Focus: Fingerprinting: Biometrics Developers Jockeying for Acceptance

The developers of biometrics are battling fiercely to avoid becoming the Betamax of the latest round of banking gadgets.

Reciting a litany of reasons why their product is best, developers of everything from retina scanners to fingerprint-imaging systems are quick to point out the "fatal" flaws of their competitors.

Retina scanners, claim the makers of iris scanners, are ineffectual with the blind or those who have cataracts. Iris scanners, retort the makers of retina scanners, are imprecise with those who have dark eyes.

The makers of both retina scanners and iris scanners morbidly joke that criminals can crack a fingerprint-imaging system using an authorized user's finger they have chopped off.

"It's an immature industry in more than one sense," quips an analyst who follows the biometric universe.

Despite their reputed flaws, biometrics are creeping into the bank world in pilots with both consumers and employees.

First Chicago NBD Corp., for example, uses a retina scanner developed and patented by Eyedentify in Baton Rouge, La., to control access to its cash vault.

Voice-recognition technologies produced by companies like Veritel Corp. and Voton Corp. are being used in bank computer rooms to access terminals.

And Identix Inc., a Sunnyvale, Calif., maker of fingerprint-imaging systems, recently agreed to combine its technology with Redwood Shores, Calif.-based Oracle Corp.'s computer servers, which are popular in bank data processing and information systems units.

Despite the fierce rivalries, biometrics companies agree that they may have to combine forces to gain wider use in financial institutions.

"No one biometric will save the day," said John A. White, president of Voton in Pleasanton, Calif. "We expect to see companies use a combination of these products. It's just a matter of time."

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