CAMPBELL, CALIF. - February
28, 2005 - Recognition Systems, the biometric component of Ingersoll-Rand's
(IR) Security & Safety Electronic Control Systems, announced today that
members at South Florida's largest credit union, Eastern Financial Florida Credit
Union, are using its biometric technology to access safe deposit boxes at three
of its existing branches, with plans to add the HandKey units at several to-be-built
branches.
In the same way Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and other credit unions throughout
North America have previously reported using HandKeys for entering deposit box
vaults, the HandKeys at Eastern Financial Florida Credit Union automatically
take a three-dimensional reading of the size and shape of a hand and verify
the member's identity in less than one second. Recognition Systems was named
recipient of the 2004 Application Market Penetration Leadership Award for access
control and time and attendance applications in Frost & Sullivan's study,
World Biometrics Market.
"We wanted to streamline our services and increase security for our safe
deposit box areas," explains Mark Holmes, Vice President of Marketing for
Eastern Financial Florida Credit Union. "The HandKey units provide easy,
safe access to the safe deposit boxes. Now, members can let themselves in without
waiting for someone to assist them."
HandKeys are currently placed in front of the door to the safe deposit area
at credit union branches located in Boca Raton, Countryside, and Pembroke Pines
in South Florida. Only one member at a time is allowed in the safe deposit vault.
Eastern Financial officials considered other security measures, including alternative
biometric technologies, but ultimately opted for hand geometry. Members need
only present their hand and a personal identification number (PIN).
"We contemplated swipe cards, but people lose cards and very often put
their PIN on the card, even though they are warned not to do so," reports
Alex Pinsky, Vice President of Corporate Services for the credit union. "Biometrics
also can't be comprised, but we felt that iris or retinal scans were too invasive.
Hand geometry was comparatively simple and it wasn't intimidating to our members."
So far the credit union has found the HandKey units to be stable and user friendly.
Feedback has also been favorable from members of all ages, Pinsky adds.
Eastern Financial Florida Credit Union is using the HandKey units in conjunction
with the PassVault biometric-based, self-service safe deposit box system developed
by Diebold.
About Eastern Financial Florida Credit Union
Eastern Financial Florida Credit Union is the largest credit union in South
Florida and ranks among the top 35 in the nation. A full-service financial institution
with over $1.8 billion in assets and more than 183,000 members nationwide, Eastern
Financial still acknowledges the common bond and ideals it shares with credit
unions worldwide: not for profit, but for service.
About Recognition Systems
With over 80,000 hand geometry units throughout the world reading millions of
hands each day, IR Recognition Systems, founded in 1986, is the pioneer of hand
recognition technology used in access control, time and attendance and identification
applications. The company is the world sales leader of biometric verification
devices and serves an international clientele from its headquarters in Campbell,
Calif. Its website is www.handreader.com. Phone is 408-341-4100. Recognition
Systems is the biometric component of Ingersoll-Rand Corporation's Security
& Safety Electronic Control Systems. The Ingersoll-Rand website is www.irco.com.
-30-