pp46-53_Nanoident

8/8/2019 pp46-53_Nanoident

1/4

NaNoideNt is makiNg fiNgerpriNttechNology faster, cheaper

aNd more secure through

priNtable electroNic seNsors

decade ago ngerprint

security was conned to top-

level espionage. Today, it is

becoming more and more common.

Governments are adding ngerprintsor other biometric data to identity

documents; large corporations

use ngerprint-protected laptops

to guard data; banks are trialling

ngerprint security to deter raud.

And consumers are getting worried.

I someone steals your PIN number

or copies your signature, or orges

your passport, you get a new one.

But what i someone steals your

ngerprint? Storing such intimate

biological detail in large networks

sparks ear o serious privacy

invasion, and severe misuse.

The answer is to keep your biometric

data o a central network and on

a personal smart card. French rm

Nanoident Biometrics is developing

such a solution, to create personal,

portable biometric cards which keep

your data as close to you and easy

to control as your ngerprint itsel.

Formed in 2006 as a subsidiary

o Austria-based Nanoident

Technologies, the company is

using printed sensors to develop

smart cards with an integrated

ngerprint reader which can

carry out the complete biometric

authentication procedure.

How it works

Today smart cards can be used to

store our ngerprint templates

and match them with a live print

provided by external reader. This is

known as a match-on-card option,

but it still requires some data

transers. The ultimate solution,

and the one Nanoident Biometrics is

going or, is a card which captures,

processes and authenticates a

ngerprint itsel. With no need

or an external reader to scan or

development o these cards,

especially in nancial or commercial

applications, is their size. Take Chip

and PIN, the dominant technology

or guarding card-based commercial

transactions. Right now with the

chips and pin you cant really get

much thinner than that, says Lee.

The question is, is it possible to

do the same thing or biometrics?

To put the sensor in there, the

storage in there and the processing

all into one thin card. Ive heardrom many industry sources in both

public and private sectors that this

is highly desirable and whoever is

able to achieve that goal is going

to be well placed down the road.

Printed electronics

Nanoident Biometrics, using

printable organic electronics is

already well placed to meet this

need. Alain Jutant, CEO, says: We

can produce very thin sensors, a

ew hundred microns, and they

are fexible, so they are totally

compatible with the manuacturing

process and easy to integrate.Silicon sensors today can get down

to between 1.8 or 2mm in our

case the active layer is 300nm.

Lower cost is another advantage o

the printed electronics technology.

Silicon-based sensors are too

expensive to be really competitive

in the smart card market where

we are talking about 100 million

or billions o sensors, says Klaus

Schrter, CEO o parent company

Nanoident Technologies group. We

have a clear price advantage plus the

technical advantages o being able

to print on plastic oil and produce

thin, fexible, lightweight sensors.

Costs are urther reduced because

Nanoident can oer its customers

and partners ast development

and prototyping times. Jutant says

the time to develop a prototype is

just one or two weeks, compared

with around nine months in a

silicon ab. For manuacturing

lead times, Nanoident Biometrics

needs just a ew days while silicon

rms take up to six weeks.

process the individuals data, the

only thing sent to the central server

would be an encrypted code saying

the user was authenticated.

Victor Lee, a senior consultant

at biometrics consultancy and

research company International

Biometrics Group, says: You then

have the advantage o being able

to maintain control over your

particular biometric data, since

theres nothing that needs to be sent

over to or rom a terminal in order

to authenticate the individual. That

can be very empowering or the

end user whos concerned about

limiting access to their inormation.

One crucial actor to the

a

words:

suzaNNah Wright, seNior editor

klaus schrter, NaNoideNt techNologies ceophoto: intertechpiragol

dfiN

gers

46 47september 2007www.n.


2/4

These ast development times

are partly due to the inherent

fexibility and cost eectiveness

o organic electronics compared

to silicon technology. But its also

because, as part o the Nanoident

technologies group, Nanoident

Biometrics has access to a ully

operational organic electronic ab.

The ab, which was completed in

March 2007, can produce 40,000m2

o organic semiconductors a year,so scaling up prototypes into

commercial products should be

very easy. We can be very reactive

or the kind o business-oriented

applications where clients sometimes

call or big delivery on a very short

period o time, explains Jutant.

And the ab was designed to be

very fexible in its operations, so

it can easily produce products

or the groups three subsidiaries.

This allows process improvements

developed in one subsidiary to

be leveraged quickly across the

others, and having access to this

kind o industrial scale ab will

help to assure customers thatNanoident is oering more than

some interesting techno logy.

Biometrics Pay-off

As a secure and convenient way

to authorise payments, ngerprint

authentication is perect or the

nancial market, according to

Andy Germano, head o wireless

technology at US-based biometrics

rm Authentec. The CTO o

MasterCard told me he sees it as

inevitable, he explains, PIN codes

are unreliable, but with biometrics

you cant orget your ngerprint, you

always have it with you and its much

more secure than a 4-digit PIN.

A big attraction or card payment

companies is the speed and ease

o ngerprint authentication. The

system could t well into the growing

market o contactless transactions,

which card companies hope will help

to capture the large cash payments

market. The plastic payment market

is already big: by the late the 1990s

US consumers collectively charged

In the US, by the end o Q1 2006

there were over 160,000 terminals

to read contactless cards in 30,000

merchant locations, including

every branch o McDonalds. Other

biometric solutions could require the

installation o a whole new set o

terminals incorporating ngerprint

readers, a substantial re-investment.

Jutant adds that the development

path is clear and the complete

biometric card could be available

by 2009. But this type o card is

not the rst choice or all payment

card developers. Instead, some

are choosing to promote a match-on-card system. Jutant says: We

dont want to disturb any business

message they might have, but in

parallel we are working on this

biometric-on-a-card concept because

we really think this is the uture.

Yet, i complete biometric cards

are the most secure option, and

address consumer concerns about

privacy, why would some card

over $990 billion (735 billion)

on cards every year. But each

year, according to market research

company Ipsos-Insight, more than

354 billion cash transactions occur in

the US or less th an $5, representing

$1.32 trillion in aggregate revenue.

To tap this market, card companies

are turning to contactless cards,

which allow consumers to make

quick and easy payments. The

average contactless payment

transaction takes just 12.7 seconds,

compared with 33 seconds or a

cash transaction or 22.7 or a credit

card, according to one MasterCardstudy. Contactless payments could,

thereore, have benets or busy

consumers, helping reduce queues in

shops where cash is currently king.

The banking eld is interested

in biometrics smart cards also

because our solution is compatible

with existing reader network and

to some extend compatible with

the back end system, says Jutant.

providers choose another way?

Amsterdam-headquartered Gemalto

supplies end-to-end technologies

or securing transactions, rom

smartcards to sotware. Clients

include banks, credit card companies

and governments. According to

Gemaltos biometrics leader, Claude

Barral, the problem is power: The

main drawback is the complexity

o the extraction the sensor is

capturing a picture so you needa lot o image processing. You

would be able to produce this with

high-end smart cards, but all o

the capacity would be used or

the biometrics and there would be

nothing let or other unctions.

These other unctions might be a

display showing bank balances,

or taking it urther, an interactive

display showing balances or

dierent accounts or dierent

currencies. They are big attractions

or smart card users and producers.

In nancial markets, these unctions

may be commercially more important

than the security gains rom a

dierentiating actors. This

technology has such great potential

that i you dont pay attention

the risk is to go everywhere, butits a matter o resources we

dont want to go everywhere and

do everything, says Jutant.

Another potential customer

or Nanoidents biometric card

technology is governments, using the

cards or personal identity systems.

Here, because the only desired

unction is authentication, complete

biometric cards could be introduced

sooner. And Nanoidents technology

oers urther advantage or these

ultra high security applications,

as Schrter explains: Our sensors

can detect multiple biometric

complete biometric solution. Barral,

who has been working on a project

to develop biometric smart cards

since 2004, stresses that match-on-card is still a secure system,

especially i combined with other

layers o security such as pin codes.

But Nanoident Biometrics is not

developing sensors or match-

on-card systems. Sensors in this

system are only placed on readers

so they can be larger and smaller

volume than those needed or cards.

Producing them wouldnt take

advantage o the cheap, fexible, thin

high volume potential or printed

sensors. The companys strategy is

to ocus only on areas that can take

ull advantage o the technologys

alan Jutant cV

20012006: busiNess developmeNtaNd coNsumer imagiNg product liNe

director at global semicoNductor

compaNy atmel-greNoble.

19902001: thomsoN-csf

semicoNductors, moviNg up from

marketiNg eNgiNeer to techNical

aNd busiNess developmeNt director

19861989: philips (lep) limeil-

brevaNNes iNtegrated

circuit desigN eNgiNeer

19821985: ecole ceNtrale de lyoN,

degree iN electrical, electroNics

aNd micro-electroNics eNgiNeeriNg

2006preseNt: ceo,

NaNoideNt biometrics

48 49www.n.

ceo: klaus schrter

cto: fraNz padiNger

cfo: fraNz frauNdorfer

NaNoideNt biometrics ceo: alaN JutaNt

employees:

arouNd 60 iN mid 2007, plaNs to expaNd to 120 by the eNd of 2007-07-27

iNvestmeNt so far: iN the regioN of 10 millioN

fiNaNciNg: private iNvestors aNd eu graNts

subsidiaries:

three (bioideNt, NaNoideNt biometrics aNd NaNoideNt orgaNic fab)

headquarters: liNz, austria

markets:

biometric seNsors, iNdustrial seNsors, medical

aNd diagNostics, photovoltaics

NaNoideNt facts

the baNkiNg field is iNterested iN biometrics

smart cards also because our solutioN is

compatible With existiNg reader NetWork

aNd to some exteNd compatible With the

back eNd system alaN JutaNt, ceoNaNoideNtbiometrics


3/4

pn n n

n w s-cn

2.0 w nw n Nnn n ln.

s n n w w n

n w

w n n n n ,

s f & sn

Nnn n bn

n w n , n n

n n $7.9 n (e5.7 n). a

w n n w , n,

, bn n w, n ceo W

b, n n. i w, ,

w - n n , . t Nnn n

n , n n

n , n .

Nnn n w n n, n

n n , n n

n n n .

traits. You can detect not only the

ngerprint, vein structure, tissue

structure, and thereore create

a much mo re reliable sensor.

false fingers

Reliability, in biometric terms,

means decreasing the number o

both alse positive recognitions and

alse negative reusals. Germano

explains the principle using the

example o ngerprint protected

phones: The important thing is: do

I get in to my phone every time [no

alse negatives] and do you not get

in every time [no alse positives]?

ability to make more reliable sensors

would be a real advantage here.

This ability to sense below the

surace o a nger can also guard

against the unlikely sounding

but real threat o ake ngers.This generated a lot o interest in

2002 when a group o Japanese

researchers showed it was possible

to ool a ngerprint sensor using

simple tactics using cheap and

widely available ingredients like

gelatine. But Jutant says: Our

sensors can detect not only the skin

and the derma but the presence

o certain blood properties that

are very useul to counter check

In national security or identity

applications this is especially

important because the volume o

users could be so large. Take the

UKs busiest airport, Heathrow.

Over 190,000 passengers pass

through every day. Imaginethey all had biometric identity

documents something which

the International Civil Aviation

Organisation recommends, and

which many governments are

implementing. A alse negative rate

o just 3% could result in 5,700

travellers being denied access

everyday, increasing delays and

rustration in an already lengthy

security process. So Nanoidents

identity and let us the know nger

is really alive and not a ke.

The biometrics industry is divided

over how large the threat is

Jutant thinks it is a crucial one,

but Germano says the threat hasbeen exaggerated by the media.

International Biometrics Group is

undertaking research to analyse how

vulnerable biometric systems really

are when it comes to ake ngers, but

Lee says the ability to detect under

the skin properties would certainly

be a good path to go down anyway,

as extra security will help to increase

consumer trust in biometrics.

The corporation already has a 60%

share in the market or ngerprint

sensors or laptops and a 95% share

in sensors or mobile phones. But in

these applications sensor size is not

as crucial as in the smart card area

so it is this area that Jutant believesNanoidents printed electronics

technology will be truly enabling.

However Nanoident is still looking

to break into the phone market,

where Jutant believes they will be

able to help expand the m-commerce

market. This is a system which

eectively turns mobile phones into

contactless smart cards. In Japan,

m-commerce phones achieved

And everyone agrees that increasing

consumer trust is crucial to enabling

biometrics. The main criteria in

deploying any biometric system

is the need or user acceptance,

says Barral. Which is why the very

concept Nanoident is developing something which allows you to

control your data and increases

trust in the system is so exciting

or biometrics markets.

Nanoident is, however, not the

only rm oering sensors which

can read below the skin. Authentec

also incorporates this technology

into its sensors, and will be one

o Nanoidents main competitors.

w

n n . t

w n oem n w n

n n .

s , Nnn tn n w

Nnn b n us bn tn,

w n -n-- n. t nn n w

n, w n n

n n. bn n

w n, nn n

n / n. t n wn w

n n n n n

, nn n , .

frauNdo

rfer

photo:intertechpira

in 2003 k s wn n n w

w n . h n n

n, n fn pn. pn

n w n un

ln, n n n n n

kn. h w nw n. in

w s , n

s n n nw, pn

-n n cto Nnn n.

s w n n n n

n n n

w n . t n n

n nn , , n.

pn, w n wn j

n s n, n

n n n: p

n n n ,

j n .

W n n ,

n n w n

w . t n w

n

n n.

b n n , n

n n n. s nn

n n

. Nnn cfo fn fn n:

k w

, n n n

n n

n n n.padiNger

photo:intertech

pira


the priNted electroNics liNk


4/4

10% market penetration within 18

months o being launched, and 22%

o customers with m-commerce

phones chose models with ngerprint

security. The remaining 78% perhaps

elt that ngerprint security wasnt

needed, as the phones are still

used largely or small transactions.

But Germano says: M-commerce

is used or cash replacement n ow,

but the aim is to move on to debit

and then credit card transactions.

As this happens the extra security

oered by sensors, particularly

Nanoidents under the skin sensors,

could become more attractive.

their devices but Jutant cannot

name specic customers. Lets talk

o the top 10, he says. We have not

approached them all but we will.

We can make reasonable alliances

with a ew companies thats enough

to address the market and we

can address some others later.

Franz Fraundorer, CFO or

Nanoident Technologies, says

this is in keeping with the groups

overall strategy: Our goal is to work

with the leaders in each segment

and within each sub segment. We

nd the leader and team up with

them or with one o the leading

Fingerprint protected phones are

more commonly being used to

protect sensitive data on corporate

phones or Blackberries. Other

companies, such as Authentec

or US-based Atura, are already

producing silicon sensors or phones

or preparing to commercialise

phones this year. But Jutant believes

the disruptive attributes price,

size and added security aspects o

Nanoidents sensors will enable it

to take market shares quickly.

Several global mobile phone makers

are currently trialling Nanoident

biometrics ngerprint sensors in

companies who want to leaprog

the leader by using our technology

and we enable them to do that.

Nanoidents phone customers

are working out how and where

to integrate the sensors into the

phones, says Jutant, and handsets

using Nanoidents technology should

be commercialised next year.

Even now Nanoident has products

in the market. In June 2007 itannounced it would be a supplying

systems enabling secure at-home

working or corporate employees

through German IT provider

Dimension Data. The system, which

has already been implemented

at a large German bank, uses

standard web-cams and specially

designed acial recognition sotware.

Launching this product rst refects

the pragmatic approach o both

Nanoident Biometrics and its parent

company. Their approach is to

attack the simpler applications and

markets rst securing revenues to

enable entry into technologically

harder and less developed markets

such as biometric smart cards.

While a workstation is in use, the

technology scans the biometric

properties o the users ace with

a webcam. I the user leaves the

eld o view, all applications are

immediately locked out and repeat

access can only be granted when the

user logs back in and the biometric

solution recognises him again.

solar ecliPse

But, or the Nanoident group as

a whole, targeting printed sensor

applications rst and moving

towards one o printed electronics

photovoltaics because I did it or a

long time its still a huge market

so why should we neglect it.

But technical limitations meant

Nanoident chose to ocus rst

on the relatively simple sensor

applications. Padinger explains:

Solar is or sure a ew more years

away so we decide to do whats

on the road, what is possible

with the technology available.

To collect rst revenues and thenmove on, get more resources and

go to the next eld. He says the

Nanoidents rst PV products will

be built by the end o 2009 or

testing, and Nanoident is planning

to build a second ab by 2010 to

support its photovoltaic business.

The day is coming when ngerprint

security will be a daily reality or

many o us. Travellers to the US are

already having their ngerprints

stored on FBI and CIA systems,

and in the UK the government is

planning to introduce passports

with ngerprint technology by

2009. Introducing these systems

could be made much saer and more

widely accepted using the cards

being developed by Nanoident.

Nanoidents ounder Schrter thinks

this is just one o the ways plastic

electronics will be changing our

lives in the uture. I saw the silicon

industry developing and was always

ascinated by the possibilities and

how this industry has changed our

lives. I think that printed electronics

can do something similar to what

the silicon industry did over the last

50 years, it is the great uture. +

largest potential markets: solar

power is the key. The solar market

is an endless market, says Schrt er.

I you see that only 1% o global

energy consumption comes out o

solar today then you can predict

there is huge growth potential. And

cheap, fexible organic solar cells

could be a huge part o this market.

Given that one o Nanoidents co-

ounders Padinger, when he was

working under Proessor Sacrici at

Linz University invented organic

solar-cells, it would seem obvious

that the company would also

chase this market. But according to

Padinger, he was slightly reluctant

to return to the PV market: We

developed a technology platorm

that has the ability to convert light

into inormation and its clear you

can also make photovoltaics out

o it. At rst I wasnt interested in

fiNgerpriNt-protected phoNephoto: nanoident


aht

ant n w wn h

sn, n n n 1998. i 14 nn

n n n tpn n

w -n n nn

n , -n n

j n n .

t n 16 n n w n n n 150 n pc,

pc, n w 6 n

n. c n fj sn, hp, sn n

t. in 2006 $33.2 n (24.2 n).

uPek

upek n, n- stmn

n 2004. i n, w, n n n

n 1996, n n n

n 1999. i n cn w

n p, sn, t n t.

i nn n n , n

pc d, sn, t n ln g

upek tc n ts n n.

in n , n

nn nn n n

n. upek nn

n n n nn n

n, n n.

other key players iN the fiNgerpriNt

security field

schrter aNd NaNoideNt NaNoideNt WiNs NaNoideNt bioideNt fab completed bioideNt lauNches first samples aNNouNces productioN of Worlds NaNoideNt biometrics aNNouNces partNership

padiNger meet techNologies upper austria biometrics fouNded of lab oN a chip, aNd receives largest priNted semicoNductor-based With germaN firm dimeNsioN data to supply

through fouNded iNNovatioN fouNded frost & sullivaN aWard for sphoto detector array for iNdustrial, it-based biometric security for a germaN baNk.

prof sacrificti aWard 2005 eNabliNg techNology of the year. medical aNd security applicatioNs.

2003 January 2004 octoBer 2005 June 2006 July 2006 marcH 2007 may 2007 may 2007 June 2007

NaNoideNt techNologies

eikeoNdigitalprivacymaNager

fromu

pek

photo:UpeK

pp46-53_Nanoident

Documents

Transcript of pp46-53_Nanoident