DFT releases new version of mobile fingerprint authentication software

Biometric software firm Diamond Fortress Technologies announced it has released ONYX 4, the latest version of its mobile fingerprint authentication software.

The new version of DFT’s ONYX adds fingerprint biometrics to nearly any mobile device currently in use, including those devices that do not have a specialized hardware sensor.

ONYX 4 is currently available for Android and iOS, with Windows Phone and Blackberry versions in development.

Using the rear-facing camera on a mobile device, ONYX captures an image of the user’s finger and then processes the image into a mathematical template.

The template is used to verify the user’s identity by matching future prints against the initial print the user captured when they enrolled in the ONYX system. However, the template cannot be reverse-engineered into a fingerprint image, and DFT recommends to developers that they discard the image to protect user security.

“After months of research and refinements, ONYX 4 has a highly-intuitive, brand new user interface,” said DFT CEO Chace Hatcher. “Coupled with back-end technology improvements and our partnership with the global leader in matching algorithms, Innovatrics, ONYX 4 is leaps and bounds ahead of not only any competing system, but also ahead of previous versions of ONYX.”

After receiving feedback that its earlier versions of ONYX software were not as intuitive as enterprises would have liked them to be, Diamond Fortress spent months studying, testing, and refining the user experience to ultimately make the process more natural.

Aside from the new user interface, ONYX 4 features many back-end improvements, such as cutting down the time it takes to acquire a user’s print from 700-900ms in earlier versions to only 300ms.

Diamond Fortress has partnered with Innovatrics to ensure that ONYX 4 allows users more tolerance in regards to finger placement.

ONYX has also received two certifications from the FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance, which has developed technical specifications that define an open, scalable set of mechanisms that increase interoperability between vendors and systems.

Other user interface advancements for ONYX 4 include an adjusted view directly in front of the camera, real-time positioning feedback that notifies users if their finger is too close or too far away, improved training via four slides that are shown prior to enrollment, and a free, fully-functional 30-day trial version of the ONYX SDK for iOS and Android.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  fingerprint authentication  |  mobile  |  smartphones  |  software