BIO-key Opens Biometric Doors to Thin Clients

BIO-key, a provider of finger-based biometric identification solutions, is expanding its biometric identity solutions to include support for Windows Terminal Services Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Citrix ICA Client platforms and Wyse CE terminals.

This gives application providers a solution to the problem of deploying biometric fingerprint identification on a local client that accesses applications running on a central server. Traditionally, a separate virtual channel would need to be developed for each reader manufacturer. By expanding the support of its biometric identity solutions, BIO-key is providing a single interface that connects with every major fingerprint reader manufacturer. In addition, these fingerprint readers can be used interchangeably, reducing deployment time and support costs.

BIO-key has created a single virtual channel between applications running on servers and thin client environments, including Citrix and Terminal Server/RDP platforms and thin client-based hardware like Wyse CE terminals. Leveraging this single virtual connection, application providers can build biometric user identity authentication into their applications that are accessed by the thin clients. What makes this solution unique is that the applications can not only automatically detect they are running on a virtual platform, but they can authenticate the users via their fingerprint with any of the 40 fingerprint sensors BIO-key supports.

Client-side solutions are increasingly becoming the name of every aspect of the enterprise game, including security. While enterprise applications traditionally remain under the control of a central server, as a result of virtualization, access points to those applications are becoming more remote and diversified than ever. Biometric security technology, like fingerprint ID solutions, offers a powerful and difficult-to-hack deterrent to unauthorized enterprise access. By extending biometric security technology to the client side of the enterprise, BIO-key is helping to unleash its full potential.