NEXT Biometrics fingerprint sensor used in BIO-key’s new EcoID Compact Touch USB Fingerprint Reader
NEXT Biometrics Group ASA (OAX: NEXT) today announced it has been chosen to provide its high quality fingerprint imaging sensor in the BIO-key International, Inc. (OTCQB: BKYI) new EcoID, a compact USB touch fingerprint reader being launched at an unprecedented low price point.
BIO-key, a leader in fingerprint biometric software technologies for secure on-device, in-cloud or mobile device credentialing and identity verification solutions, introduced the EcoID at the connect:ID convention this week in Washington, D.C.
NEXT, the market’s lowest-cost provider of low-profile, reliable, robust high-quality fingerprint sensors, noted that BIO-key recently purchased more than 70,000 NEXT sensors. NEXT added that BIO-key said it aims to disrupt the touch fingerprint reader market with an MSRP of $34.99, substantially below other USB touch scanners, and that the EcoID is available direct from BIO-key and through select distribution channels.
In BIO-key’s launch announcement it said, “EcoID is a compact USB touch fingerprint reader pairing the Active Thermal™ sensor from NEXT Biometrics with the superior accuracy of BIO-key’s biometric algorithms and software, to deliver top quality at an unprecedented price point. EcoID delivers one-touch identification and strong authentication for existing BIO-key customers, as well as any entity seeking to add low-cost, high performance fingerprint oWindows Biometric Framework (WBF) and FIDO. The sleek, low profile form factor is highly portable, fitting easily into a purse or pocket, and features a lanyard/security cable pass-through for secure commercial applications.”
NEXT Biometrics CEO Tore Etholm-Idsøe said, “NEXT is delighted to provide a key component of this exciting new BIO-key device. BIO-key has a history of providing transformational software capabilities to the commercial identity marketplace, and they have set a high standard for large scale commercial biometric use, in terms of one-to-many search, accuracy and device flexibility. Their innovation and customer orientation have enabled another solution breakthrough with EcoID. We are very pleased they chose NEXT to help them achieve this ambitious price-performance target.”
Jim Sullivan, BIO-key Vice President of Strategy and Business Development commented, “BIO-key recognized that our banking, retail, and consumer-facing customers struggled to source a low-cost, high quality fingerprint scanner to pair with our biometric identity assurance platform. Recent acquisitions of fingerprint scanner manufacturers by Apple, Synaptics, Qualcomm and HID has created a void of quality, reasonably priced USB touch scanners. In collaboration with NEXT Biometrics, we developed a great scanner with unlimited applications at a terrific price. We think this lower cost solution could provide an ROI tipping point for accelerated adoption of biometrics versus other strong authentication options.”
Sullivan added, “The EcoID device delivers one-touch identification and strong authentication for existing BIO-key software customers, as well as any entity adding low-cost, high performance fingerprint authentication to their existing Windows devices with both Microsoft Windows Biometric Framework (WBF) support and upcoming FIDO support.”
NEXT said that BIO-key commented that, “Microsoft has incorporated enhanced integrated fingerprint biometric security features in Windows 10 with their Microsoft Hello™ and Passport™ solutions. but noted that users will require a fingerprint scanner for workstations that currently lack them. EcoID scanner joins BIO-key’s SideSwipe™ tablet and laptop-ready scanner as an outstanding low cost option for adding fingerprint security to workstation or mobile devices and is plug-and-play ready for WBF as well as Android. ”
Media and Investor contact:
Tore Etholm-Idsøe, CEO
Mobile: +47 922 32 439
NEXT Biometrics Group ASA is a publicly-listed company on the OSLO Axess Bors (symbol NEXT) and is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with sales, support and development subsidiaries in Seattle, Silicon Valley, Prague, Taipei and Shanghai.