Biomatiques Identification Solutions Pvt. Ltd. has launched India’s first indigenous “Iris Recognition Technology” through their revolutionary range of iris scanning products across India very recently. A pioneer in the Iris recognition field, first Indian company to receive the prestigious Standardization Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) for their Iris scanners from the STQC Directorate, Department of Electronics and Information Technology (Deity), New Delhi, which no other organization has received in India. They have also won an award at CIA Awards for excellence in IT- 2014. Mr. Tamaal Roy, CEO, Biomatiques Identification Solutions Pvt. Ltd explores here more about the technology.
According to you what is Future of Secure Technology?
We have designed our products after keeping in mind the Indian demography. In India, nearly 70 per cent population is into agriculture and other manual activities. Fingerprints of farmers and manual labourers tend to get worn out over a period of time. Thus establishing identity and accountability can become a challenge. Iris on the other hand remains intact throughout the life of an individual. Security solutions of the highest standards should not be a matter of luxury. Instead it should be treated as a necessity and should be made available for everyone at an economical price.
As the only Indian company we currently have 95 per cent of the market share. We are fully confident that by 2020, new biometric methods will displace passwords and fingerprints for access to endpoint devices across 80% of the market as per Gartner report.
Very few people know about the technology, so to introduce a simple, easy to understand and operate product was our main challenge. However, India is a cost effective nation and we as Indians believe in value for money. So by offering a technology which is cost efficient, contact less and at the same time far superior in comparison to other forms of biometrics, the mass adoption of the same in the enterprise as well as the consumer segment will be quite easy.
How hackers can steal fingerprints and more.
Today if you are one of the tens of millions of victims affected by identity theft, it is possible to get a new credit card or even Social Security number. If your Facebook or bank account is hacked, you can reset your password. But when your fingerprints are stolen, there is no reset. Hackers can remotely steal your identity using Android fingerprint scanners.
Our gyms, offices, mobile phone companies, and personal devices all have our biometric details stored on these systems and thus can be hacked —as they undoubtedly will—remediation of the problem will prove much more difficult, if not impossible. In addition to mobile devices, there are plenty of other locked devices that can be unlocked using fingerprints and that hackers are also eager to crack.
Functional differences between iris recognition technology & fingerprint technology?
We are proud to be the only company from India with the Standardization Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) by the Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY) in the international market. Currently there are 12 other companies which are all foreign based and we are the only company that is providing iris scanning solutions at the price of finger print technology. The human retina is a thin tissue composed of neural cells that is located in the posterior portion of the eye. Because of the complex structure of the capillaries that supply the retina with blood, each person’s retina is unique. A biometric identifier known as a retinal scan is used to map the unique patterns of a person’s retina. Iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. “Eye color” is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown.
Unlike Fingerprint recognition or fingerprint authentication which is an automated method of verifying a match between two human fingerprints. Fingerprints are one of many forms of biometrics used to identify individuals and verify their identity.The analysis of fingerprints for matching purposes generally requires the comparison of several features of the print pattern. These include patterns, which are aggregate characteristics of ridges, and minutia points, which are unique but common and very basic features found within the patterns.
How Biomatiques solves the challenges with iris recognition technology?
We are a Surat based firm and the only indigenous Indian manufacturer whose singular vision is to continue the development of the best yet simplest and most accurate Iris Recognition technology for the end users. The product that we have come up with is an Iris Scanner. GOI initiatives give us a safe passage. Not every player in this segment is able to comprehend the importance of this biometric modality in the way Biomatiques Identification Solutions Pvt. Ltd. does. Our technology goes well with “Digital India” program of GoI. Where internationally there are 12 companies already in the global market, our products were designed after keeping in mind the Indian demography. In India, nearly 70% population belongs to the labor class and the remaining 30 per cent is the office class category. Very few people know about the technology, so to introduce a simple, easy to understand and operate product was the main challenge. Secondly, India is a cost effective nation and the Indian consumer believes in value for money. Thirdly, India has a different topology across. So over every 100 kms, people change, the climatic conditions change, their lifestyle changes, even knowledge and education levels change. Understanding this is very essential. Hence the way the people will adapt to the product will also change depending on region to region.
What are the current and future applications of iris recognition technology?
AADHAAR Card:When AADHAAR was introduced in India, it required two forms of biometrics, one was fingerprints and the other was iris. That’s where we saw a big opportunity. We have an edge over other players as our technology is at par with the international quality and standards but in terms of price, Biomatiques offers the iris technology at a cost effective rate compared to other companies who have placed their products at a higher price.
Pehchaan Pro Software: The application of the product is in the field of administration rather e-governance to be precise. It can become very useful tool in the expert hands of law enforcement, vigilance, security and allied agencies. Our efforts in this direction have helped us develop software, which has the ability to arrive at the final face sketch on the basis of the details provided by the eyewitness nearest to the actual face of the alleged criminal. The program is fine tuned to render professional quality output.
Retina Recognition Programme for Cattle identification: Biomatiques has now come up with Cattle UID – retina biometric technology for identifying cattle- With this every cattle can be given a unique ID which will qualify them for insurance which will be a complete relief for dairy farmers, government and insurance companies alike.
Please describe your product and solutions for secure technologies?
We have successfully supplied 33,310 scanners to the government of Andhra Pradesh which are being implemented for pension and ration distribution. The latest iris scanner can be useful in our day to day lives as well. It can be fixed outside our door and used for key less entry. It can double up as additional security for mobiles and personal computers and even apps, email clients and social networking websites. Iris Recognition Technology eradicates manual validation and proxies, encourages punctuality and efficiency in schools and organizations where capturing attendance is mandatory. It can be further used for forensic & criminal investigation, for security checks at airports and border security. It can also be useful at data centres, labs, hospitals, banks and utility centres. What is interesting is the fact that earlier cost was an issue with this technology, however with the change in times Biomatiques have made this technology available at the cost of finger print technology making it affordable with better security control and identification assurance.
What are the issues associated with iris recognition technology?
There are certain factors because of which iris technology has not been able to create a demand in the biometric market. What is interesting is the fact that foreign companies are not ready to lower the price of their iris scanning products as they are also into other forms of biometrics like fingerprint technology. If they lower the price for iris technology, it will render their finger print scanners useless. And that is where the problem lies. Iris technology in India is not so popular because of the price factor. No doubt this technology is far superior compared to other forms of biometrics, but price has always been a constraint. Security solutions of the highest standards should not be a matter of luxury. Instead it should be treated as a necessity and should be made available for everyone at an economical price.
