* Privaris PlusID 75 supports Bluetooth for short distance wireless control
Last fall I told you about Privaris’s PlusID, a neat little second-factor wireless biometric authentication device. Now the company has gone and released PlusID 75, and with support for Bluetooth, it’s even neater.
I know, you’re asking yourself “what happened to the other 74 PlusID devices?” Well, PlusID is the name of the product line. Currently there are three offerings, the 60, the 90 and the new 75. They differ only in their built-in capabilities. Everything the 60 can do the 75 and 90 can do also. Most of what the 75 can do is also possible with the 90. We’ll get to the difference in a moment.
PlusID is, in a nutshell, a portable, easy to use, second-factor wireless biometric authentication device. It validates your fingerprint and releases a user credential used to authenticate to a system (see the Privaris’ graphic for the details).
What the new PlusID 75 brings to the table is Bluetooth. All three devices support multiple connection methods:
* 125 kHz RF proximity card technology
* 13.56 MHz RF contactless smartcard technology
* ISO 7816 Part 3 SmartCard compliant
* USB
And the 90 also supports the IEEE 802.15.4 in-vehicle gate access solution from up to 100 meters away. But only the 75 supports Bluetooth technology for short distance wireless control.
According to Privaris’ PR person Rebecca “the flackette” Paquette: “The PlusID 75 identifies itself to PCs and laptops exactly as a smartcard does (via ISO 7816 compliance), allowing for a fast and simple upgrade to biometric log on with no additional middleware or equipment required. The solution also works with select single sign-on (SSO) software. These logical access capabilities reduce the administrative hassle and the expense of IT password management. Studies have shown that 40% to 60% of IT help desk calls pertain to password maintenance and that organizations can recognize substantial savings by eliminating password support calls.”
Stronger authentication, fewer support calls and it fits in your pocket! Well worth checking out.
Also worth checking out are a series of seminars on information security being presented around North America by Oracle and various analysts from the Burton Group and PricewaterhouseCoopers. You’ll need to register and the first ones are next week, so don’t delay. Check out the schedule, which includes links to the registration sites.
