Some background on Biometric Clocks

Science fiction is increasingly closer to becoming a real business. Thus, it is possible the routine identification of employees, visitors, users of credit cards and others using biometric information like fingerprints, facial patterns and voice recognition. The price of the technology needed to scan and read these qualities, is reduced day by day so that more consumers access to these devices. Because of this, technologies that cost $ 3,000 in 1999 now cost only 100.

The company Identix Inc., for example, sells fingerprint readers that connect to PC ports, plus the necessary software for a similar price to the cost of a pair of sneakers. Thus, for less than $ 200 can access a very useful device.

Similarly, the iris recognition systems are cheaper now because of the economic cost of high-resolution chips, used in their cameras. As a consequence, an iris scanning system that cost $ 15 000 in the mid-nineties, now costs $ 300.

As a result of lower costs of these systems in the United States, it is expected that over the next three years, more than 20 million people start using identification cards, including biometric data. Additionally, it is also expected that 60 million foreign visitors who enter in the future to the United States, loaded with biometric passports.

One of the most promising areas of biometrics is related to the prevention of identity theft, which is linked to other types of fraud. It is also expected to lend a hand biometrics in financial transactions, helping consumers gain confidence in front e-commerce. To do this, there will be methods that can ensure that a person who buys on the Internet, is the owner of a particular account. The biometric cards, identification, and are used to help businesses set up systems for access control, putting aside password systems. Thus, in some countries and can be viewed as storage facilities for banks, laboratories and computer databases, in which this technology is used. In the past two years, many corporations have begun to invest heavily in biometric technology, such as fingerprints scanned in, in order to ensure that only personnel with permission, use of premises or computer systems.