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.'

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.”

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."

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.”

Biometric system for care homes

By Anthony Hildebrand

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.”