FingerTec Newsletter

Biobridge SDK, OFIS and FRIS Revisited

by Daryl Choo, Application Development Manager

FingerTec offers a range of software products to accommodate system integrators who are interested to assimilate biometrics system into their existing systems, to offer enterprises a larger capacity centralized system and to fulfil the needs of software developers who are keen to develop product(s) incorporated with biometrics features.

Connecting FingerTec Reader with Your Own Software – FingerTec Biobridge

FingerTec BioBridge SDK

The BioBridge SDK is a unique software development kit (SDK) designed to communicate directly with all range of FingerTec® fingerprint models. The Biobridge is loaded with programming coding for various programming languages, a very powerful tool for software developers or system integrators to enhance their solutions with biometric devices.

With the BioBridge SDK, software developers or system integrators are able to manipulate information stored inside FingerTec® models to suit their client’s requirements perfectly. They also can fully utilise all features of FingerTec® models during development of their own solution or during integration to better serve their clients.

Time attendance software requirements vary from one country to another. While TCMS V2 has been offering almost perfect time attendance and door access software to the worldwide market, there are some unique functions, which are only applicable to certain countries not covered by TCMS V2 due to the niche market requirements. In this scenario, Biobridge plays an important role to give clients options to link their software specifically designed for their labor market to a biometrics reader of FingerTec.

Biobridge doesn’t allow customisation of TCMS V2 to cater to specific needs but it allows integration of ready-made software to FingerTec readers to work as complete biometrics solutions.

Integration of Biobridge with payroll or HR software is also permissible where data from the reader will be linked directly to the target software to expedite payroll process and to reduce human errors. Services or advise from payroll or HR specialists are recommended in the integration process between BioBridge SDK and their solutions. The same applies to enhance access control solutions when using FingerTec fingerprint readers. Security specialists can apply more restrictions during verification process (time zones, multiple verification methods, combinations of users etc) to increase the security levels of their system.

Precise Virtual Identification and Verification - FingerTec OFIS

Online Fingerprint Identification System or OFIS is a System Development Kit SDK that allows identification and verification of fingerprint to be done remotely through WAN, LAN or etc. OFIS comes with a USB fingerprint scanner and a tool to develop PC-based or server-based system. Secured and precise remote fingerprint identification is sought after in many areas of the market for example in online banking transactions, in club membership verifications, in identity confirmation for monetary claims to name a few. OFIS is NOT a ready-made software; it is an SDK to assist system integrators or software developers to develop a fingerprint-based identity verification system to cater to their needs.

Unlike normal FingerTec® readers, OFIS allows no restriction of users capacity, as all user information are stored in a PC or a server. Therefore total users for OFIS depend on the hard drive capacity of the PC or the server. The high accuracy of OFIS fingerprint matching algorithm provides high security user’s verification. OFIS is suitable as a replacement method of conventional password PC logon applications.

System Development Kit SDK - FingerTec OFIS

OFIS SDK provides programming coding in various programming languages for software developers or system integrators. With OFIS, development of logon pages to access their software or solutions can be initiated using biometrics solutions for a higher security password, thus eliminating the rampant “password sharing” problem.

OFIS also will become the future website logon tool. With OFIS, logon password will be ignored during any website logon instead fingerprint of a user will be required for identity verification. User fingerprints will be enrolled to the servers during first time registration via OFIS scanner and at every visit, users need to verify their fingerprints using the OFIS scanner to access into their private accounts to carry out any operation, such as business e-mails, banking, payments etc. Verification of user’s fingerprint during online banking process as final acknowledgement instead of “APPLY” or “SUBMIT” button is also made possible with OFIS. In short, OFIS helps tighten logon security to high security application areas.

The ready-made product from OFIS designed by FingerTec Worldwide is OFIS TA; a time attendance USB fingerprint reader supplied with time attendance software TCMS V2 for a PC based attendance system. There are vast potentials of OFIS to be explored in various areas that require logon security.

Fingerprint Matching At The Server – FingerTec FRIS

FingerTec FRIS

Fingerprint Remote Identification Server or FRIS is a well design server application intended for clients with large user capacity requirement and we are talking about more than what individual FingerTec reader could contain. FRIS server is a giant-size online verification server to receive fingerprint templates from FingerTec® readers for verification. The limit of FRIS’s user capacity is dependant upon the server’s hard drive capacity. When using FRIS, FingerTec® readers become fingerprint capturing stations only to prompt users with result(s) of verification while the server acts as the fingerprint matching station.

All transaction logs from the FingerTec® readers are stored in SQL database (MySQL or MSSQL) for software developers or system integrators to utilize the SQL database to work with their application development. By using FRIS, software developers can develop their application without using BioBridge SDK, instead they can gather all transaction logs from SQL database, and use their software to process data be it for time attendance calculations or reporting, payroll, or HR evaluation. System integrators can upgrade

system with biometric solution without having to use the BioBridge SDK, as they can gather information from the SQL database for integration with their current solution. In case where online verification is not required, fingerprint templates could be stored in each reader. FRIS server then becomes a main control station, which transfers users to all terminals and download transaction logs from all terminals. The same storing mechanism applies in FRIS where transaction logs are stored in SQL database for software developers or system integrators to utilize the information. Software developers or system integrators can run FRIS server to control all FingerTec® readers without having to develop a new application by using BioBridge SDK.

For existing FingerTec® users, TCMS V2 software is the back-end software to gather transaction logs from FRIS server. TCMS V2 software processes time attendance calculations and producing relevant reports.