“Homeland Security News Wire”
From “Homeland Security News Wire”
SmartphonesBlackBerry smartphones equipped with iris recognition system
Published 27 March 2012
NFC-enabled Blackberry 7 smartphones will be equipped with iris recognition identification
system; the credential can be presented for authentication by holding the NFC-enabled
BlackBerry in front of an iCAM7000 series iris camera
Iris ID Systems Inc., formerly the Iris Technology Division of LG Electronics, and HID Global,
announced that the IrisAccess platform iCAM7000 can be used with select NFC (Near Field
Communications)-enabled BlackBerry 7 smartphones.
The BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 smartphones activated with HID Global’s iCLASS digital
credentials will be compatible with the installed base of iCLASS readers that are embedded in
the iCAM 7000 series for applications ranging from physical access systems in buildings to
applications that track time and attendance, and other identity dependent applications.
Using a NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphone, the iris templates of a user are stored to an
iCLASS digital credential on the phone. That credential can then be presented for authentication
by holding the NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphone in front of an iCAM7000 series iris camera,
just like users do today with a physical iCLASS smart card.
Charles Koo, president and CEO of Iris ID Systems Inc. said, “As a long time HID Connect
Premier Partner, we are excited to be part of this new implementation which allows iris
technology to be coupled with a NFC-enabled smartphone. This is a key milestone for our
identification technology; iris recognition is a perfect solution for providing strong authentication
for enterprise security.
”As we did with iCLASS credentials some years ago, we are pleased to be first in bringing iris
recognition biometrics to a host of secure identity dependent access control applications with
NFC-enabled smartphones.”
“This is an important milestone in the deployment of mobile access and identity solutions using
NFC
technology on smartphones,” said Dr. Tam Hulusi, senior vice president of strategic innovation
with HID Global. “NFC-enabled smartphones represent a complementary new platform that we
believe will expand the access control market and our card services business while improving
user security and convenience.”
Andrew Bocking, VP Handheld Software Product Management at RIM, said, “Having added
NFC capabilities to a range of our BlackBerry 7 smartphones, we’re excited to be able to support
the secure storage of an Iris ID biometric template to an iCLASS credential. NFC enables
smartphones to become even smarter mobile computing platforms, and this is another great
example that demonstrates the potential that NFC on mobile devices brings to the physical access
control space.”
RIM said that pilot programs using BlackBerry smartphones activated with iCLASS digital
credentials and iris identification are planned for later this year. HID Global expects that its
embedded iCLASS technology will be generally available for the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930
and BlackBerry Curve 9350/9360 smartphones later this year.