Datastrip Earns Frost & Sullivan Product Innovation Award in Smart Cards Market

April 27, 2006
DSVII handheld identification terminals allow on-the-move smart card and biometric readings

EXTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 26, 2006--Datastrip announced today that it has received the 2006 Frost & Sullivan Product Innovation of the Year Award in the smart cards market for its DSVII handheld identity verification terminals, a family of portable smart card/biometric readers. The units are designed for use by first responders, homeland security programs, law enforcement personnel, customs officials, corporate security personnel, and other applications requiring identity screening.

Frost & Sullivan recognized Datastrip's achievement in integrating multiple identification technologies in a single lightweight piece of hardware as well as forming strategic alliances to provide complete solutions for end users' security needs. The Award citation specifically praised the DSVII's integration of contactless, contact, 2D barcode, OCR-B and/or fingerprint reading capabilities in the same form factor to provide multiple modes of identity verification for increased security.

"By focusing exclusively on identification applications, Datastrip has been able to provide highly needed solutions for markets like the government sector," according to the citation.

The Award was based on Frost & Sullivan's evaluation of all new smart card-related products in terms of their significance to the industry, competitive advantages, level of innovation, market acceptance, and value-added services provided to customers.

"The rising need to guard against terrorists and other dangerous individuals is creating a growing market for handheld identity verification solutions, but most products are PDA-like devices that lack sufficient computing power and fail to support the full range of technologies used to check identities electronically," said Brian Feick of Datastrip. "This Award reflects the superior processing architecture, versatility and maturity of our DSVII platform, and it will serve as a useful guide for security personnel who are evaluating identity readers."

Each DSVII model integrates a smart card reader for decoding ID badges and other identity documents, a 500 dpi fingerprint sensor for matching a live fingerprint to a stored biometric template in real time, and a large color transflective 240 x 320 pixel touchscreen display for viewing decoded personal data including photographs. Some models add a proximity card reader or an automatic 600 dpi swipe-style scanner for reading 2D bar codes, OCR-B data, or passports.

Each DSVII device can connect to a wired or wireless network for checking a user's credentials against a back-end database; house an on-board database for standalone operation without network connectivity; and support all major fingerprint algorithms including Cogent, NEC, Motorola's Printrak, Identix and Bioscrypt.

The units run on the Windows CE.NET operating system for easy development of custom applications, utilize a SH4 RISC processor that supports fast biometric matching as well as more complex applications, and have a base weight of just two pounds for easy portability.

About Datastrip

Datastrip is a leading provider of biometric verification devices and 2D bar code software with associated hardware. Datastrip and its integration partners provide total solutions for production of ID cards, passports, national ID cards, driver's licenses, voter registration cards, health cards, financial cards, birth certificates and other identity documents, as well as mobile AFIS and biometric verification systems. For more information, call 800-548-2517 or visit www.datastrip.com.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services, and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit www.frost.com.

CONTACT: S&S Public Relations Sarah Ryser, 847-415-9318 [email protected] KEYWORD: PENNSYLVANIAINDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE SOFTWARE LEGAL/LAW GOVERNMENT PRODUCTSOURCE: Datastrip