Kim Humborstad

Working with proximity readers now will let even more end-users use biometrics on high security openings Zwipe 2014/2015 Review & Forecast:All of the news reports in 2014 about the mishandling and hacking of card information has made both consumers and institutions more leery of using a card only to verify the cardholder. Looking ahead to 2015, there is an increasing demand for both a more affordable, and more secure way to integrate biometrics into the payment process without having to replace already-installed readers and equipment. Introduced this year at ISC West, Zwipe’s smart card with integrated biometric reader uses legacy smart card readers, thus meeting both objectives. Meanwhile, those using proximity card-based front ends have been worried about the security of their own systems. With a slew of proximity readers already installed, the proposition of replacing the readers would be difficult to sell. Add a PIN? That means adding keypads to all the readers plus, as everyone knows, PINs have security issues of their own. In October, among other enhancement to the biometric card, we announced that presently installed proximity card readers, as well as smart card readers, can now be used by organizations that want to add biometric authorization to their verification process without having to implement biometric readers. As with the original biometric card, the on-card fingerprint scanner with 3D capacitive technology resides on the new contactless Zwipe Access biometric card. Zwipe Access is compatible with all popular ISO 14443 proximity and smart card readers as it is DESFIRE EV1, MIFARE Classic and Legic Advant compatible. Now, without having to change out their existing card readers, the Zwipe Access biometric card provides an easy, affordable way for organizations to provide a biometric upgrade to access control systems using legacy proximity card or smart card readers. Working with proximity readers now will let even more end-users use biometrics on high security openings, such as a hospital pharmacy, IT server room or special research lab, without the cost and time associated with switching out their proximity readers for biometric readers. See the full coverage of 2014/2015 Review and Forecast articles here

Biometric cards provides an easy way for to provide a biometric upgrade to access control systems using card readers More and more, security professionals using card-based front ends for their access control systems have been worried about the security of their proximity systems. They know, that for $200 or less, their proximity system can be violated. Kim Humborstad, CEO of Zwipe points out that proximity systems do not offer a challenge response; they only use passive authentication. The card simply sends the exact same 32 bits each time. A proximity card is easy to mimic. Just record an AM broadcast and replay it. An AM transmitter costs only $30 to build. It is straightforward to read a proximity card from close range with standard lab equipment. The card can also be easily read from several feet away. Inexpensive card sniffing devices can be bought online that will effortlessly pull the card number and replay it at critical access points. Meanwhile, they have a slew of proximity readers installed and the CFO is not going to be happy to hear they need to tear out all your proximity card readers to secure their facilities. Add a PIN, someone advises. That means adding keypads to all the readers, which means there needs to be some type of switch out plus, as everyone knows, PINs have security issues of their own. Adding Biometrics Will Help Secure the Facility - But, At What Cost? Only biometrics provides the solution for authenticating “who” is at the door and stopping sniffing. In a perfect world, facilities would have a biometrics reader at every door that would need higher security. Of course, that would still mean ripping out the present proximity card readers and having to budget the money for new biometric readers plus the investment of making sure that the biometric integrates into the present access control system. However, what if the biometric was put directly on the card? The proximity card credential with on-card fingerprint reading would provide all the assets of the proximity card and eliminate its most glaring deficiencies, not knowing who is holding it as well as eliminate the problems of sniffing. A biometric card quickly reads the user’s fingerprint in less than a second. Eliminating the problems of solely deploying proximity cards, the wirelessly powered biometric card lets users authenticate themselves directly on the card through something they are, a fingerprint or thumbprint. Only then will the card system activate the lock. This is much more secure than simply using a standard proximity card, which verifies only something the user carries and can easily be duplicated. With a biometric proximity card (or biometric smart card) security managers and their integrators can use biometrics on high security openings The precept is simple. An on-card fingerprint scanner with 3D capacitive technology resides on the contactless card which has universal compatibility with all ISO 14443 readers (the standard contactless card reader) from the leading brands. The biometric card is DESFIRE EV1 and MIFARE Classic compatible, meaning it works with proximity card readers as well as smart card readers. Without having to change out an organization’s existing readers, the biometric card provides an easy, low cost way for security manager to provide a biometric upgrade to access control systems using card readers. Importantly, the biometric card is more secure to use than other available ID and authentication solutions on the market today. The fingerprint data is captured by the on-card fingerprint scanner and is thereafter encrypted and stored only inside the card. No exchange of data is conducted with external systems. This provides secure template management since the fingerprint never leaves the card. It also eliminates user concerns with privacy issues. The card is unique to the user and only the authorized card holder can activate card communication with the reader. When a positive match occurs, the biometric card activates encrypted communication with the lock or reader in the same way as other ISO 14443 contactless smart cards. Problem Solved - Keep Using Your Proximity System No longer do security professionals need to worry about quickly replacing their proximity card readers to secure their facilities. With a biometric proximity card (or biometric smart card) security managers and their integrators can use biometrics on high security openings, such as a hospital pharmacy, IT server room or special research lab, without having to switch out their proximity readers for biometric readers." Biometric cards can be issued to key staff and personnel providing the enhanced security benefits of 2-factor biometric authentication without any changes to their existing access control system software or proximity readers. They simply add the biometric card into their system in the same way they incorporate their present proximity cards, all the while extending the life and return on investment of their installed proximity card systems.

The biometric card provides an easy, low cost way for facilities to provide a biometric upgrade A convenient way to establish higher security within certain areas of a building is an appealing idea to many security directors. Whether it’s to more highly secure the pharmacy lab at a hospital, the laboratory at a government research facility or the tarmac at a small airport, some locations simply need to have more scrutiny paid to who is entering. Going beyond the card only – something they carry – and adding a PIN – something they know – many organizations employ multi-factor authentication at such locations. But, that is done irregularly as this often means a different reader is needed. Yet, even when this is undertaken, somebody else can use still use another employee’s card and PIN. Kim Humborstad, CEO of Zwipe, states that only biometrics provides the solution for authenticating “who” is at the door. In the perfect world of large budgets, government facilities would have a biometrics reader at every door that needs higher security. Of course, that would mean ripping out the present card readers and having to budget the money for new biometric readers plus the make the investment of making sure that the biometric integrates into their present access control system. Some suggest that this can be done with a smart card. After all, the multi-application flexibility of contactless smart cards lets a facility use them for logical/information access control, time and attendance and other applications in addition to physical access control. Each application gets its own memory space on the card or tag and security keys prevent one application from accessing another. For those considering biometrics at some of their access points, the card can even hold the biometric template. Nonetheless, there still remains a problem with the smart card. Who is presenting the smart card to the reader? The system doesn’t know. All it can understand is that an authorized card has been presented to the reader. Thus, the door should open, respective of who is holding the card. Yet, a biometric template carried within the card could help solve that problem - but at what expense? To do so, it still needs a biometric reader, which means an additional piece of hardware, thus raising the infrastructure cost to do what the card should be doing in the first place, verifying who is trying to enter. Why not put biometrics directly on the smart card? With the biometric directly on the card, they (security administrators) can be assured that the only people getting in are those authorized to do so There would be no additional hardware to buy and the smart card wouldn’t work unless verified by the authorized person’s thumbprint on the card. With a biometric card, the facility would reap all of the security and access control advantages of the smart card plus biometrics. That solution is now available. A contactless smart card credential with on-card fingerprint reading is available to provide all the assets of the smart card and eliminate its most glaring deficiency, not knowing who is holding it. The biometric card quickly reads the user’s fingerprint in less than a second. Eliminating the problems of solely deploying PINs and standard cards, the wirelessly powered biometric card lets users authenticate themselves directly on the card through something they are, a fingerprint or thumbprint. Only then will the card system activate the lock. This is much more secure than simply using a standard card, which verifies only something the user carries. An on-card fingerprint scanner with 3D capacitive technology resides on the contactless smart card which has universal compatibility with all ISO 14443 readers from the leading brands. The biometric card is DESFIRE EV1 and MIFARE Classic compatible. Without having to replace an organization’s existing readers, the biometric card provides an easy, low cost way for organizations to provide a biometric upgrade to access control systems using smart card readers or multi-technology readers that also read smart cards. Thus, biometric cards are more secure to use than other available ID and authentication solutions on the market today. The fingerprint data is captured by the on-card fingerprint scanner and is thereafter encrypted and stored only inside the card. No exchange of data is conducted with external systems. This provides secure template management since the fingerprint never leaves the card. It also eliminates user concerns with privacy issues. The card is unique to the user and only the authorized card holder can activate card communication with the reader. When a positive match occurs, the biometric card activates encrypted communication with the lock or reader in the same way as other ISO 14443 contactless smart cards. Problem Solved No longer do security administrators need to worry if someone not authorized to enter is using another person’s ID card. With the biometric directly on the card, they can be assured that the only people getting in are those authorized to do so.

At the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Zwipe AS held May 22 2018, Jörgen Lantto was elected as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors, replacing Clas Thelin. In addition, Kim Humborstad, Dorian Barak, Francis van den Bosch, Johan Biehl and Dennis Jones were elected as new board members. Dorian Barak will replace Dr. Lui Ruopeng as board representative for the company’s largest shareholder, Kuang-Chi. Kim Humborstad will act as Deputy Chairman. Lars Windfeldt, Espen Tøndel and Weizi Huang were re-elected. The new board has substantial combined industry and financial experience and will support Zwipe and its leadership team’s execution of a sharpened strategy focused on commercial success and growth as it integrates its technology platform within the biometric payment cards market first and then into other verticals, services and form factors such as wearables and IoT devices. Together with an ecosystem of partners including global brands within security, financial services and IDs, Zwipe is on a mission of ‘Making Convenience Secure’ for a wide range of industries and technology form factors. Mr. Lantto has been a member of Zwipe’s Board of Directors since November 2016 and is a key strategic advisor working closely with the company’s management Newly elected Chairman and Board members: Jörgen Lantto Mr. Lantto has been a member of Zwipe’s Board of Directors since November 2016 and is a key strategic advisor working closely with the company’s management to shape the path Zwipe takes moving forward. He is the former CEO of Fingerprint Cards AB, one of Zwipe’s key partners supplying fingerprint sensors. At Fingerprint Cards he also served as CTO and head of strategy and product management. Mr. Lantto has also held a range of senior executive positions at global ICT company Ericsson. Kim Humborstad Kim Humborstad founded Zwipe in 2009 (then OrigoID) and worked as its CEO until February 2018, at which time he transitioned to a new role as Chief Growth Officer (CGO) at Zwipe. As CGO he is focused on identifying new business and technology integration platforms for Zwipe. Mr. Humborstad is the winner of several awards, including but not limited to FERD-award for highest international potential and FinTech award for innovation in payments. He holds a BS in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Telemark University College. Dorian Barak is the CEO of Indigo Global, a capital advisory firm, and serves on the boards of directors of companies active in the technology, natural resources and aviation sectors Dorian Barak Mr. Barak is a seasoned private equity investor and fund manager. He is the CEO of Indigo Global, a capital advisory firm, and serves on the boards of directors of companies active in the technology, natural resources and aviation sectors. He is an Executive Director of Kuang-Chi Science Limited and chairs its international activities, which include investments in technology companies in North America, Europe and Israel. He was formerly MD and Head of International M&A at Israel’s largest financial group, attorney with Skadden Arps in New York and Consultant with The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Mr. Barak holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, an M.A. from Oxford University and B.A. from UCLA. Francis Van den Bosch Francis Van den Bosch serves in several advisory and board roles with start-up companies in the field of technology for the retail banking and payments markets. During the first 15 years of his career he held a number of Sales and Marketing Management roles in the consumer banking sector of Citibank, covering both European and the US markets. He worked as general manager for MasterCard Europe, followed by a global CEO role to set up the global debit POS and ATM system Maestro. Afterwards he headed up a Brussels based company (MCE) that specialized in management development services to international companies. Mr. Biehl is the founder and CEO of Biehl Invest AB and has spent most of his time working as a private investor and trader Johan Biehl For the last seven years, Johan Biehl, founder and CEO of Biehl Invest AB, has spent most of his time working as a private investor and trader. In addition, he is a member of the board and Investment Manager at Feat Invest AB. Mr. Biehl is focused on small- and micro-cap investments and today has several investments in listed and unlisted companies predominantly in the tech industry. He also has prior experience as an equity research analyst with Remium Nordic AB covering micro-cap companies and has held several positions in B2B sales and sales management. Mr. Biehl holds a degree in finance from Stockholm University. Dennis Jones Mr. Jones is the former Chief Operating Officer of TSYS Issuer Solutions, a US-based global payment processing company, prior to which he was the Chairman of Paysafe PLC, a UK-based FTSE 250 global payments company. Mr. Jones holds extensive experience in the fintech, payments and payment processing sectors, having held Executive and Board positions in the UK as Chairman of MasterCard UK Ltd and various Executive roles with RBS and NatWest. He also has experience from the US as Director, President and CEO of RBS National Bank and as a Non-Executive Director of Argus Information Services and Kroger Personal Finance. In addition, Mr. Jones worked in China as an Executive Director of the credit card joint venture between RBS and the Bank of China. Following these changes, the new Board of Directors consists of the following members: Jørgen Lantto (chairman) Kim Humborstad (deputy chairman) Lars Windfeldt Espen Tøndel Weizi Huang Francis van den Bosch Johan Biehl Dorian Barak Dennis Jones

Biometric technology company Zwipe has announced that it has partnered with Gemalto, a worldwide card manufacturer, to pilot the first battery-less dual-interface fingerprint activated payment card with Bank of Cyprus. 2018 Upcoming Pilots Gemalto has confirmed multiple upcoming pilots in 2018, with the first of these being with Bank of Cyprus. Commenting on the cooperation, Sylvie Gibert, SVP of Payment Cards at Gemalto said, “We have spent the last 18 months extensively evaluating and confirming the viability of Zwipe’s technology and we are happy that we have now seen great interest from banks all over the world for biometric technology on payment cards, having already identified several issuing banks in multiple regions to participate in the pilot program.” Fingerprint-activated payment cards are seen as the next major market innovation when looking at card based payments. Consumers will benefit by having a more secure and convenient method of payment that utilizes their own fingerprint to authenticate and complete transactions at checkout. The advanced security enabled by biometrics will remove the need for a 4-digit or longer PIN entry as well as allow for the elimination of transaction limits on contactless payments. Payments of the future Commenting on the value of the technology, Kim Humborstad, CEO and founder of Zwipe said, “Many consumers are seeking out ways to avoid having to memorize difficult to remember passwords or PINs. Looking ahead this will be seen as a blast from the past as we continue to integrate the trust of biometrics into payment. Having a more secure method of payment that does not infringe on convenience or consumer privacy is essential. Combining that with the ability to use the card for any type of transaction regardless of amount will make the card top of wallet and top of mind for the consumer.” Referencing the announcement made by Gemalto, this first-of-its-kind card being piloted by Gemalto and Bank of Cyprus is a fingerprint-activated payment card which utilizes Zwipe’s unique energy harvesting capacity and biometric engine to enable the authorized user to complete contactless and contact transactions with the card, without the need for battery power. The card works with existing payments infrastructure as standard point-of-sale terminals provide the power necessary to operate. Commenting on this latest cooperation for Zwipe, Kim Humborstad said “Receiving Gemalto’s support in bringing our technology to market is a big step for our organization. They have an expansive customer base in every corner of the world and a leading industrialization capacity and know-how required for such innovative products. We share a common vision about the capabilities and capacity of what Zwipe’s technology can offer to banks and consumers moving forward.”

Zwipe will have a major presence at two industry events over the next ten days. The team will be meeting with customers and partners in the trusted identity industry at Trustech and the UK banking and payments community at Fintech Connect Live! Smart Biometric Payment Solutions Starting first this week in Cannes, France, Zwipe will be present at Trustech 2017, one of the longest-running and largest trusted identity conferences in the world. Zwipe will have a stand and meeting room located at Lerins Pod 3.06 in cooperation with the Nordic Pavilion. Zwipe’s Director of PR and Marketing Ado Fazlic will be taking the Innovation Stage to talk about how great user experience will pave the way for adoption of biometric smart cards. He will also be involved in a panel debate, discussing the challenges and opportunities when looking at biometrics in payment. At Excel London, Zwipe will be launching the Biometrics Decrypted Report at Fintech Connect Live! As part of the launch, many of the report participants will be discussing the report findings in an executive briefing. The briefing will feature Zwipe’s CEO Kim Humborstad, alongside Howard Berg, Senior VP and Managing Director, Gemalto UK, Clive Bourke, President, EMEA & APAC at Daon and Alan Goode, Founder of Goode Intelligence.

Zwipe has announced that it has made the first shipment of its biometric technology products, for use in commercial contactless biometric payment card pilots by leading card manufacturers and banks. Commenting on the announcement Kim Humborstad, founder and CEO of Zwipe said: “We now have extensive agreements in place with some of the world’s leading card manufacturers, paving the way for commercial deployment with banks over the course of 2018.” Global Smart Card Market In total, Zwipe’s card manufacturing partners represent over 40% of the global smart card market, per volume shipped per the Nilson Report. Zwipe has entered into seven new agreements with both card manufacturers and payments ecosystem partners with a focus on meeting escalating commercial demand for biometric smartcard solutions. Zwipe received their first commercial orders for their contactless biometric payment card inlay in June of this year. Providing further insight, Pascal Dufour, SVP of Payment at Zwipe said: “We have received additional orders based on progress made this summer for our solution which is fully market ready. Upon successful completion of pilots, commencing in the fourth quarter this year, our partners have communicated expected volume roll-outs numbering in the several hundred thousand range in 2018.” Zwipe’s contactless payment card is the only smartcard solution capable of operating without the need for a battery Growth Of Contactless Payment The rapid growth of contactless payment is a key driver for the integration of biometric technology on conventional payment cards. Contactless payment card adoption throughout the world has seen double digit growth globally, and with that, contactless transaction fraud has also grown equally as fast. Additionally, new regulation is seeking to address these challenges by mandating much stronger consumer authentication, as seen in the European Commission’s Payments Services Directive, PSD2. Biometric enabled contactless payment cards directly address these issues. Zwipe’s biometric contactless payment card is the only smartcard solution commercially available, and the only solution capable of operating without the need for a battery or fixed power supply. Other biometric card concepts are most commonly capable of contact-only payment, or operate with the support of a battery. Addressing the market and Zwipe’s position, Kim Humborstad added: “The industry’s biggest movers, card brands, card manufacturers and key technology stakeholders across the ecosystem are investing heavily to gain an advantageous position in a market segment that is here now, with Zwipe being the leading technology provider.”

The ISO and EMV compliant card operates without the need for a battery Biometric technology company Zwipe will for the first time publicly demonstrate its dual-interface payment card in Singapore, on April 19th and 20th, at Seamless Asia 2017. The innovative payments solution is the first of its kind to fully integrate EMV compatible contact and contactless transactions. Unlimited Contactless Transactions Working with existing infrastructure, the ISO and EMV compliant card operates without the need for a battery, allowing end-users to make limitless contactless transactions thanks to the advanced security enabled by biometrics. All biometric information is securely encrypted only on the card and nowhere else meaning that the solution works without the need for a database. Commenting on the progress of its payment solution, Kim Humborstad, CEO of Zwipe said: “We have been working diligently to bring our biometric payment technology to market and the payment card, which we will be showcasing at Seamless Asia, will give attendees in Singapore a glimpse at what we have been demonstrating successfully behind closed doors in pilot programs over the last few months.” Integrating A Fingerprint Sensor "You do not need to sacrifice security for speed or a friendlier user experience, you can have it all" Zwipe’s core technology is a payments system that is secured by biometrics and powered by near field technology. “We are not just integrating a fingerprint sensor into a traditional payment card. There are many unique components that are working seamlessly together to enable a more secure and user friendly experience with applications that go beyond cards.” commented Kim Humborstad, adding, “You do not need to sacrifice security for speed or a friendlier user experience, you can have it all.” It is widely believed that adoption of biometric smart card applications and systems will happen this year with significant interest in Asia, Europe, and North America. “From our discussions concerning the Asian marketplace with our partners in the region, we see our technology being deployed in Asia as early as this year.” commented Pascal Dufour, SVP of Payment at Zwipe, adding, “The technology is ready and our network of suppliers in the region has confirmed interest from multiple end customers.” Seamless Asia 2017 will take place at the Suntec Convention & Exhibition Center in Singapore. To see live demonstrations and meet Zwipe’s Payments team please visit Zwipe at booth F03.

Zwipe’s new COO, Orlando Martinez and Director of Sales Access Control EMEA, John Laws Biometric tech company Zwipe announces the addition of Orlando Martinez as the company’s new Chief Operating Officer (COO) and John Laws as the new Director of Sales access control EMEA. Zwipe’s new COO Orlando Martinez has an extensive background in bringing innovative biometric technology to market and driving international business expansion and organizational development. Expansion Phase “We are entering a very important time at Zwipe, moving towards larger scale product roll out and having someone with Orlando’s pedigree join our team is a real triumph. His background and understanding of what it takes to grow a biometric technology company will be a great asset for our team,” said Kim Humborstad, CEO of Zwipe, adding “Orlando will play an instrumental role as we navigate the expansion and mature our capabilities.” “I bring with me a deep appreciation for Zwipe and its unique biometric authentication solution. I look forward to leveraging Zwipe’s technology leadership and driving the implementation of the company’s exciting growth strategy”, Martinez said. Previous Experience In 1999 he co-founded SecuriMetrics, a biometrics company that revolutionized identity management systems used by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Intelligence communities, the company was acquired by L-1 Identity Solutions and merged into Safran’s MorphoTrust, today a leading identity solutions and services company in the U.S. At SecuriMetrics, Martinez was part of the team that started and scaled the company until sales reached approx. USD 50 million in 2007, at which point the company was sold and merged into a larger unit to strengthen growth capabilities. For 12 years, from 1999 to 2011, Martinez led a variety of operational, marketing, sales and business development positions at his first biometric venture, before he joined CGI Federal as the Director of Applied Technology & Cyber Solutions. He spent 4 years at CGI managing the CGI Security practice which included biometric based intellectual property as well as the cyber security offerings. Martinez joins Zwipe from IT performance management company Snarf Networks where he was the SVP of Business Development. John Laws joins Zwipe with over 15 years of sales experience working with major accounts in the access control industry at industry giants HID and Honeywell. Prior to his career in the security industry he was a decorated infantryman in the British Army. His exemplary track record and diverse international network make him an ideal representative for Zwipe in key target markets all over Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Commenting on the new hire, Einar Boije, SVP of Sales and Marketing said, “John is a determined individual, with a demonstrated understanding of how to deliver innovative security solutions to a diverse set of clients. His addition to our sales team strengthens our ability to take Zwipe to new and larger volume clients in 2017.”

The partnership between Zwipe and Hitachi High-Technologies will include commercial and technical cooperation Zwipe, a provider of biometric identification technologies, and Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Hitachi Group’s trading company,  today announced a partnership agreement. The framework agreement is outlining commitments for commercial and technical cooperation including sales and distribution rights for the full product portfolio of Zwipe’s solutions to the Japanese market. With this new alliance comes also the potential for high-volume manufacturing of the Zwipe product line through Hitachi High-Tech’s systems, as well as an extension for Hitachi High-Tech to selling into other geographic markets. Close Partnership “Working with Hitachi High-Tech is a significant milestone for Zwipe,” said Kim Humborstad, CEO and Founder of Zwipe. “We are proud to be recognized as a valued partner for Hitachi High-Tech, and are confident that our products can be seamlessly integrated into Hitachi High-Tech’s value chain. We have already worked closely with Hitachi High-Tech for some time and this formal agreement is an acceleration of our close cooperation. Hitachi High-Tech have a strong presence in both the electronics and card industry, as well as a deep understanding of the end user market, so in many ways they are an ideal partner for us.”   Hitachi High-Tech, a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., has about 10,000 employees working globally. A trading company in advanced materials, electronic components and semiconductor, Hitachi High-Tech is known for commercialising superior technology and products in a wide range of industries, amongst them smart cards and secure access control cards. Japanese Card Market “We are very excited to offer Zwipe’s innovative and attractive biometric solutions to the rapidly evolving Japanese market,” said Ichiro Matsuba, General Manager, Electronic Components & Materials Dept., of Hitachi High-Tech. “We strongly believe that now is the ideal time to familiarise our stakeholders with Zwipe products and believe this partnership will open up new business opportunities for both parties. Having extensive experience and know-how of the Japanese card market, we see Zwipe’s biometric solutions as a great innovation that our customers will embrace and quickly adopt.”Zwipe will be present at the upcoming IFSEC International trade show in London from 21-23 June, demonstrating its latest products.

Zwipe ID utilizes Zwipe’s patent pending biometric authentication technology Zwipe recently announced the release of Zwipe ID©, a card with fingerprint authentication capabilities targeted for the global Access Control market. With the same format as a standard card, Zwipe ID© is targeted towards mainstream Access Control security systems. The Zwipe ID© card will be launched at the ISC West tradeshow April 6-8 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. Self-Contained Fingerprint System Designed to work within regular MIFARE DESFire and MIFARE Classic Access Control systems provided by integrators around the world, the fully self-contained fingerprint system is used to identify the legitimate card owner. “We are very excited to be releasing Zwipe ID© as it is a highly sought after addition to our award winning biometric credential platform,” said Kim Kristian Humborstad, CEO of Zwipe. “Zwipe ID© reflects the ultimate convergence of technologies providing convenient and secure two factor authentication on one personal device.” Zwipe ID© includes an integrated biometric sensor and utilizes Zwipe’s patent pending biometric authentication technology to allow capture of the users fingerprint and to securely maintain the cardholder’s data on the device. The ability to harvest energy from already installed Access Control readers not only eliminates the need for a battery, but also avoids costly reader replacement. Convenient Two-Factor Authentication Zwipe ID© cards can be issued in any situation where verification of the card holders identity is essential, from pharmacies to data centers and front doors to vending machines. Zwipe ID© offers superior balance between convenience and security and can be integrated without replacing a single Access Control reader. Simple on-card enrollment allows for immediate implementation of two-factor authentication for Mifare and DESFire based access systems, both physical and logical. “The demand for convenient and secure on-card biometric credentials has grown exponentially and I am delighted to bring this product to the market,” said Bob Fee, N.A Director of Sales. “Between our two access control product lines, Zwipe Access and Zwipe ID©, we expand our ability to support a much wider market reaching even deeper into corporate environments, educational markets and governmental identification applications.” Zwipe is the industry leader in biometrics credentials for the Access Control industry with it’s Zwipe Access product installed at several high security facilities in North and South America and Europe. The Zwipe ID© will be available through Zwipe’s network of resellers starting April 6th 2016.

Zwipe access card named best product for user authentication, identification, credentialing and management During last week's ISC West tradeshow in Las Vegas, the Zwipe Access Card, which provides an on-card fingerprint scanner with 3D capacitive technology directly on a proximity or smart card, was named best product for user authentication, identification, credentialing and management at the Security Industry Association's 2015 New Product Showcase (NPS) ceremony. The biometric card is used by organizations wanting to add biometric authorization to their verification process without having to swap out or add a single biometric reader. The Zwipe Access biometric card is compatible with all popular proximity and smart card readers, including those from HID, Allegion and Farpointe. "Being acknowledged by the SIA judging panel is an indication of both the industry's acceptance of biometrics as well as an endorsement of our product's unique value proposition in the market," added Kim Kristian Humborstad, CEO of Zwipe. "Las Vegas has been good to Zwipe as, only last May, we were named the winner of the first annual American SESAMES Award at CARTES as the best technological innovation that spanned the entire identification sector of smart cards, digital security, identification, secure transactions and contactless technology." Enhanced Security Benefits Zwipe Access biometric cards can be issued to key staff and personnel providing the enhanced security benefits of 2-factor biometric authentication without any changes to their existing access control system software or readers. They simply add the card into their EAC system in the same way they incorporate their present proximity, iCLASS or Mifare cards. New Zwipe Access features include an advanced, cutting edge thin line fingerprint sensor improving image capture while a new, patent pending, low power algorithm further reduces the already low false rejection rate. In addition, a replaceable standard coin cell battery provides years of card life. The Zwipe Access Biometric Card Features The enhanced Zwipe Access biometric card features a clamshell design with a slot for a lanyard. The biometric card also accepts pressure-sensitive labels that let organizations personalize the credential by adding employee photographs, company logos, department codes and other information.

The partnership has resulted in the  world's first contactless payment card featuring an integrated fingerprint sensor MasterCard and Zwipe have announced their partnership for the launch of the world's first contactless payment card featuring an integrated fingerprint sensor. The launch of the card comes after a successful live pilot with Norway's Sparebanken DIN, aligned to the Eika Group, as an answer to the complex challenge of providing a fast, convenient payment solution that does not compromise on security. The Zwipe MasterCard payment card is the world's first fingerprint authenticated contactless payment card. It includes an integrated biometric sensor and the Zwipe secure biometric authentication technology that holds the cardholder's biometric data. It contains an EMV certified secure element and MasterCard's contactless application. The card is the first of its kind to combine the security of biometric authentication with the speed and convenience of contactless payment. Cardholder fingerprint data is stored directly on the card, not in an external database. After activation by a simple fingerprint scan, the Zwipe MasterCard card can be used to make contactless payments. The biometric authentication replaces the PIN entry, thus enabling cardholders to make payments of any amount, unlike other contactless payment cards on the market. Zwipe is now working on the next generation of its card that will be the same format as a standard card and designed to work with all payment terminals for release in 2015. This new card will harvest energy from the payment terminals without the need for a battery. The card is the firstof its kind to combinethe security of biometricauthentication with thespeed and convenienceof contactless payment Speaking about the launch, Ajay Bhalla, President of Enterprise Security Solutions at MasterCard commented "Our belief is that we should be able to identify ourselves without having to use passwords or PIN numbers. Biometric authentication can help us achieve this. However, our challenge is to ensure the technology offers robust security, simplicity of use and convenience for the customer. Zwipe's first trial is a significant milestone and its results are very encouraging." Ajay Bhalla, continued: "Safety and security in everyday payments is at the heart of MasterCard's business. We will continue to work with innovators, like Zwipe, to ensure we stay ahead of fraudsters and provide a seamless payment experience, as ultimately it is consumers who decide how they choose to pay." Kim Humborstad, founder and CEO of Zwipe, added, "Feedback from our pilot with Sparebanken DIN has been very positive. Cardholders love how easy the card is to use with the added security feature. We have also had exceptionally good feedback from retailers participating in the pilot. This pilot enabled the partners to gather valuable customer feedback, experience and best practice for the enrolment and deployment phase." "We will offer biometric authentication and contactless communication for all our cards since it combines convenience and security for both our cardholders and merchants" said Morten Danielsen, Business Development Director, Sparebanken DIN.

Among the enhancements to its biometric card, Zwipe recently announced that presently installed proximity card readers, as well as smart card readers, can now be used by organizations that want to add biometric authorization to their verification process without having to implement biometric readers. An on-card fingerprint scanner with 3D capacitive technology resides on the new contactless Zwipe Access biometric card which is compatible with all popular ISO 14443 proximity and smart card readers as it is DESFIRE EV1, MIFARE Classic and Legic advant compatible. Without having to change out their existing card readers, the Zwipe Access biometric card provides an easy, low cost way for organizations to provide a biometric upgrade to access control systems using legacy proximity card or smart card readers. "While our original biometric card has been popular with smart card reader users, proximity readers continue to be the de facto standard for access control throughout the world," adds Kim Humborstad, Zwipe CEO. "Working with proximity readers now lets more end-users use biometrics on high security openings, such as a hospital pharmacy, IT server room or special research lab, without having to switch out their proximity readers for biometric readers." Zwipe Access biometric cards can be issued to key staff and personnel providing the enhanced security benefits of 2-factor biometric authentication without any changes to their existing access control system software or readers. They simply add the card into their system in the same way they incorporate their present proximity cards. Zwipe’s new Card Management System is a cloud based fingerprint template management suite of tools that lets an administrator or integrator reissue a Zwipe Access credential to another employee if desired. With a click of a mouse, cards formerly assigned to employees that left the company or are no longer authorized to enter high security openings can be used by new users. Improved performance features include a new wake-up design which reduces the possibilities of accidently turning on the Zwipe Access card. An advanced, cutting edge thin line fingerprint sensor improves image capture while new, refined algorithms further reduce the already low false rejection rate. In addition, a replaceable standard coin cell battery provides up to three years of life. The enhanced Zwipe Access biometric card features a clamshell design with a slot for a lanyard. The biometric card also accepts pressure-sensitive labels that let organizations personalize the credential by adding employee photographs, company logos, department codes and other information. "Eliminating the problems of solely deploying PINs and standard cards, the contactless Zwipe Access biometric card quickly reads the user’s fingerprint in less than a second," adds Humborstad. "Only then will the card system activate the lock. This is much more secure than simply using a standard smart or proximity card, which verifies only something users carry, the card itself."

Without needing to install any biometric readers, the Zwipe biometric card itself quickly reads the user's fingerprint in less than a second. Eliminating the problems of solely deploying PINs and standard cards, the contactless Zwipe biometric card lets users authenticate themselves directly on the card through something they are, a fingerprint. Only then will the card system reader activate the lock. This is much more secure than simply using a standard contactless card, which verifies only something they carry, the card, and much more efficient that switching out card readers for biometric readers. The on-card fingerprint scanner with 3D capacitive technology resides on the contactless proximity or smart card which has universal compatibility with all ISO 14443 readers. The Zwipe biometric card is DESFIRE EV1 and MIFARE Classic compatible. Without having to change out the existing readers, the biometric card provides an easy, low cost way for organizations to provide a biometric upgrade to access control systems using contactless card readers or multi-technology readers that also read smart cards. "This is a natural evolution of the ID card," emphasises Kim Humborstad, CEO of Zwipe. "ID cards have evolved from the barcode to magnetic stripe to proximity to smart and, now, to biometrics on the card. No longer do organizations need to worry if someone not authorized to enter is using another person's ID card. With the biometric directly on the card, they can be assured that the only people getting in are those authorized to do so." The biometric card is more secure to use than other available ID and authentication solutions on the market today. The fingerprint data is captured by the on-card fingerprint scanner and is thereafter encrypted and stored only inside the card. No exchange of data is conducted with external systems. This provides secure template management since the fingerprint never leaves the card. It also eliminates user concerns with privacy issues. The card is unique to the user and only the authorized card holder can activate card communication with the reader. When a positive match occurs, the Zwipe biometric card will activate encrypted communication with the lock or reader in the same way as other ISO 14443 contactless cards.