3 November 2008
E ASYDENTIC G ROUP TO DEPLOY H ITACHI F INGER V EIN S ECURITY S OLUTIONS AS C ORE D EVICES FOR ITS S ECURITY S ERVICES London, UK – Hitachi Europe Ltd. announced today that Easydentic Group, leader in biometrics, visual recognition and visual mobility technology for enterprise security, selected Hitachi’s finger vein security solutions for Biovein. Easydentic’s R&D division Eden is using Hitachi’s ground- breaking finger vein authentication system in the form of physical door access systems in their Biovein product, which was developed using Eden’s market leading technology expertise.
Hitachi’s Finger Vein Authentication System captures images of the vein patterns inside one’s finger. The technology works by passing a near-infrared light through the finger, allowing an image to be recorded on a CCD camera underneath. The vein patterns, like other biometric data, are unique. But significantly, because they are inside the body, they are virtually impossible to replicate while offering a maximum of security. In addition, the authentication process is quick, discreet and non-invasive.
Developed during several years of research and development at the Hitachi Ltd Central Research Laboratory, finger vein pattern recognition technology proved to be ground-breaking and Hitachi Ltd. secured a substantial number of patents. Hitachi has now commercialised the operating system and various applications, including PC login devices, door access systems and validation devices for ATMs in Japan. These ATM devices are fast becoming a de facto standard, with about 80 per cent of the financial institutions in Japan adopting finger vein biometrics. Hitachi has also launched its various technologies in this field in China, Asia, the United States and Europe.
Patrick Fornas, President of Easydentic Group said: ”Our customers are looking for the highest standards in security solutions and as a consequence, we only work with the best companies in the field. Hitachi’s finger vein security solution convinced us from the start. The system is easy to incorporate into our solutions, it is user-friendly and offers a high level of security – three points that are absolutely vital for our continuing success. We are very pleased to work with Hitachi, as their solution is the best we found on the market.” Jean Claude Bultel, President of Eden said “Access security is one of the big areas we are working on and we are always on the look-out for new, innovative technology to make our solutions even safer. Finger vein authentication is a great way of giving access to the right people only, with another added bonus: the end-user acceptance is very high, because they do not feel threatened or invaded by placing their finger on the reader – a big contrast to some other authentication methods.” “As Eden is one of the most outstanding security companies in Europe, we are glad to work closely with them to bring joint security solutions to Eden’s customers. With the excellent safety standards that our products can provide, we are confident to contribute positively to Eden’s business and our mutual customers’ security requirements.” said Ravi Ahluwalia, Head of Business Development System Solutions Group, Hitachi Europe Ltd.
Editor’s notes: About Finger Vein Authentication Technology Feature and mechanism of finger vein authentication system: The finger vein pattern recognition technology uses the vein pattern of the finger as the key biometric feature. The finger vein pattern is impossible to counterfeit because the vein is inside the body. With some of the existing biometric systems, it is possible to acquire data without the knowledge of the individual [e.g. finger-print, facial recognition, iris-scan etc.] It is not possible to acquire the finger vein biometric feature without knowing consent of the individual, which means that from a societal aspect, finger vein pattern recognition is safe and secure for the individual.
In operation, the process of data collection is based on a contact-less principle. Light penetrates through the finger using a light-transmission technique to allow the detection of the vein pattern. The vein pattern is image-processed using a special algorithm resulting in digital data that can be stored in a relevant data repository. The reading device is compact and can be applied in a variety of ways including for car entry, personal authentication, PC login, door access systems and validation for ATM machines.
For more information about the technology, please visit www.hitachi-eu.com/veinid About Easydentic Easydentic is a major European player in innovative corporate security technologies. The Group operates in 12 European countries (France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, UK, Czech Republic, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland and Luxembourg), and has five brands (EASYDENTIC and OYTECH for biometric access control, INNOVATYS and UNIWAYS for IP-based video surveillance and EDEN for R&D of software used in access management and access control system applications).
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For more information about Easydentic, please visit www.easydenticgroup.org About Hitachi Europe Ltd. Hitachi Europe Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., Japan, headquartered in Maidenhead, UK. Hitachi Europe tailors its services and solutions to meet the specific needs of its customers. Hitachi Europe comprises of nine key business areas: air conditioning and refrigeration systems, digital media products, display products, European procurement and sourcing, industrial components and equipment, Via Mechanics, information systems, power and industrial systems, and rail.
For more information on Hitachi Europe, please visit the company’s website at www.hitachi.eu .
About Hitachi Ltd. Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501 / NYSE:HIT), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global technology company, with approximately 390,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2007 (ended March 31, 2008) consolidated sales totalled 11.226 billion yen (US$112.2 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors, including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit http://www.hitachi.com .
For further information, please contact: Daniela Karthaus Hitachi Europe Ltd. Phone: +44 (0)1628 585 379 Mobile: +44 (0)7920 205 631 Email: daniela.karthaus@hitachi-eu.com
