How Fingerprint Scanning Works: Capacitive Scanning
Unlike optical scanning which generates an image of a person's fingerprint by using light, capacitive scanners use electrical currents to achieve that. The sensor used in this scanning technology is made up of one or more semiconductor chips which is connected to an inverting operational amplifier; each chip is made up of two conductor plates. This very complicated device cleverly reads each fingerprint by measuring the different electrical voltage given by the ridges and valleys of each finger. The processor embedded into the scanner then reads the voltage output and puts together a picture of the scanned finger. From there it decides whether or not it matches up with authorized prints in the database.
Capacitive scanners have two advantages over optical scanning: 1) It requires an actual image of a fingerprint in order wot work properly and cannot be tricked by simply manipulating patterns of lights that make up the impression of a fingerprint. 2) Due to the size of semiconductor chips, capacitive scanners tend to be smaller than its optical counterpart.
by FingerTec USA
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
The Trend of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing technology is not something new. When you first registered your Hotmail or Gmail account many years back, it has already existed, not to mention all the social media websites like Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin, where you create and host your personal data over onto their servers.
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
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| IBM mainframe computer |
IT development trend has always been a scaling down process. For example, it started from mainframe (1950s) to minicomputers (1970s) to PCs (1980s) to laptops (1990s) and later to tablets (2010s). The path software developers underwent was also in this sequence, offering solutions first to big organizations, later to the small ones, and lastly for personal use. But for cloud computing, the sequence is the reverse, which involves a scaling up process.
There are two different modes of reception for individuals and corporations for technology and cloud computing adoption. Normally, individuals would embrace technology faster and more freely than corporations if not due to the fact that the computing power was too expensive to acquire in the past. And the size of IT devices mattered too. When Apollo 11 landed on the moon in 1969, the computing power they used was only as good as today’s iPhone. Who would reject an iPhone if they can afford one?
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| How to hit the right button for cloud services? |
For the consumer market, the term cloud computing shouldn’t be of their concerns and in fact might never cross their minds. Just like how they picked up on the iCloud concept effortlessly, starting to use it as though it is second nature to them.
But when cloud-computing technology moves up to corporate level, there are processes and crucial issues for consideration. Hence the migration becomes a very tough decision, particularly when they have to deal with the idea of letting a third party vendor host their classified data.
In short, cloud computing is a term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet. These services are broadly divided into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). The name cloud computing was inspired by the cloud symbol that is often used to represent the Internet in flowcharts and diagrams.
For Amazon Web Services and GoogleApps, they provide IaaS and PaaS with development tools respectively for developers to host their services for customers; they are not situated in the front line for direct interaction with users.
But for our TimeTec Cloud in the Software-as-a-Service cloud model, we provide the hardware infrastructure (even though it is via Amazon’s cloud computing power), the TimeTec software application and the interaction with the user through a front-end portal. Because we host both the application and the data, the end user is free to use the service from any location.
Taking Attendance to The Cloud
I have a BSc degree in Psychology but never once in my life have I had someone lie on a couch, paying me to listen to their problems. That would be nice while I'm having pistachios and a cup of coffee on the side and money pouring in the bank, wouldn’t it? Kidding! The truth is, I've been working in time and attendance technology for more than 12 years now, right from the time fingerprint technology was still a novelty. But the focus has always been on the fingerprint or biometrics technology, and it was transparent in the way we strategically positioned and marketed our products worldwide. Over the years however, not only did the technology improve in leaps and bounds, the time attendance technology also has evolved to become a vital tool to measure workforce’s efficiency against costs spent.
The importance of the time attendance software is apparent and it has taken over the focus from the hardware itself. TCMS V2 is deemed as one of the powerful time management softwares in the industry and from merely being a complimentary software with a few basic features, it has gained such popularity and importance that we are now bringing it to another level, up in the cloud.
Attendance on cloud via TimeTec Cloud gathers all workforce data in a remote server to be accessed by relevant people through the Internet. Subscribe to the service to get ahold of the transaction data and the reports at any time. This concept is not new yet it’s not widely available in various industries. We want to offer it for office automation. TimeTec Cloud lets you take charge of your employees via TimeTec Mobile and Web Check-ins even when they are assigned with assignment outstations. Casually keeping track of your staff, so to speak.
Why attendance via cloud? Because at the end of the day, you are not concerned about the hardware that you installed in your premises, it’s the quality of the time spent by your staff in completing the company’s plans and goals is your priority. And TimeTec Cloud gets you to manage your team of employees better at minimal costs, less maintenance hassle and through a user-friendlier system.
I’d love to have someone on my couch paying me to listen his problems but it’s also a fact that he would have to pay me extra if he takes 10 more minutes of my valuable time. Time equals cost/money and if you could better use the time of your employees, I’m pretty sure you’d like to subscribe to the latest TimeTec Cloud we offer. It's be up and running pretty soon but first, you could learn more about it more in www.timeteccloud.com and for those who want therapy, you know where to find me.
Again, put down that phone, I’m kidding!
by Norana Johar, COO, FingerTec HQ
by Norana Johar, COO, FingerTec HQ
TimeTec Cloud - A Letter to Resellers
Dear Valued Resellers,
We all seek stability in a volatile business world all the time.
by Teh Hon Seng, CEO, FingerTec HQ
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
We all seek stability in a volatile business world all the time.
Most of us are not accustomed to a roller-coaster pattern of sales, because even though it evokes excitement to some people, it could cause a heart attack in others.
The fast changing nature of technology makes business sustainability a constant worry for business owners, regardless of the stability and profitability of their existing industry. When a certain technology goes obsolete, it could drag the whole industry down with it, and you may find yourself out of business almost instantly.
We are fortunate. Our biometrics business started to boom in 2005 when the technology stabilized and the market was ready to accept the new technology, and so far we have registered a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 40.68 percent from 2005 to 2011. But new technologies are quickly becoming old; we can't just expect the line on the chart to continue going upward as we please. Eventually it would slow down, progress into a plateau and even start a downhill progression if nothing is being done to improve the trend; this is the norm for most businesses.
It occurred to me that a recurring revenue business model could be the solution to our worry. When we deal with hardware, customers would buy once and only repurchase when their hardware encounters irreparable damage or a breakdown, or if they happen to open a new branch. In this situation you would be just hoping that they will stick to your brand. Even if you have secured some maintenance contracts and received recurring fees every year, the revenue contributed from this segment is minute in comparison. However, a recurring sales model might seem beyond our reach for our industry.
A few years back when I was contemplating on the cloud computing technology concept, it transpired to me that we could offer TimeTec Cloud to be seamlessly integrated with our FingerTec products, as a recurring revenue business model to be operated concurrently with our current business model.
We built on that idea when we planned and implemented a CRM system four years ago to improve our sales and support system. We settled on Salesforce.com without much argument, and our exposure to the world's most successful Software as a Service (SaaS) model, gave us a hands-on experience from the world’s best. To be the best, we learn from the best.
Unlike Nokia that was promoting their cell phones as hardware only, Apple which came out with their smart phones in 2007, offered various services which included apps and content uniquely integrated with its hardware to guarantee recurring revenue. And, without much struggle, they became the most valuable company in the world.
Equipped with our own vision, it took us almost four years to materialize it. Of course, as our valued resellers, we have factored you into our plans for the future of FingerTec. Successfully changing goals from a product-based company to a service-based one will take one large and contributive effort from all parties - preparation and foresight is essential in this effort.
And along with TimeTec Cloud, you may even want to start considering a change in your product sales model to a rental based business model.
The future is now, and the question is: Are you up for joining us?
Teh Hon Seng
Chief Executive Officer
by Teh Hon Seng, CEO, FingerTec HQ
How Fingerprint Scanning Works: Optical Scanning
You walk up to the door, clean off your thumb, place it on the door's new, futuristic fingerprint scanner and you open the door and walk through without a second thought. You have gotten used to it to the point that it has become as second nature to you as opening and closing your front door when you leave home for work. But have there been times when you thought about how fingerprint scanning actually works? If so, here are a few answers to your questions.As you may know, fingerprints are very special identifiers unique to each person - even twins do not have the same fingerprints. The two most common fingerprint scanning techniques used are optical scanning and capacitance scanning. Optical scanning works in much the same way as digital cameras do. Using a charge coupled device (CCD), the optical scanner uses photosites that generate an electrical signal that respond to light. These photo sites record the light and dark pixels that make up the image of the fingerprint. Then a built-in device converts the signal into a digital image that the scanner can use to judge whether or not the fingerprint is valid.
Next time, we will discuss how capacitance scanning works.
by FingerTec USA
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