printer friendly version

Biometric ATMs

Lumidigm, working in consort with Itautec, an $800+ million Brazilian manufacturer/integrator of consumer electronics, banking and retail automation, is now deploying the first 12 000 units of a 33 000-unit ATM network with Lumidigm’s multispectral fingerprint readers for one of Latin America’s largest private banks. The Lumidigm biometric fingerprint readers are minimising the problems of ID theft and reducing the waste, fraud and abuse that are prevalent with PIN (personal ID number) accessed ATMs in a very convenient manner.

The multinational bank had concerns that multiple identities were being employed by some people within their banking system. The organisation needed a way to ensure that each person had only one identity and provide all customers with secure access to their accounts. A biometric would solve both challenges.

To be successful, high reliability was critical at the ATMs because their use is not typically supervised; there may not be a person on hand for customers to consult if there is a problem with a transaction. Because Lumidigm’s multispectral imaging technology provides good reads on the first try by viewing the surface and subsurface of fingerprints in any condition, Lumidigm fingerprint readers were chosen for the ATMs. As a result, security has been increased with a simple touch of a finger.

“Itautec has the tenth largest number of ATMs being used in the world so we needed a solution that works,” reports Fabrizio Vargas, responsible for Biometric Systems at Itautec. “The system must work each and every time in order to provide the level of security and performance demanded by banking customers. We picked the Lumidigm readers because no matter the condition of bank customers’ fingerprints – wet, dirty, dry, or damaged – users are able to access the ATM and do their banking with a single touch of a finger, without supervision. This deployment is leading the way in showing the world’s banking community how to take the next step in providing convenience to their customers and security for themselves.”

“Lumidigm’s Venus sensors provide an intuitive way to enhance security for bank customers and increase the user’s convenience when interfacing with the bank. Your finger is your PIN,” adds Lumidigm VP transactions, Bill Spence. “It is a worldwide phenomenon. In South Africa, several large banks have also begun to deploy identity systems that use fingerprint biometrics as a means to achieve their goals. Providing customers with an easy way to access their accounts, while adding increased security in a most visible manner, creates enhanced customer satisfaction.”

With its advanced financial systems technology, Latin America’s financial organisations are using new technologies to increase the security of their systems.

Share this article:

Further reading: