The technology developed by XID Technologies, a face-recognition technology company, expands its foothold out of Singapore for the first time.

Jason Chaikin, Vice President World sales, said its patented face synthesis technology combined with commodity hardware and industry standard-based processor which is used in netbooks, brings face recognition-based access control devices to the commercial market.

Currently, most of the major players in facial recognition dominate in homeland security and government markets. Entering the commercial area will open new windows of opportunity.

The XID XS PRO-1000 device enables employees to use their company ID cards to touch the device while looking into a built-in camera and then the system will verify whether the ID information on a database server matches the face on the camera.

All verification processing takes less than three seconds and it is simple to install as a plug-and-play. However, compared with normal fingerprint access control systems on the market the cost of this system is around 30 percent higher but it is more accurate than fingerprint recognition which has an average 10 percent error rate.

In some workplaces which have a lot of employees - such as construction sites or factories - where they have to wait in long queues, if the system slows down it can affect productivity. The system also helps to resolve "buddy-punching" time attendance by the employees, which can cause company losses.

Carmelo Pistorio, executive chairman of XID Technologies, said that it is aiming to make face-recognition a global easy access control by 2012.

Currently, fingerprint recognition dominates the biometric market. According to ABI research, in 2008 the biometric market worldwide reached $561 million while fingerprint recognition was worth $349 million, facial recognition was worth $92 million and iris recognition was worth $47 million. Both fingerprint and facial recognition had a combined growth rate from 2008-2013 forecast at 22 percent and were worth $931 million and $251 million, respectively.

This shows how huge the market is and the company decided to expand it reach into China, Indonesia and Vietnam as well as Thailand after spending six years of research and development in Singapore and using the country as test bed for the product technology which was used in a customer site with over 40,000 workers.

Adisorn Keawbucha, CEO, DataOne Asia (Thailand), the exclusive partner for XID, said the product can complement with its skill in integration and implementation service with existing banking and finance customers.

The solution will help to expand new market customers base that require high security areas like power plants, prisons, pharmaceutical labs and other high security zones or sensitive areas.

XID Technologies, a leader in facial recognition noted for its award winning facial synthesis technology, will be showcasing the XS PRO-1000 - a simple plug-and-play, ready to use facial recognition physical access control solution for the commercial market - at the Safety &
Security Asia 2009.

Following its success of the SmartID system - which involves implementing numerous 24/7, outdoor, facial recognition access control solutions for more than 40,000 workers in dormitories, factories and highly sensitive areas - XID embarked an extraordinary journey to provide a facial recognition access control system which is highly cost effective, easy-to-use and reliable as compared to its competitors. With its plug-and-play design setup, the XS PRO-1000 is simple to deploy into action.

Ideal for use in a corporate environment, the XS PRO-1000 ensures the right identity of the user by providing biometric verification in an automatic, continuous process based on XID’s patented technology. Because a person’s face is needed for verification, unauthorised personnel and buddy-punching entry will come to an end.

Additionally, the XS PRO-1000 is able to provide time and attendance tracking, real time video monitoring thru its camera and remote door access with its client software on a desktop or laptop. XID has appointed exclusive distributors in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan and Thailand to promote and support the XS PRO-1000.

FACE VALUE
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Does your face open doors? With the XID XS PRO-1000, it will.

The Singapore-developed biometric access system for small companies and homes lets you configure access via face recognition, PIN or card.

It comes with a wall unit, access controller box and also software that lets you configure the system and check who has gone in or out.

The best part - the high-tech system is plug-and-play so not much work is needed to install it.