technology is the ideal choice when management need pinpoint accuracy in terms of staffing data.”
Monday, 29 September 2008
UK Biometric Identity Card Unveiled
The design of the UK's new identity card - to be issued from November, initially to foreign nationals - was revealed by the home secretary yesterday.
More than 50,000 cards are expected to be handed out to foreign nationals from outside Europe between November and March as they extend their visas and register marriages or civil partnerships.
From next year ID cards will be given first to those in security-sensitive roles and by 2010 the aim will be to encourage young people to enrol. They will not be compulsory for the general population.
The size of a credit card, each ID card bears a digital image of the holder, their name, the place and date of the card's issue, a signature and a unique identity number. For foreign nationals there is also a "type of permit" section showing the person's visa category as well as a "valid until" date showing how long the holder has permission to stay in the UK.
On the reverse, the card carries an electronic chip recording biometric details including fingerprints. The holder's gender, date and place of birth and nationality are recorded above a section entitled Remarks that lists entitlements.
More than 50,000 cards are expected to be handed out to foreign nationals from outside Europe between November and March as they extend their visas and register marriages or civil partnerships.
From next year ID cards will be given first to those in security-sensitive roles and by 2010 the aim will be to encourage young people to enrol. They will not be compulsory for the general population.
The size of a credit card, each ID card bears a digital image of the holder, their name, the place and date of the card's issue, a signature and a unique identity number. For foreign nationals there is also a "type of permit" section showing the person's visa category as well as a "valid until" date showing how long the holder has permission to stay in the UK.
On the reverse, the card carries an electronic chip recording biometric details including fingerprints. The holder's gender, date and place of birth and nationality are recorded above a section entitled Remarks that lists entitlements.
Care Home Group Choose UKB International Time & Attendance
Helen McArdle Care operates five residential care homes for the elderly and a further five homes are scheduled to open in 2009. Helen McArdle Care provides twenty four hour, year round care and needed to be assured that this care was in place at all times and that the correct balance of qualified staff were on duty at all locations.
Senior management at Helen McArdle Care required a simple to operate time and attendance system which would allow them to see at a glance who had worked at which care home, where and for exactly how long.
Following discussions with Helen McArdle Care management team UKB International recommended the FP3000 system, networked to a dedicated PC located at each care home administration office. The FP3000 is a fast, reliable scanner suitable for high volume applications.
The networked PC provides accurate up to the minute reports of staff clocking on and off, with irrefutable evidence of attendance which eliminates potential disputes. These reports provide the basis for payroll calculations. Pay-per-minute payroll calculations provide an incentive for good timekeeping and prevent over payment for time not worked, thus demonstrating a return on investment.
Helen McArdle Care Finance Director Nigel Dawson says: “The system is simple for our staff to use since they do not need to write working times in a record book or to remember swipe cards, pins or fobs. With many managers and staff at five locations it is essential we can manage time and attendance both to ensure we provide a high level of suitably qualified care, and to ensure accuracy of the payroll. The management reports generated by the FP3000 provide snapshot data with the ability to quickly drill down for detail. In the residential care home business an awareness of staffing levels at all our locations is vital and the UKB International solution has provided us with this capability”.
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Multispectral Technology Extended to Whole Hand
Quick and complete capture of multiple whole hand characteristics now possible with a single sensor
UKB International Ltd business partner Lumidigm Inc will roll out new technology to take full hand prints at the Biometrics Consortium Technology Expo in Tampa, Florida, on Sept. 23-25.
Because the technology is a direct imaging process, all areas of the hand are imaged, easily and quickly, with no special preparation or configuration of the hand. This characteristic permits the operator to easily and quickly capture all of the available biometric data.
A further advantage of Lumidigm's whole hand technology is that it is capable of capturing the thumbprint, four fingerprints and a palmprint all with a single placement of the user's hand on a single sensor. These prints may then be compared to data contained in a variety of standard biometric databases for a wide range of military and forensic applications. The same multispectral technology can also be implemented as a physical access device that can perform multibiometric matching to provide an extremely high level of accuracy and performance, enabling true single-factor 1:N security applications.
The broader print can provide much greater accuracy for a range of military and commercial applications, said Lumidigm Chief Technology Officer Rob Rowe. It also can be used for highly accurate screening to provide physical access to secure installations.
Lumidigm developed the new device in response to a U.S. Army request for a multi-modal biometrics system. A portable form factor is planned for deployment in the field by government and commercial partners and could be available in early 2010.
“Our robust multispectral imaging technology is a natural fit for whole-hand biometrics,” Rowe said. “The ability of our technology to perform under conditions where other technologies fail is precisely what makes a multispectral whole hand sensor of significant interest to the Army.”
UKB International Sales Director Steve Barnard said “This is an exciting advance in biometric technology and once again sets an industry benchmark. We will work closely with Lumidigm over the coming months to identify commercial opportunities for the system”.
UKB International Ltd business partner Lumidigm Inc will roll out new technology to take full hand prints at the Biometrics Consortium Technology Expo in Tampa, Florida, on Sept. 23-25.
Because the technology is a direct imaging process, all areas of the hand are imaged, easily and quickly, with no special preparation or configuration of the hand. This characteristic permits the operator to easily and quickly capture all of the available biometric data.
A further advantage of Lumidigm's whole hand technology is that it is capable of capturing the thumbprint, four fingerprints and a palmprint all with a single placement of the user's hand on a single sensor. These prints may then be compared to data contained in a variety of standard biometric databases for a wide range of military and forensic applications. The same multispectral technology can also be implemented as a physical access device that can perform multibiometric matching to provide an extremely high level of accuracy and performance, enabling true single-factor 1:N security applications.
The broader print can provide much greater accuracy for a range of military and commercial applications, said Lumidigm Chief Technology Officer Rob Rowe. It also can be used for highly accurate screening to provide physical access to secure installations.
Lumidigm developed the new device in response to a U.S. Army request for a multi-modal biometrics system. A portable form factor is planned for deployment in the field by government and commercial partners and could be available in early 2010.
“Our robust multispectral imaging technology is a natural fit for whole-hand biometrics,” Rowe said. “The ability of our technology to perform under conditions where other technologies fail is precisely what makes a multispectral whole hand sensor of significant interest to the Army.”
UKB International Sales Director Steve Barnard said “This is an exciting advance in biometric technology and once again sets an industry benchmark. We will work closely with Lumidigm over the coming months to identify commercial opportunities for the system”.
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Widespread biometric front door locking is closer than we think
By Alan Hyder
A gated community in Surbiton, Surrey, is the first in the UK to specify biometrics throughout.
The mixed residential and commercial development in Alpha Road, Surbiton is the first gated community in the UK to replace keys, swipe cards and fobs with biometric fingerprint entry access and security.
The system was installed by the Chiswick office of UKB International Ltd.
The development has nine luxury apartments and four separate air conditioned offices on two floors.
Developer Housemartins Ltd has specified biometric locks as the finishing touch to the prestigious gated complex.
Ian Martin, a partner in Housemartins said the luxurious block offers a high specification “which is perfectly complemented by the elegance and security of biometric locks.
“Owners can access their homes or offices by simply swiping their finger over a reader. Guests can be temporarily registered then quickly de-registered. Traditionally, a development of this size would require over thirty keys. At Alpha Road there are none”.
The biometric locks scan a fingerprint and convert patterns into data which is encrypted and stored for future comparison. No actual fingerprint is stored and no data is shared with third parties.
Director of UKB International, Joy Phillips said: “Our biometric locks are offered as an option by a number of UK volume home builders, but Alpha Road is the first new build mixed use gated community to plan a biometric solution from the drawing board.
“Property owners at Alpha Road will be using the only key that cannot be lost, stolen, forged or hacked – their own fingerprint”.
* UKB International Ltd is a leading supplier of fingerprint entry security systems, membership systems and time & attendance systems with offices in Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, NW & SW London, Thames Valley, Swansea, Bournemouth and Dubai.
A gated community in Surbiton, Surrey, is the first in the UK to specify biometrics throughout.
The mixed residential and commercial development in Alpha Road, Surbiton is the first gated community in the UK to replace keys, swipe cards and fobs with biometric fingerprint entry access and security.
The system was installed by the Chiswick office of UKB International Ltd.
The development has nine luxury apartments and four separate air conditioned offices on two floors.
Developer Housemartins Ltd has specified biometric locks as the finishing touch to the prestigious gated complex.
Ian Martin, a partner in Housemartins said the luxurious block offers a high specification “which is perfectly complemented by the elegance and security of biometric locks.
“Owners can access their homes or offices by simply swiping their finger over a reader. Guests can be temporarily registered then quickly de-registered. Traditionally, a development of this size would require over thirty keys. At Alpha Road there are none”.
The biometric locks scan a fingerprint and convert patterns into data which is encrypted and stored for future comparison. No actual fingerprint is stored and no data is shared with third parties.
Director of UKB International, Joy Phillips said: “Our biometric locks are offered as an option by a number of UK volume home builders, but Alpha Road is the first new build mixed use gated community to plan a biometric solution from the drawing board.
“Property owners at Alpha Road will be using the only key that cannot be lost, stolen, forged or hacked – their own fingerprint”.
* UKB International Ltd is a leading supplier of fingerprint entry security systems, membership systems and time & attendance systems with offices in Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, NW & SW London, Thames Valley, Swansea, Bournemouth and Dubai.
UKB International makes two new appointments
KARL PRING joins the company as sales consultant. Karl, from Chester-le- Street, County Durham, brings over 10 years’ experience as a sales manager in the communications sector to his new position.
Karl will initially focus on the education and public sectors. Karl is a keen golfer and rugby fan, having captained the Welsh District Team at international level.
At UKB, ANDY FULLER has been appointed to the post of telesales supervisor to lead a team of seven operators. Andy, from North Shields, brings over 10 years’ sales and marketing experience. In his spare time, Andy plays guitar with local rock band Random Play as well as being a keen footballer and mountain bike competitor.
Newcastle-based Golley Slater, Newcastle, has boosted its PR team with the appointment of GEORGINA DUNKLEY as its new junior account director.
Georgina, 27, who lives in Newcastle, has been working in the PR industry for six years after graduating with a BA degree in film and media studies from the University of Sunderland.
The new audit managers at Hartlepool accountants Horwath Clark Whitehill are hoping to prove right the old adage of two heads being better than one. CARY SURTEES and SARA BUCKWORTH are job sharing the position following the promotion of the firm’s previous audit manager, Paul Harrison, to partner. Mrs Surtees joined Horwath Clark Whitehill as an audit manager in 1994, having qualified as a chartered accountant in 1992 after training with a firm in Middlesbrough.
Sara Buckworth trained with Horwath Clark Whitehill after graduating from Nottingham University in 1999. She completed her training in 2002 and became an audit senior, specialising in the not-for-profit and charity sector. She has gleaned a wide range of experience in the charity and commercial sector and became an audit supervisor in 2004. Business Tourism in the region is set to get a boost after NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI) appointed a new media and PR manager to promote business tourism in the ‘twin cities’ and wider region.
Former Journal sub-editor, DAVID BOOTLE, will be promoting NewcastleGateshead’s world-class conference and venue facilities to businesses and event organisers throughout the country and overseas.
The role will involve highlighting the diversity and unique qualities the region possesses for hosting major conferences and meetings and the potential this provides business delegates to meet key business influencers, academics or scientists who are experts in their field.
Thursday, 11 September 2008
UKB International recruits four new telesales operators
Newly appointed telesales supervisor Andy Fuller, telesales operators Kevin Hagin, Yvonne Mason, Andrew Brown and Kathleen Lambrou. Yvonne Mason had been looking for a challenging job that would fit around her need to care for five year old son Dylan.
Yvonne says:
“I used to work in fashion retail but unsociable hours meant I was missing out on time with Dylan. Now I can work the hours that suit me and have the best of both worlds. This is a new challenge for me but UKB International has provided training and I am working with a fantastic team who have supported me all the way”.
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
UK police plan to spend up to £40m on mobile fingerprinting devices.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has announced £25m of further spending in this area in policing plans released in July. However, the tender published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 27th August 08 estimates the contract value at between £30m and £40m.
The four-year Midas (Mobile Identification at Scene) framework contract will involve up to 10 participants and may be extended for a further two years, allowing it to end at the same time as the Ident1 contract for the national, automated fingerprint system. The contract will apply to police forces throughout the UK.
"The agencies have a requirement for the provision of capabilities for the mobile biometric identification of persons, in real- or near real-time, at scene through biometric and associated information held by or accessed by the agencies," states the notice, adding that bidders should include, but may not be limited to, fingerprint-identification capability.
The agency said it plans to enter into a master framework agreement or agreements, then deliver packages of work through mini-competitions. However, the agency reserves the right to go outside the agreement to procure some elements of the scheme.
A condition of the contract is that information-management services to provide biometric search, storage and response capabilities must reside entirely within the UK.
Monday, 1 September 2008
UKB International appoint telesales supervisor to lead team
UKB International Ltd has appointed Andy Fuller to the post of telesales supervisor to lead a team of seven telesales operators. Andy, from North Shields, Tyne & Wear brings over ten years sales and marketing experience to his new position. In his spare time Andy plays guitar with local rock band Random Play as well as being a keen footballer and mountain bike competitor.
Monday, 18 August 2008
UKB International Operations Director Shaun Oakes talks to City Security magazine
What is biometric technology, how can it help secure the City of London today, and what does the future hold?
Author – UKB International Ltd Operations Director Shaun Oakes is responsible for product development and logistics. A security systems expert and published author on biometric security, Shaun has addressed international security seminars and is a regular contributor to UK and international security industry publications.
What is biometrics?
The word biometrics derives from the Greek bios, meaning "life" and metron, to "measure". It is the study of automated methods for recognising people based upon physical traits.
Biometric recognition systems can be divided in two main classes;
Behavioral biometrics is related to the behavior of a person. The first and still most widely used characteristic is the signature. Research is currently underway into keystroke and voice recognition systems.
Physiological biometrics is related to the shape of the body. The oldest system is that used by police for over 100 years to uniquely identify an individual by recording their fingerprints. Other examples are face recognition, hand geometry and iris recognition.
The most common and commercially viable biometric systems use the human fingerprint as the unique characteristic for recognition. The uniqueness of a fingerprint can be determined by the pattern of ridges and furrows as well as the minutiae points. Since the fingerprint is not stored in its entirety, concerns over personal data are easily overcome. Nobody can reconstruct a fingerprint from the data held on a modern biometric system.
The science of biometrics today
Although biometrics has been around for centuries in the form of signatures and fingerprint identification it was the advent of electronics which transformed the industry. With scanning equipment, fingerprints could be rendered into electronic data then the data encrypted and stored for future comparison. Initially the technology was expensive so typically it was the Military and Government who pioneered biometric access and identity verification.
Around ten years ago biometric equipment began to be mass produced in response to perceived market opportunities. The hardware, scanners, enclosures and processors were produced primarily in the Far East and the USA. These early devices would effectively operate as an on-off switch, verifying identity or denying it. Early technology relied upon a prefect scan of a fingerprint to verify the person presenting was the person registered. But a biometric access system is a security system, so if the system was in any doubt, it would reject the transaction and refuse to open the door or switch.
The cause of this rejection could be as simple as water, grease or paint on the fingerprint, a cut finger or abrasion on the fingertip. As a result, unacceptably high ‘error readings’ were common, that is, the right person was presenting but the system did not recognise them.
Today we have moved into ‘second generation’ biometrics with the advent of high definition, ‘sub dermal’ biometric readers.
This technology has allowed for the development of robust biometric readers with virtually zero error rates. Multispectral imaging technology simultaneously reads the surface and subsurface of fingerprints to capture clear, clean images every time, even when surface features are absent or hard to distinguish.
Today, readers are so robust they will operate in any weather conditions, can be power-hosed and even operate underwater. Readers are available that can scan one million stored data sets in one second, thus making them suitable for use in high volume, high security applications.
Biometric technology is moving so fast that myths abound even among security experts. A principal myth is that biometric systems store fingerprints and thus are open to ID theft. Modern systems store encrypted data which, even if decrypted would not allow for the reconstruction of a fingerprint.
Another myth involves the question “What if someone cuts off my finger?” In the event of this grisly scenario, a modern biometric reader would recognise that no blood was pumping through the veins and so, deny access. Similarly claims recently made by German hacker group Chaos Computer Club that they had obtained the fingerprints of Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble and would use them to produce a latex ‘spoof’ fingerprint are simply a publicity stunt. One multispectral biometric reader on the market has been tested with over 20,000 spoof attempts, ranging from the crude to the highly sophisticated. To date, none have succeeded.
Biometric identification – Absolute security.
Any security system is only as robust as its weakest link, and all too often the weakest link is the key used to access a door or switch. Swipe cards, keys, proximity fobs or PINs can be lost, stolen, copied, hacked or ‘Buddied’, that is, passed to an unauthorised person. Only biometric security offers the certainty that the person accessing a lock or switch is the person registered to do so. Further, a biometric system provides an exact forensic trace of who has accessed a door, and when. For this reason a number of UK police forces are trialling biometric locks on custody suites and evidence rooms.
In terms of disaster planning and Health & Safety, biometric security saves time, money and potentially lives. If a biometric system says there were 200 people in a building, and 197 are counted at the muster point, emergency services can be sure there are three people unaccounted for. If 200 people are counted, the services can be sure nobody is left in the building.
‘Anti Passback’ requires individuals to scan in, and out of a building. This prevents an unauthorised person ‘tailgating’, or following an authorised person through an open door. Anybody who has not scanned into a building cannot scan out, and security is alerted when they try.
Security is not the only application for biometrics in the commercial environment. Biometric Time & Attendance systems are claimed by their users to save tens of thousands of pounds a year by preventing fraud and providing for a ‘Pay Per Minute’ system which automatically feeds into payroll systems.
Biometrics in the future
Biometric technology is advancing at an exponential pace. Every major security exhibition in the world will host the launch of a technological advance, or a new application for existing technology. From super yachts to city banks, biometrics is providing management and security bosses with the tools needed to achieve maximum security.
And the industry shows no sign of slowing down with millions of pounds poured into R&D worldwide. One of the most exciting avenues of research is in Face and Gait recognition which looks set to emerge as the first non-interventionist biometric technology.
Currently a subject must present a fingerprint, iris or signature to access a biometric system. Face and Gait compares minute points on the face such as position of ears, nose, eyes and mouth, and physical characteristics such as height and position of shoulders to hands. These measurements are then added to the subjects style of walking to provide an accurate assessment of the individuals identity. As the subject gets closer to the camera the system automatically reassesses its conclusion, so that by the time the subject is within five metres of the camera, the system is 100% certain that the subject should be allowed access, or not. This multiple recognition of many biometric features means the wearing of a hat, bulky clothes or a disguise would not spoof the biometric system.
While technological advances are always exciting, the real future of biometrics will be determined by applications. Every time someone asks the question “Why are we using keys, fobs, swipe cards or PINs here?” a new application for biometric technology is identified.
Friday, 15 August 2008
UKB International invite the media to see UK’s first gated community with total biometric security
Media invitation: To attend the launch of the UK’s first mixed residential and commercial development to employ biometric ‘fingerprint entry’ access throughout. Meet developer Housemartins Ltd and UKB International Director’s Joy Phillips & Denis Kelleher.
Thursday 11th September, from 6pm.
Housemartins Ltd
40-41 Alpha Road
Surbiton
Surrey KT5 8RP
SURBITON GATED COMPLEX FIRST IN UK TO SPECIFY BIOMETRICS THROUGHOUT
A mixed residential and commercial development in Alpha Road, Surbiton is the first new build development in the UK to replace keys, swipe cards and fobs with biometric ‘fingerprint entry’ access and security. The system has been installed by the Chiswick office of UK Biometrics Ltd.
40-41 Alpha Road comprises 9 luxury apartments and four separate air conditioned offices on 2 floors. Developer Housemartins Ltd has specified biometric locks as the finishing touch to a prestige gated complex.
Ian Martin, Partner in Housemartins Ltd says:
“40-41 Alpha Road is a luxury development offering a high specification which is perfectly complimented by the elegance and security of biometric locks. Owners can access their homes or offices by simply swiping their finger over a reader. Guests can be temporarily registered then quickly de-registered. Traditionally a development of this size would require over thirty keys, at Alpha Road there are none”.
The biometric locks scan a fingerprint and convert patterns into data which is encrypted and stored for future comparison. No actual fingerprint is stored and the data is not shared with third parties.
UK Biometrics Director Joy Phillips says:
“Our biometric locks are offered as an option by a number of UK volume home builders, but Alpha Road is the first new build mixed use development to plan a biometric solution from the drawing board. Property owners at Alpha Road will be using the only key that cannot be lost, stolen, forged or hacked – their own fingerprint”.
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Building Talk – Worlds first biometric site access turnstile from UKB International
Biometric site access turnstile supplied by UKB International has been installed at the GBP50m Derwenthaugh EcoPark site in Gateshead,
Clugston Construction has scored a world first by installing a revolutionary health and safety and time and attendance system which claims to offer enhanced worker protection coupled with substantial operating savings The biometric Site Access Turnstile supplied by Newcastle upon Tyne based UKB International has been installed at the GBP50m Derwenthaugh EcoPark site in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear where Clugston is building the worlds largest steam autoclave recycling facility for client Graphite Resources
The biometric turnstile is believed to be the worlds first secure, unmanned site access system which will provide an irrefutable record of who has accessed the site, and when.
Workers, sub-contractors and suppliers who have undergone the Clugston health and safety induction are registered by having their fingerprint scanned.
The biometric system identifies minutiae points on the finger which are converted to data, encrypted and stored for future comparison.
No actual fingerprints are stored and the reporting data is held only by Clugston.
Once registered, workers simply scan their fingerprint to gain access to, or egress from the site.
The system admits one worker at a time, thus eliminating the practice of 'Buddy punching', that is, clocking in by workers who have not attended the health and safety induction, or clocking in workmates who leave early or arrive late.
The multi-spectral scanner reads both fingerprint and sub dermal ridges making it impossible to 'Spoof' with a fake fingerprint.
Both scanner and housing are extremely robust and able to operate in a wide range of temperatures while being impervious to water, dust and dirt.
The scanner can read a fingerprint through grease, dirt, paint or latex gloves.
Clugston management know precisely who has worked on site and are assured that staff, sub-contractors and suppliers are health and safety compliant.
In trials of the system some sub-contractors requested attendance data for their workers to enable them to invoice with pinpoint accuracy, thus avoiding lengthy disputes.
Clugston Project Manager Gary Parkinson says: "We have specified the biometric Site Access Turnstile here at Derwenthaugh and it promises to offer substantial health and safety benefits".
"We know that everyone on site is aware of our safety policy and in the event of an emergency we can advise authorities if everyone has assembled at the muster point, or if workers are missing".
"The new biometric system means we can operate without the need for static security guards to check workers documentation".
UKB International Sales Director Steve Barnard says: "The construction industry has been crying out for a robust, infallible access and time and attendance system which will work with minimum maintenance in harsh environments".
"We are delighted that Clugston have chosen our system".
"While this is the first biometric turnstile designed solely for the construction industry, we have fitted the technology to industrial and commercial sites throughout the UK.
One call centre operator claims the system has saved her tens of thousands of pounds a year in false wage claims".
"We anticipate delivering similar cost benefit in the construction sector".
Monday, 4 August 2008
UKB International and technology partner Lumidigm Inc to speak at Biometrics 2008 conference.
UKB International Chief Technical Officer Jon Telford will co-chair a session titled “The future of biometrics – Tomorrow’s technology “ with Jean-Christophe Fondeur, Chief Technical Officer with Sagem Sécurité at the Biometrics 2008 exhibition and conference to be held at Westminister, London on 21-23 October 2008. Matthew Ennis, Vice President, Business Development, with technology partner Lumidigm Inc. will speak on “Biometrics: A novel solution for your company’s bottom line”
CN Plus - Clugston Construction installs fingerprint access
Clugston Construction has installed a biometric site access turnstile at the £50 million Derwenthaugh EcoPark site in Gateshead.
Contractors will now have to scan their fingerprint as they enter or leave the site.
Once workers, subcontractors and suppliers have passed Clugston's health and safety induction their fingerprints are scanned then minutiae points on the finger are converted to data, encrypted and stored.
The turnstile has been supplied by the Newcastle upon Tyne-based UKB International.
UKB appoint Sales Consultant
UKB International Ltd has appointed Karl Pring to the post of Sales Consultant. Karl from Plawsworth, County Durham brings over ten years experience as a sales manager in the communications sector. Karl is a keen golfer and rugby fan, having captained the Welsh District Team at international level.
Northern Echo - Technology firm has its finger on site security
A CONSTRUCTION company has installed the world’s first finger-print controlled turnstile point for workers at one of its sites.
The biometric site access turnstile developed by Newcastle firm UKB International has been installed at Clugston Development’s construction site at the £50m Derwenthaugh EcoPark development, in Gateshead.
Workers, sub-contractors and suppliers who have undergone the Clugston health and safety induction are registered by having their fingerprint scanned.
Although the company has developed fingerprint systems for office buildings it is the first system which makes it impossible for any person to pass through without having their fingerprint checked.
The scanner is impervious to water, dust and dirt and can read a fingerprint through grease, paint or latex gloves.
The biometric system identifies minute points on the finger, which are converted to data, encrypted and stored for future comparison.
No fingerprints are stored and the reporting data is held only by Clugston.
UKB International sales director Steve Barnard said: “The construction industry has been crying out for a robust, infallible access and time and attendance system which will work with minimum maintenance in harsh environments.
“We are delighted that Clugston has chosen our system.
“While this is the first biometric turnstile designed solely for the construction industry, we have fitted the technology to industrial and commercial sites throughout the UK.
“One call centre operator claims the system has saved her tens of thousands of pounds a year in false wage claims. We anticipate delivering similar cost benefit in the construction sector.”
Clugston project manager Gary Parkinson said: “We have specified the biometric site access turnstile here at Derwenthaugh, and it promises to offer substantial health and safety benefits.
“We know that everyone on site is aware of our safety policy and, in the event of an emergency, we can advise authorities if everyone has assembled at the muster point, or if workers are missing.
“The new biometric system means we can operate without the need for security guards to check workers documentation.”
Once registered, workers scan their fingerprint to gain access to, or leave the site.
The system admits one worker at a time and will prevent “buddy punching” – clocking in by workers who have not attended the health and safety induction, or clocking in workmates who leave early or arrive late.
Monday, 28 July 2008
Reading Chronicle - Parents and staff put their finger on security
STAFF and parents at an NHS nursery have put their finger on a new security system.
A fingerprint scanner will used to authorise adults to enter the Little Dragons nursery at Bath Road, which looks after around 62 youngsters of Berkshire Healthcare Trust staff. The trust are the first health organisation in the UK to use the system.
Nursery manager Debbie Symmons said: “We’ve had it running for about two weeks now and we’ve had no problems apart from when one or two finger prints haven’t been read the first time.
“Parents have obviously asked questions, they wanted to know more about it which is understandable, but we’ve had a really good response.
“The benefit for us is that we don’t have to take staff away from the children to answer the door. We’ve also got a video link in so if we’re ever unsure we can talk to someone through that.”
Parent Sarah Evans, mother of two-year-old Charlie said: “When we had the letter we thought it was quite exciting. I didn’t have those concerns about giving information, but I suppose other parents might have done, thinking it was a bit ‘Big Brother’, but when it comes to security for the children, that’s much more important than who’s got what information and I think a lot of parents thought the same.”
The system, which costs around £4,000 is supplied by Reading-based UK Biometrics and company regional director Nick Morse said: “We were happy to talk to parents about this beforehand and they were largely very positive because the only information that’s stored is a name, whether they are a parent or staff and fingerprint characteristics, not even a full fingerprint. And that’s stored on a stand alone computer which isn’t networked.”
Reading Evening Post – Fingerprinting to keep the little Dragons safe
Parents and guardians will have to use a Mission Impossible-style fingerprinting system to enter a Southcote nursery.
Matching fingerprints are the only way mums and dads can get in and out of the NHS-run nursery Little Dragons.
The Bath Road nursery is the first in Reading to implement the “Big Brother style” system, putting an end to swipe cards, keys and knocking.
The healthcare trust is also the first in the UK to install the system in its childcare facilities – including another two nurseries in Maidenhead and Slough.
The nursery is mainly used by children of NHS staff, although not exclusively.
Community nurse Sarah Evans works at Western Elms Surgery and sends her two-year-old son Charlie to the nursery.
The 34-year-old, of Fords Farm, said: “It is brilliant. You cannot put a price on the security of children.
“Charlie tries the doors at home and I know he would try and escape if he could. But I do know people might say it is a bit Big Brother-ish.”
Nursery manager Debbie Simmons added: “The nursery is very secure now. It’s a real improvement. It’s a very advanced system.
“Parents have had questions but no one has been critical. We put ourselves forward for the system as we thought it was a good idea.”
She said fingerprints were taken from staff, mums, dads and carers but are wiped after the child has left the nursery.
Anyone who wants to get in can still do so – but they will have to press the buzzer to alert staff who will open the door internally.
The Evening Post tried the system and our fingerprints were rejected – the sign “access denied” came up.
Jim Tye, security manager specialist at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, defended the system. He said: “We always have to prepare for the worst case scenarios.”
He admitted the main reason for such an advanced system – which he added had a few teething problems which have now been cleared – was the fear of children being abducted.
“We cannot be complacent about security,” he said.
The system has been installed by UK Biometrics Ltd in the Thames Valley. Director Nick Morse said: “Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has specified the only key which cannot be lost, stolen, forged or hacked – the human fingerprint.”
Fingerprint scanning to be introduced at nurseries around the UK
The fingerprints of parents will soon be scanned at 36 branches of the UK's largest nursery chain.
Busy Bees will implement the high-tech entry systems around the country to give parents 'peace of mind' following a year-long trial, reports Children & Young People Now (CYP Now).
Operations director at the company Margaret Randalls told the news source: 'While secure entry numbers, key pads and passes are useful, they can be passed on to other people.'
While all parents will be invited to submit their fingerprints, those who choose not to will be able to access the nurseries through other means, she noted.
According to CYPNow, Busy Bees has signed a £500,000 deal with UK Biometrics Limited for the new security devices.
Last month the BBC reported that this practice was also being employed at two Kent nursery schools, but charity Kidscape said that the surveillance was 'paranoid and overkill'.
Busy Bees will implement the high-tech entry systems around the country to give parents 'peace of mind' following a year-long trial, reports Children & Young People Now (CYP Now).
Operations director at the company Margaret Randalls told the news source: 'While secure entry numbers, key pads and passes are useful, they can be passed on to other people.'
While all parents will be invited to submit their fingerprints, those who choose not to will be able to access the nurseries through other means, she noted.
According to CYPNow, Busy Bees has signed a £500,000 deal with UK Biometrics Limited for the new security devices.
Last month the BBC reported that this practice was also being employed at two Kent nursery schools, but charity Kidscape said that the surveillance was 'paranoid and overkill'.
Monday, 21 July 2008
High tech security for Berkshire’s nurseries
A multi-billion pound scheme to link Berkshire and Essex by rail through London's finally on track.
The Crossrail scheme was originally scrapped in the nineties because it cost too much.
The scheme linking Maidenhead and Shenfield's taken three years to get through Parliament.
A number of new stations will have to be built along the route which means it'll be the largest civil engineering project in Europe.
Work will start on the line in 2010 with up to 14,000 people helping build it. We'll then be able to ride the crossrail from 2017.
Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly said:
"This landmark project is of major significance to both London and the whole country. It will generate jobs and economic growth, help re-vitalise some of our most deprived areas and deliver
major improvements for the travelling public.
"Crossrail has been talked about for decades, so I am delighted that now we have secured both the funding package and parliamentary approval, work can finally begin to deliver this fantastic project."
Former Henley MP and now London Mayor Boris Johnson's described it as a 'cracking deal for the capital.'
Once it's up and running it's expected around 200 million people will ride the Crossrail every year. The trains will travel at 100mph on the surface and 60 mph in tunnels.
Credit: http://www.2tenfm.co.uk
Chain goes for fingerprints
Busy Bees, the UK's largest nursery chain, is installing a 'fingerprint' entry system at all its nurseries. The nursery group has signed a £500,000 deal with UK Biometrics to install the technology across its 113 settings.
It costs around £4,000 to install the system, and Busy Bees has been testing it at 14 nurseries in the past year. Once a user's fingerprints are registered, the sensor pad scans 27 'minutiae' - key points on the fingerprint unique to the individual - and matches them up. Busy Bees said the data is only held by the nursery and it is impossible to recreate an individual...
It costs around £4,000 to install the system, and Busy Bees has been testing it at 14 nurseries in the past year. Once a user's fingerprints are registered, the sensor pad scans 27 'minutiae' - key points on the fingerprint unique to the individual - and matches them up. Busy Bees said the data is only held by the nursery and it is impossible to recreate an individual...
Friday, 18 July 2008
UKB International opens new Birmingham sales office
Regional Director Mark Snape says “Birmingham and the surrounding areas offer tremendous opportunity for the UKB International range of products and services. My Sales Consultant Brian Ellershawe and I are looking forward to the challenge”.
UKB International locks up nursery contract
NURSERIES across the UK will be more secure after a national chain signed a £500,000 deal with a leading North East security company.
UK Biometrics Ltd is to supply and install the system across the Busy Bees chain after a year-long trial at 14 nurseries. The Newcastle-based company’s Fingerprint Entry programme is a biometric door lock, which opens for staff, parents and carers whose prints are registered. Unregistered visitors have to be admitted by a member of staff.
The system scans the user’s print, identifying key points and the finger’s sub-dermal ridges which make it theoretically impossible for someone not on the database to gain entry. Users’ encrypted data is held by each individual nursery. Carole Chadderton, Busy Bees regional director, said: “Security for the children and staff is a prime concern. We have worked closely with UK Biometrics and their access system will enable us to maintain high security standards throughout our nurseries.”
Busy Bees has been running for 25 years and UK Biometrics said the company’s decision to adopt the system showed that security was high on the nursery chain’s agenda.
UK Biometrics operations director Shaun Oakes said: “Biometrics provides the only key which cannot be lost, stolen, forged or hacked – the human fingerprint.”
UK Biometrics, which has sales offices in Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, North West and South West London, Swindon, Thames Valley, Swansea and Bournemouth, in addition to its Newcastle headquarters, announced in April its was creating 15 jobs.
Halifax parents give thumbs-up to nursery’s new high tech security system
A CALDERDALE nursery has installed a new door entry system using one-of-a-kind keys – fingers.
Parents will have to scan their fingerprints when they drop off and pick up children at The Ark Nursery.
The biometric system has been installed on the door of the nursery at Dean Hey Farm, Hebden Bridge, to increase security while also making access easier for mums, dads and other carers.
It also keeps a record of who has entered the premises.
The technology, created by Newcastle firm UK Biometrics, went live this week and has replaced a keypad entry system which asked parents and staff to enter a number code.
Now the nursery has registered the prints of parents and people they nominate to pick up children. They will be recognised when pressed on to a sensor pad unlocking the door.
Unregistered visitors have to phone the office and wait for a member of staff.
Owner Jo Brock, who founded The Ark with co-owner Jayne Heidi Bingham in 2002, said: "With our previous keypad security system it was easy to forget the code but you can't forget your finger, can you?
"We were also concerned the code could fall into the wrong hands.
"It has been very well received by all of the parents.
"Security is very important to us and we like to be ahead with innovations so when we heard about the system we decided to get it and make sure our safety is top notch." The Ark Nursery, which has more than 40 staff, cares for more than 200 children from babies to children aged four and 150 children aged up to 12 attend an out of school facility called Space @ the Ark.
Last October the Courier reported that Providence Day Nursery, Elland, was the first nursery in Calderdale to install the state-of-the-art security.
Paul Easton, from UK Biometrics, said use of the system in schools, nurseries and other childcare facilities is growing.
He said: "Security is obviously a huge concern for all parents."
Fingerprint entry is also used in homes, building sites, call centres and many other premises.
The biometric system has been installed on the door of the nursery at Dean Hey Farm, Hebden Bridge, to increase security while also making access easier for mums, dads and other carers.
It also keeps a record of who has entered the premises.
The technology, created by Newcastle firm UK Biometrics, went live this week and has replaced a keypad entry system which asked parents and staff to enter a number code.
Now the nursery has registered the prints of parents and people they nominate to pick up children. They will be recognised when pressed on to a sensor pad unlocking the door.
Unregistered visitors have to phone the office and wait for a member of staff.
Owner Jo Brock, who founded The Ark with co-owner Jayne Heidi Bingham in 2002, said: "With our previous keypad security system it was easy to forget the code but you can't forget your finger, can you?
"We were also concerned the code could fall into the wrong hands.
"It has been very well received by all of the parents.
"Security is very important to us and we like to be ahead with innovations so when we heard about the system we decided to get it and make sure our safety is top notch." The Ark Nursery, which has more than 40 staff, cares for more than 200 children from babies to children aged four and 150 children aged up to 12 attend an out of school facility called Space @ the Ark.
Last October the Courier reported that Providence Day Nursery, Elland, was the first nursery in Calderdale to install the state-of-the-art security.
Paul Easton, from UK Biometrics, said use of the system in schools, nurseries and other childcare facilities is growing.
He said: "Security is obviously a huge concern for all parents."
Fingerprint entry is also used in homes, building sites, call centres and many other premises.
Nursery school chain installs fingerprint entry system
A £500,000 biometric fingerprint entry security system is to be installed at the Busy Bees children's nurseries chain.
The system from UK Biometrics will allow parents and carers easy access to the nurseries while ensuring unauthorised people cannot gain entry.
UK Biometrics has been trialling the system at 14 Busy Bees nurseries for more than a year.
The new biometric locks allow Busy Bees personnel to register parents' and carers' fingerprints in seconds. Once registered, parents press their fingerprint onto a sensor pad at the door and gain immediate entry. Un-registered visitors ring the bell and wait for a member of staff to admit them.
The new system will allow staff to spend more time with the children at busy drop-off and collection times, rather than answering the door to parents.
The multi-spectral scanner identifies key points on the user's fingerprint, and scans sub-dermal ridges making it impossible to fake fingerprints, said UK Biometrics. No actual fingerprint is stored and the encrypted data is held only by individual nurseries. It is impossible to reproduce a fingerprint, or any part of a fingerprint from data stored, the supplier said. Busy Bees regional director Carole Chadderton said, "We are always looking at ways of improving the quality of our nurseries, and security for the children and staff is a prime concern. "We have worked closely with UK Biometrics and their access system will enable us to maintain high security standards throughout our nurseries."
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Girls ring the changes with UKB International over phone theft
FOUR youngsters are hoping to be lords of the rings after hatching a plan to tackle problems including mobile phone theft.
Jarrow School pupils Lucy Charlton and Sarah Wilson, both 11, and Kelly Whitfield and Nicola Harkus, both 12, have come up with an idea to market a mobile telephone specially for children.The team are the youngest UK entrants in The Big Ideas ICT Youth Challenge 2008 competition.
The competition calls for new business ideas, from young people up to the age of 20, based on information and communication technology.
The girls have certainly done their homework. They surveyed more than 400 school pals and parents to find out what their biggest concerns to do with mobile phones are.
Answers they received included text bullying, unwanted calls from salespeople, parental control over access to numbers and websites, the ability to call family members or teachers in an emergency after their credit had run out, mobile chat rooms and mugging for mobile phones.
The youngsters decided biometric identification could be the answer to some of the problems identified, so they approached UK Biometrics to find out about the latest technology.
The pupils then spent a morning at the Newcastle-based company brushing up on the latest technology.
UK Biometrics sales director Steve Barnard said: "We spent a morning with the girls, and were impressed with their grasp of the technology.
"We have been researching biometric security for palm-held devices including mobile phones for more than a year, and many of the features requested by the girls are achievable with available technology.
"We wish them every success in the competition, and look forward to signing contracts with our youngest ever technology partners in about four years' time when they turn 16."
Les Jones, headteacher at Jarrow School, a specialist engineering school, said: "Some of our youngest budding engineers and entrepreneurs have come up with a startling idea while working with a top communications and engineering company.
"We often find students think differently to trained adults, and in some cases arrive at novel – and practical – solutions to scientific or engineering challenges.
"This is the case with our Year 7 girls who have been working with UK Biometrics and Tedco.
"We are very grateful to both organisations for involving our students – the scientists and engineers of the future – in their programme.
"The youngsters are a really impressive group."
In addition to being the youngest entrants in The Big Ideas ICT Youth Challenge 2008, the girls are the youngest entrepreneurs to receive assistance from South Tyneside-based enterprise agency Tedco.
Tedco enterprise champion Carol Metcalfe added: "The girls' enthusiasm for their project rubs off on everyone they contact.
"They have already beaten off competition from much older groups during the early stages."
They will present their idea to a panel including judges from Microsoft and BT at The HotHouse Event to be filmed by the BBC between Monday, June 30, and Friday, July 4.
UKB International win deal £500,000+ deal with nursery group
They're a popular form of small child art and a common feature at lunchtimes, but fingerprints will take on a new meaning for the parents at Busy Bees nurseries.
Newcastle-based UK Biometrics Ltd has announced the roll-out of a deal worth over half million pounds to supply and install biometric ‘Fingerprint Entry’ security systems at Busy Bees, Britain’s largest chain of children’s nurseries. The system will allow parents and carers easy access to the nurseries while ensuring unauthorised people cannot gain entry.
UK Biometrics has been trialling the system at fourteen nurseries for over a year. The new biometric locks allow Busy Bees personnel to register parents and carers fingerprints in seconds. Once registered parents press their fingerprint onto a sensor pad at the door then leave or collect their children without fuss. Un-registered visitors ring the bell and wait for a member of staff to admit them.
The system will allow staff to spend more time with the children at busy drop-off and collection times, rather than answering the door to parents.
The multi-spectral scanner identifies key points on the users fingerprint, and scans sub-dermal ridges making it impossible to ‘spoof’ using a fake fingerprint. No actual fingerprint is stored and the encrypted data is held only by Busy Bees individual nurseries. It is impossible to reproduce a fingerprint, or any part of a fingerprint from data stored.
Friday, 11 July 2008
Biometrics more popular than passwords survey shows.
The majority of consumers are concerned about the security and use of Pins, passwords and 'secret' data used by bank call centres to verify identity. A recent survey found that 61 per cent of respondents expressed concerns about these forms of verification.
Some 42 per cent of people using telephone banking do not believe that their bank does enough to prevent fraud or identity theft. Just over 40 per cent of respondents believe that their personal information is more secure when using an automated system than speaking to a live agent (36 per cent) when handling Pins and passwords.
However, 86 per cent would be happier to use either voice biometrics (28 per cent) or a blend of voice biometrics and Pin/password (58 per cent) measures for telephone banking identification and verification. Professor Michael McTear, head of voice authentication research at the University of Ulster, said: "Many bank customers are concerned with the threat of identity fraud and the associated risks for their personal finances.
"It is imperative that banks should be encouraged to provide an effective and easy-to-use method for additional security. Voice authentication provides such a method. "The customer is not required to enter complicated sequences of numbers and letters but simply answers a few questions in their normal voice.
"Voice biometrics is an effective and reliable technology for authenticating valid customers and, more importantly, for rejecting 'imposters' whose voice does not match the customer's voiceprint." Some 80 per cent of respondents said that security is an important element of banking transactions completed over the phone.
University plans biometric security course.
The UK's first university course based on technology used to combat identity theft and international terrorism has been announced.
The biometric security systems degree is being introduced to meet the growing demand for expertise in the field, according to Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University (RGU).
Biometric technology is increasingly used in security and surveillance systems.
It offers an automated means of recognising an individual, based on characteristics such as fingerprints, speech, face, retina, iris, DNA and forensic analysis.
RGU said it was launching its MSc Intelligent Biometric Security Systems because companies were having difficulty recruiting staff skilled in biometrics.
Dr Ann Reddipogu of RGU's school of engineering said: "Identifying humans using biometrics is particularly attractive to businesses involved in security.
"Whereas physical items such as security cards, keys and passwords can be lost or stolen, the biometric identifier is unique to each individual.
"Students will analyse current problems in security and surveillance systems, and develop and implement novel methods to solve these issues."
credit: The Press Association
Monday, 7 July 2008
UKB International appoint northern regional sales manager.
UKB International Ltd has appointed Ian Pick to the post of Northern Regional Sales Manager. Ian from Chester le Street brings over ten years specialist software sales experience to his new position. Ian will have responsibility for managing the introduction of UKB International's ‘Evolution’ range of robust biometric readers to North East businesses and will help with the launch of further new products over the coming twelve months.
Ian Pick says:
"I have been watching biometric technology for a number of years and have been impressed at the speed with which it is gaining market share. UKB International was the first UK Company to bring biometrics direct to businesses and they still lead the field. This is a tremendously exciting time to be joining this expanding industry".
UKB International opens new Swindon sales office.
Regional Director David Lee said "Swindon and the surrounding areas are full of exciting technology businesses. UKB International's new regional office will offer the most advanced access security that todays demanding businesses require."
Friday, 4 July 2008
UKB International launch new Colour Intercom System.
The UKB Colour Intercom System is a high quality intercom that is stunning in appearance and technologically advanced. Slim in design with hands free audio, full colour display and memory storage to record visitors. UKB International has set the standard with this new modern intercom system.
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
UKB International biometrically opens Baltic Gateshead campus
UKB International biometrically opens the multimillion pound Baltic Gateshead campus.
Thursday, 12 June 2008
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
UKB announces new office opening.
UKB International announces that July will see our new Swindon office opening.
Monday, 26 May 2008
Friday, 9 May 2008
UKB International attends IFSEC
UKB International attends IFSEC world security show from 12-15th May.
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