DigitalPersona Goes Mobile with New U.are.U 5100 Fingerprint Sensors for Battery-Powered Mobile ID Devices

LONDON and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- DigitalPersona, Inc., a global provider of authentication and endpoint protection solutions, today launched a new generation of biometric fingerprint sensors designed specifically for the growing market of battery-powered mobile identification devices. The new DigitalPersona® U.are.U® 5100 series of fingerprint modules and readers make high-efficiency, standards-compliant biometrics practical for handheld ID terminals. These devices are increasingly being used around the world in Civil ID applications such as voting, benefits-checking and micro-finance. DigitalPersona is demonstrating the new PIV-standard* embeddable U.are.U 5100 Fingerprint Module, along with mobile ID terminals from multiple partners that use DigitalPersona fingerprint sensors, at the Biometrics 2011 Exhibition, Stand #411, being held at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster, London, UK, on October 19-20, 2011.

Many emerging countries are turning to biometrically-enabled mobile ID terminals in an effort to combat fraud in delivering essential services such as voting, benefits, pensions and banking. These devices were initially used for military and law enforcement, but the rapid growth of Civil ID programs is creating demand for smaller, more affordable versions that deliver high-quality identification. Such handheld terminals, which are typically battery-powered and used in harsh environments, provide a reliable and cost-effective way for verifying a person's identity wherever services are accessed. The new U.are.U 5100 family of touch-style fingerprint sensors is specifically tailored to fit the unique form-factor, power, usability and durability requirements of these devices, including:

• Low Power – The U.are.U 5100 gives applications fine-grained control over the operations of the biometric sensor and user-feedback lights, extending the battery life of mobile devices.
• Compact Size – The embeddable U.are.U 5100 fingerprint module is one of the most compact standards-compliant optical fingerprint sensors on the market, measuring only 52mm (L) x 31.4mm (W) x 15.8mm (H), enabling new generations of mobile ID devices to be smaller and lighter.
• Landing Lights and Status LEDs – As a finger approaches the U.are.U 5100, ergonomic blue "landing lights" help guide the user for simple, accurate fingerprint scans; applications can also use red and green status lights built into the sensor itself to provide immediate feedback without the need for a separate display screen.
• PIV Standards Compliance – The U.are.U 5100 is designed to meet and exceed the FIPS 201 Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Image Quality Specification, a key industry standard. It produces 500 and 1000 dot-per-inch (dpi) fingerprint images in ANSI and ISO/IEC standard formats.
• High Durability – Built for use in demanding environments, the optical-technology U.are.U 5100 has a hard glass, IP64-rated imaging surface that is sealed against dust and liquids.
• Easy to Program – DigitalPersona's new U.are.U software development kits (SDKs) for mobile and PC operating systems give application developers full control over the capabilities of both the new U.are.U 5100 series and the company's existing U.are.U 4500 series of fingerprint sensors.

"MaxID is pleased to demonstrate our iDL 300 Mobile ID terminal with DigitalPersona's new PIV fingerprint reader," said Brian Skiba, chief strategy officer at MaxID Corp. "DigitalPersona's high-volume manufacturing experience in the commercial marketplace makes them the ideal supplier of high performance, low cost PIV fingerprint readers."

"Mobile device vendors previously had to choose between power consumption, size, durability and standards compliance when incorporating biometrics," said Jim Fulton, vice president at DigitalPersona. "The new U.are.U 5100 is the first fingerprint sensor to break this conflict, enabling standards-based biometric mobile ID solutions to be smaller, longer-lasting and more affordable."

The new U.are.U 5100 family of fingerprint modules and readers is available through DigitalPersona's global network of solution providers. For more information, visit digitalpersona.com/biometrics.

An Undisputed Leader In Fingerprint Biometrics

DigitalPersona fingerprint biometrics solutions are used worldwide in voting, benefits-checking, micro-finance and other Civil ID programs.  Over the past 15 years, DigitalPersona has supplied authentication products to governments, multi-national banks and leading technology companies such as IBM®, NCR® and Microsoft®. DigitalPersona stands apart in both the commercial and Civil ID markets for the company's unmatched combination of manufacturing, biometric technology expertise and product breadth, including:

• Fast-ramp, high-volume manufacturing – DigitalPersona has delivered hundreds of thousands of fingerprint readers to customers and partners over timeframes as short as two months.
• Deep Expertise in Biometrics Hardware and Software – DigitalPersona assists partners in responding to bids, providing insight into various issues such as fingerprint sensor integration, nuances of template formats and accuracy, and on-the-fly changes to evolving requirements and technical issues.
• Industry-Leading Technology – Quick integration of U.are.U Fingerprint Readers is facilitated by high-quality 500 dpi images, support for international standards and compact size. In addition, ergonomic "cool blue" illumination can enhance the appearance of any system and new "landing lights" and built-in status indicators make biometrics easier to use.
• Flexibility and Responsiveness – DigitalPersona provides rapid-response technical support that helps partners get from the design of the biometrics component to high-volume manufacturing in a matter of weeks.

About DigitalPersona

DigitalPersona, Inc. is a global provider of strong authentication and endpoint protection solutions that close the gap between people and security for enterprises, government agencies and commercial embedded-solution developers. The company's fingerprint biometrics technology helps organizations prevent fraud and increase accountability; it is incorporated into multiple national voting systems, almost all brands of biometrically-enabled point-of-sale (POS) stations, as well as many commercial applications in the retail, healthcare, and financial industries. DigitalPersona's data and access protection software is shipped by computer manufacturers on millions of notebooks and desktop computers per year; its cloud- and Active Directory-managed solutions for full disk encryption, multi-factor/strong authentication and single sign-on (SSO) password management simplify compliance and cut IT costs. For more information contact DigitalPersona, Inc. at: +1 650.474.4000, or visit www.digitalpersona.com.

© 2011 DigitalPersona, Inc. All rights reserved. DigitalPersona® and U.are.U® are trademarks of DigitalPersona, Inc. registered in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

(*) Posting of final PIV certification is pending.

SOURCE DigitalPersona, Inc.