CAMPBELL, CALIF. - April
27, 2006 - Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies today announced that Twentynine
Palms Marine Corps Base is using its Ingersoll Rand Recognition Systems biometric
hand geometry technology to track the time and attendance for its civilian employees
at two mess halls on the base, which is located in Twentynine Palms, Calif.,
about 60 miles east of Palm Springs. Since being installed, the HandPunch units
have saved about $2,000 per month in payroll costs by limiting overtime and
eliminating "buddy punching."
The HandPunch automatically takes a three-dimensional reading of the size and
shape of a hand and verifies the user's identity in less than one second. Biometric
terminals eliminate the need for an employee to carry a badge, thus eliminating
the problem of lost or forgotten badges. Biometric time clocks also eliminate
"buddy punching," the practice of employees clocking in and out for
each other. They provide more accurate information about who is working and
when and help a company eliminate intentional or unintentional mistakes.
"We use the HandPunch units as a 'double check' when people sign in and
out for work at our mess halls," said base Locksmith Jim "Glenn"
Glendenning. "In other words, we use them so that nobody can cheat on their
time and have somebody sign in and sign out for them. They are working very
well."
The HandPunch units are connected to a network that ties them into a payroll
processing system. Employees use a PIN code, along with their hand, to clock
in and out for their shifts.
David Hasty, a civilian employee who manages one of the mess halls, reports
that the HandPunch units are more than meeting our expectations at the halls.
"We are very pleased with the HandPunch terminals," Hasty sums up.