Siemens and Fujitsu Collaborate in Biometric Authentication Business

Munich, Germany and Tokyo, August 02, 2007

Siemens IT Solutions and Services and Fujitsu Limited announced a business collaboration designed to expand the market for the PalmSecure palm vein authentication system developed by Fujitsu in combination with Siemens' biometric software "ID Center".

Siemens IT Solutions and Services and Fujitsu have combined their technologies to develop a new biometric IT solution for personal recognition using palm vein scanning. The combination of the Siemens biometric software "ID Center" and the Fujitsu "PalmSecure" device recognizes the vein pattern under the skin on the palm of the hand that is unique to each individual. The palm is scanned without direct contact by an infrared scanner. This hygienic procedure is of particular interest for use in hospitals or for frequently used devices such as ATMs.

At a distance of only a few centimeters, i.e. without direct surface contact, near infrared rays scan the palm to identify the person in a matter of seconds. During this process the captured hand vein pattern is verified against a preregistered pattern for the person being scanned. It is practically impossible to forge the identity since the veins are under the skin; unlike the fingerprint scan in which identification can be distorted if the fingers are soiled or have cuts, the hand vein scan offers the additional benefit that authentication is still possible even if the hands are soiled.

Fujitsu provides "PalmSecure" to authenticate individuals in banks, hospitals, universities and municipal authorities. The Siemens biometric software "ID Center" provides extremely secure administration of the data collected with this type of application and has already been installed worldwide by numerous customers in public sector, healthcare, and industry segments.

This biometrics partnership with Siemens allows Fujitsu to open up, in particular, the European market. For Siemens, this cooperation adds further new component to its offering of biometric authentication which previously included face, iris and fingerprint recognition.