A card with a fingerprint recognition module is developed for the first time in South Korea. It has same size and thickness as a normal credit card and has a function to recognize fingerprints. Even when a person loses his or her credit card, he or she does not have to worry about having his or her credit card to be used by a random person. It is predicted that it can also be used as a security card for checking entries and others and it is expected that new markets will open for IC Cards and fingerprint recognition modules that were limited to finance or mobile until now.
According to an industry on the 24th, Kona I (CEO Cho Jung-il) and CrucialTec (CEO An Keon-joon) have co-developed electronic fingerprint recognizing cards and started on commercialization.
This card integrates both IC Chip Card and a fingerprint recognition module. It is the first time when fingerprint recognition function is implemented through a card that has a size of a normal credit card.
Although a card with a fingerprint recognition function was developed before in Norway, fingerprint recognition part for that card was too thick. On the other hand, a card developed by Kona I and CrucialTec has a thickness of only 0.84mm and it satisfies international card payment standards (EMV) and can be compatible globally.
Kona I designed IC Chip and while CrucialTec developed an ultra-thin fingerprint recognition module. Although it can seem like a normal credit card, it is a type of electronic device that has an operation system (COS), a printed circuit board (PCB), a battery, a display and others besides of IC Chip and a fingerprint recognition module.
This card is receiving focus as it can be used in various ways in fields that need certification and security.
Previously when a person lost his or her card, he or she had to worry about someone else using his or her card voluntarily. For example, a random person can use a card to withdraw money or use an ID card to bypass security.
However this newly-developed card can prevent such problems through biometric technologies since only the owner of a certain card can use that card.
Kona I and CrucialTec have decided on co-commercialization as a technology that was developed by them can be widely used in finance, certification of entries, security and others.
According to a market research company called ABI Research, number of IC Cards that satisfy EMV will increase from 2.7 billion in 2015 to 3.5 billion in 2020.
Both businesses are looking to expand their businesses by increasing number of places where this card can be used while going after IC Card markets at the same time.
They are looking to expand their businesses towards electronic resident card business of developing countries that use fingerprints, iris and others and Smart Card businesses that are being pushed by UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees).
“Not only in security field , but a card with fingerprint recognition module will replace ID, password, and certificates in all areas such as finance, IoT and others that need certifications.” said CEO Cho Jung-il of Kona I. “It will lead changes in paradigm for methods of certifications.”
CrucialTec is expecting that there will be new opportunities for its growth as it is expanding its business towards fingerprint recognition modules through IC Cards from Smartphones that it had been focusing on in in the past.
Staff Reporter Yun, Kunil | benyun@etnews.com