Q. What is biometric identification?

A. Biometric identification is the use of automated methods to recognize a person based on a physiological or behavioral characteristic. Biometric features that can be currently measured include face, fingerprint, hand geometry, handwriting, iris, retina, vein or voice. While it traditionally has been only used in high security applications, it is now gaining acceptance in mainstream consumer use worldwide, especially as a result of September 11, 2001. identiMetrics utilizes biometric finger scan identification in its products because it is fast, accurate, cost-effective, and non-intrusive.

Q. Why choose finger scan identification?

A. Fingerprints have been used for identification as far back as ancient China. They are the standard without question. In addition to signatures, fingerprints are the only other form of identification that have a legal standing. A key issue in this area is privacy and the ability for misuse of a person's fingerprint. This has been addressed by not making a copy of the fingerprint. Instead, a computer program creates a template of the unique fingerprint characteristics. This is sufficient for one-to-one or one-to-many matching and insures the privacy of the user.

Q. How does finger scan identification work?

A. Using capacitanct or optical scanners (a special piece of hardware that can “see” your fingerprint), the software scans the ridges, furrows and minutiae points of the fingerprint to create individual templates that identify each person. All fingerprints are unique and that makes them ideal for personal digital identification. In addition, finger scan recognition is by far the most developed technology. Cost and performance breakthroughs have transformed finger scan biometrics from an interesting technology to an easy to implement identification solution. Most importantly, consumers understand and accept the concept.

Q. “Can my fingerprint be given to anyone else?”

A. No. There are no fingerprint images stored. Only numerical representations of the unique points of the fingerprint are stored.

Q. “Can my fingerprint data be taken off the computer and used to re-create my fingerprint?”

A. No. There is no way for any fingerprint expert, or anyone else, to take the numerical representation and reconstruct a fingerprint image from the data. There is no way to “reverse identify” a person.

Q. “Can my fingerprint be taken from the computer software and used on another fingerprinting system?”

A. No. Because of the way the template of unique points is stored, it is useless to a law enforcement application.

Q. “Can my fingerprint be copied or used by anyone else?”

A. No. It is impossible to duplicate or falsify fingerprints from the information stored by the computer software.