Frequently Asked Question

Biometrics is an automated system of recognizing a person based on the person’s physical or behavioral characteristics. It is the same system that the human brain uses to recognize and distinguish one person from another. It is a system that recognizes a person based on “who” the person is and does not rely on “what a person is carrying” or “what a person knows.” Things that a person can carry, such as keys and ID-badges, can be lost, stolen, or duplicated. Things that a person knows, such as passwords and pin-numbers, can be forgotten, stolen, or duplicated. Instead, biometrics relies on “who” a person is and is based on a unique immutable human characteristic that cannot be lost, forgotten, stolen or duplicated. For these reasons, biometrics provides a much stronger level of security, while maintaining convenience and ease for users of biometrics. It is this security and convenience that HIP’s fingerprint & face recognition systems provide.

By measuring unique characteristics that are very difficult to lose, forget or duplicate, fingerprint biometrics can help reduce the problems associated with forgotten passwords, insecure password usage, and stolen, lost or forgotten keys, cards, tokens and other physical credentials. By utilizing fingerprints that stay with you wherever you go and that are generally readily available, fingerprint biometrics can help make it more convenient for you to access protected facilities or resources, while maintaining a secure and reliable method of authentication.

Very well. The prism inside a HIP reader is made of hardened optical glass that resists scratches and can be safely cleaned with water, soap, sanitizing gel or glass cleaners and easily wiped with paper or cloth. Unlike other optical readers, HIP readers do not have any kind of coating that could be damaged from daily exposure to touch and contaminants from hands or from cleaning agents. HIP readers are rugged and durable and work very well in high traffic applications with heavy usage.

Yes. HIP readers are based on patented SEIR (Surface Enhanced Irregular Reflection) optical technology that, when combined with proprietary Smart Capture™ imaging technology, makes them able to scan difficult fingers and produce reliable, high quality results. By automatically adjusting the brightness of the sensor, Smart Capture allows HIP fingerprint readers to capture high contrast and distortion-free fingerprints from a wide range of traditionally difficult fingers, including those from dry, wet, scarred or aged skin, and even in bright ambient conditions such as under direct sunlight.

Physical strength: HIP’s hardened optical glass-based system is physically stronger than semiconductor-based systems in terms of impact-resistance, scratch-resistance, weather-durability, and corrosion-resistance. Physical strength is a key factor for versatile outdoor usage. Semiconductor-based systems must apply special surface treatments to protect their inherently weak surfaces. Even then, they are far weaker than HIP’s optical-prism strength.
Low maintenance costs: Semiconductor chip-based fingerprint recognition systems have higher maintenance costs than HIP’s system due to their fragility. Unlike HIP’s optical system, semiconductor-based systems use fragile and expensive parts that are equally expensive to replace and maintain.
No electrostatic problems: Semiconductor systems are inherently susceptible to damage from electrostatic energy, especially in carpeted areas. HIP’s optical system is immune to electrostatic energy. Static electricity can actually burn out an entire semiconductor-based system.