The fact that Mr. Gilley is has been on InterDigital’s Technical Advisory Council since it formed in 2010 and the council advises the company’s senior management team on strategic technical priorities and direction, potential new markets and product opportunities, product, service and technology program initiatives, and additional technology matters where the Council brings relevant insights, and that BIO-key will be with InterDigital at the Mobile World Congress, makes his board membership even more interesting.

Here is a link to InterDigital's web page about their Technical Advisory Council:

http://www.interdigital.com/tac#.UuvZ8rSYbX4

Some valuable highlights of the new board members.

Barbara Rivera previously worked with firms including IBM, SAP and Oracle and also formed alliances with system integrators and consulting organizations that work in the public sector. Barbara has an impressive 20-year track record of developing and managing business with key federal, state and local organizations such as the Defense Department, the Department of Justice, the Department of Education, New York City and State as well as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Thomas E. Bush, III, served with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for over 33 years. During his 33 year career as a Special Agent he rose through the ranks of the FBI ultimately becoming the Director of the CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services) division. During Bush's tenure with the CJIS division he was responsible for the day to day operation of the largest division of the FBI, with over 2,500 employees and a budget of approximately one billion dollars.

Mr. Thomas Gilley gained corporate product management experience at Apple Computer, as an Engineer and R&D manager in the Advance Technology Group. While at PicoStar, Gilley was the founding CTO for Cobalt Networks which subsequently was acquired by Sun Microsystems for two billion dollars. Mr. Gilley serves as an advisor for InterDigital Communications, developers of wireless technologies for mobile devices and networks. Gilley also served as a strategic advisor for Compass Advisers, providing guidance for mergers, acquisitions and investments for public companies and private equity firms in the areas of security systems, enterprise software, and media, mobile and wireless. Most recently, Gilley sold his on-demand web media company to Vignette and acted as CTO throughout the transaction and through the company's ultimate acquisition by OpenText.
/////////

Mr. Gilley's history is especially interesting because he handled mergers, acquisitions and investments for public companies and private equity firms in the areas of security systems, enterprise software, and media, mobile and wireless. I can't help but wonder if that's the main reason he joined the board!

What's this all sound like?

Mr. Tom Colatosti has retired, along with Mr. Jeffrey May. "We owe Tom and Jeff a great debt of gratitude and thanks for their guidance and support as they have been instrumental in BIO-key's strategic development and successes over the last twelve years.

BIO-key has added three new Director's to its Board and Michael DePasquale has been appointed Chairman, effective January 29, 2014.

Thomas Gilley gained corporate product management experience at Apple Computer, as an Engineer and R&D manager in the Advance Technology Group.

BIO-key will be exhibiting at the World Mobile Congress 2014 in Barcelona, Spain February 25th 2014. We will be joining our partner InterDigital Communications at their booth.
/////////

Whatever it is, it sounds like big money to me!

BIO_key, InterDigital, & Mobile World Congress Feb 24 - 27.

This is from the BIO-key web site:

"BIO-key will be exhibiting at the World Mobile Congress 2014 in Barcelona, Spain February 25th 2014. We will be joining our partner InterDigital Communications at their booth."

I sure hope we find out what they are going to exhibit before Feb 25!

Encouraging facts about BIO-keys partner AMD (Advanced Micro Devices).

AMD is the second-largest global supplier of microprocessors based on the x86 architecture and also one of the largest suppliers of graphics processing units. AMD is the only significant rival to Intel in the central processor (CPU) market for (x86 based) personal computers. AMD announced the acquisition of ATI Technologies on July 24, 2006. AMD paid $4.3 billion in cash and 58 million shares of its stock, for a total of $5.4 billion. $5.4 BILLION DOLLARS!!

And on Nov 12, 2013, BIO-key announces ISV collaboration with AMD to ensure compatibility of its WEB-key biometric management platform with AMD's upcoming security solutions to leverage AMD Secure Technology, featuring a platform security processor based on ARM TrustZone(R) technology.

And just the day before BIO-key announced a $3.7 million private placement. It sure sounds like great news to me!

I found no evidence that they were even mentioned at the CES event. I did read an article about the FIDO Alliance member demonstrations, and that BIO-key was a member.
I sent an email to BIO-key before the event started and asked them if they were participating in anyway and I got no reply. In fact the last two times I emailed BIO-key with questions, I got no reply. Very disappointing! They could at least reply saying they couldn't comment on my questions for business reasons.

Although fingerprint sensors are nothing new in the smartphone world, the idea really took off only in the second half of 2013, when Apple and HTC both released high-end handsets with fingerprint ID recognition. This year, even more smartphone makers are expected to adopt this technology - and Samsung should be among them.

Last month, we heard about the possibility of the (rumored) Galaxy S5 to have a fingerprint scanner made by Sweden-based Fingerprint Cards. Now, a new report from Taiwanese website DigiTimes has it that Samsung is indeed looking to put fingerprint sensors into its new high-end smartphones - but it’s said that it would get them from California-based Validity Sensors, not from the Swedish company. The website further notes that Fingerprint Cards might instead supply sensors to LG, which is also expected to launch smartphones with fingerprint ID recognition among their features (LG G3, anyone?).

The Galaxy S5 could be officially announced in February or March, so we’ll find out soon if it’s going to gain any fingerprint reading capabilities. It will be interesting to see if Samsung follows Apple and integrates the fingerprint sensor into its smartphones' home buttons, or if it changes the location of the sensor (putting it on the rear case, like HTC did on the One Max, may also be a solution).
/////
This article was from:

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Rumor-next-high-end-Samsung-Galaxy-phones-including-the-S5-to-have-fingerprint-sensors-from-Validity_id51157

Being Wave signed a 15 year software license and distribution agreement with Samsung in May 2012, you would think this new agreement to offer complete management of Samsung's 840 EVO solid-state drives (SSDs) to deliver stronger security and data protection, would be enough to convince people that Wave's future is looking pretty good. After all, Samsung Electronics is the world's largest information technology company by revenues since 2009. Samsung Electronics has assembly plants and sales networks in 88 countries and employs around 370,000 people. Samsung Electronics displaced Apple Inc. as the world's largest technology company in 2011. Samsung achieved record earnings in the third quarter of 2013, the operating profit for that period rose to around $9.4 billion.

This latest news convinces me Wave's future is on pretty solid ground.

Dozens of new personal tech products at CES 2014 use biometrics to scan fingerprints, palm prints and irises, utilize facial recognition, eye tracking, and voice recognition for FIDO authentication; that means they were “designed with a core focus on privacy;” all “biometric and/or personally identifiable information (PII) stays local on the user's device and is not shared to the cloud or over the network.” Will 2014 finally be the year we embrace biometric solutions to replace passwords?

Follow the link below to read the full article.

http://shar.es/9JgaV

10:04 am Wave Systems: Samsung Announces 840 EVO SSD with Enhanced Security Solution for Enterprise Applications (WAVX) : Samsung Electronics America announced a new advanced security solution for the 840 EVO SSD, Samsung's SSD Self-Encrypting Drive (SEDN), compatible with professional security software. The new data security enhancements are now shipping on the recently announced Samsung 840 EVO mSATA drive and can be enabled through a firmware update for the 840 EVO SSD SATA drive, launched last August. The new data security upgrade was enabled through collaboration with Wave System's (WAVX) Wave Cloud and EMBASSY Remote Administration Server (:ERAS).

Sounds like good news to me.

Discover Card has joined the FIDO Alliance.

Here is part of an article released today from Mobile ID World.

http://mobileidworld.com/interoperability-commerce-and-relying-parties-discover-joins-the-fido-alliance-board-of-directors/
/////

Discover Financial Services has officially joined the Fast IDentity Online (FIDO) Alliance as a member of the organization’s board of directors. Discover will share the board with other big names in finance including PayPal and MasterCard.

FIDO Alliance members are dedicated to sharing technology and collaborating in order to forward open specifications for strong universal authentication. The consortium is heavily focused on privacy and fraud prevention, but also places a very strong emphasis on end-user convenience. In the end, FIDO’s ideal world is one where authentication is interoperable, secure and easy to use.

Discover plays an important role on the board of FIDO as a relying party, responsible for providing protocol-ready security solutions to its customers.

Discover’s vice president of authentication and decision infrastructure Daniel Almenara, expands on how the company will fit in with FIDO, saying, “The implementation of a fast and secure authentication method will allow us to both serve our customers and protect their information better, improving the overall customer experience.”

“Discover is committed to the continued improvement of universal authentication standards,” continues Almenara. “We look forward to contributing the resources and expertise to these discussions on stronger authentication and more secure methods.”

This is a big win for FIDO, in a year filled with rapid growth and new big name board members. Just last week, the Alliance announced that Microsoft also joined the board of directors, and since its official formation in February 2013, FIDO has built up a membership that includes PayPal, Google, Blackberry as well as a growing number of biometrics vendors.

“With our rapidly growing body of members, Discover joins a powerful global ecosystem in bringing open standards for strong authentication to the marketplace for an easier user experience that is more secure and private,” sais FIDO president Michael Barrett. “Their commitment to FIDO authentication will improve millions of Discover users’ experiences, and equip Discover merchants with advanced management controls over risk.”

Recently Barrett presented a webinar with Jamie Cowper of Nok Nok Labs titled The Password is Dead, in which he said that the first FIDO ready devices will be hitting the market in early 2014. With relying parties like Discover on board, it can be expected that strong authentication will be catching on in a mainstream way that hasn’t been seen before.
/////

BIO-key is a member of FIDO Alliance. BIO-key's release of its new product developed with the backing and investment of InterDigital will also be in early 2014. I'm hoping this isn't just a coincidence. Regardless, next year should be a very big year for BIO-key.

Microsoft's connection with BIO-key. Pieces of an article from Marketwired.

WALL, NJ, May 13, 2013 (Marketwired via COMTEX) -- BIO-key International, Inc. (otcqb:BKYI), a global leader in fingerprint biometric identification solutions, today reported that the company has executed an OEM agreement with Caradigm, a Microsoft and GE Healthcare company. The agreement enables Caradigm to deliver one of the highest ranking biometric identification solutions on the market,* as part of its Identity and Access Management (IAM) suite for healthcare organizations.

Caradigm will offer BIO-key's fingerprint biometric technology with its Single Sign-On (SSO) solution, enabling hospitals and health systems to comply with federal and state government regulations. Specifically, Caradigm IAM customers will be able to meet requirements associated with authenticating the identity of caregivers writing electronic prescriptions of controlled substances (EPCS). The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) requires caregivers to perform two-factor authentication for EPCS, and some states also require two-factor authentication for all electronic prescriptions.

Caradigm SSO, formerly Sentillion Vergence, allows caregivers to rapidly access applications and patient data without signing on to each application, which can help caregivers improve patient safety, reduce medical errors and increase time spent with patients, rather than navigating technology. Using BIO-key technology with Caradigm SSO, caregivers will be able to perform strong authentication using more than 30 available finger biometric readers as well as those embedded in most personal computers. They also will be able to use other authentication methods like one time password tokens delivered to a mobile device or displayed on screen.
/////

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/caradigm-to-oem-bio-keys-biometric-identification-technology-in-the-healthcare-industry-2013-05-13

Microsoft joins FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance.

Nineteen days remain in 2013, and the Fast IDentity Online (FIDO) Alliance is still announcing high-profile initiations. Earlier this fall, FIDO piqued the industry’s interest with news of it’s rapid growth: in the eight months proceeding its official formation in February 2013, the Alliance had gained over 50 new members in support of its protocol.

That was October, and since then a number of members joined the fight against passwords. Today, FIDO distributed a press release stating that Microsoft has joined the Alliance as a member of its board of directors. As such, the company responsible for Windows, Xbox and the Surface tablet will sit alongside the likes of Google, PayPal, BlackBerry and a growing number of authentication solutions providers in 2014 – a year that promises to see the first FIDO compliant devices to hit the market.

This news, while exceptional, does not come as a surprise. Microsoft has been a vocal supporter of strong authentication. Fingerprint Cards AB, an active FIDO member has repeatedly cited Microsoft as a major supporter of its fingerprint biometrics on consumer electronics whenever making an optimistic forward looking statement. Additionally, the newly released Microsoft Xbox One is at the center of the conversations about biometrics gaming, with online accounts being managed by the console’s facial recognition technology.

FIDO’s focus seems to be on Microsoft’s mobile platforms, however. With this newest board member, the Alliance is bolstered by a strong mobile portfolio, and as was mentioned by Nok Nok Labs’ Jamie Cowper, smartphones and tablets are where the authentication transactions want to take place.

“Certainly one of the major learnings that we’ve had in the last twelve months has been the extent to which the market has been focussed on smartphone as the source and the place where the transaction wants to occur,” said Cowper during the December 2 webinar The Password is Dead. “We assumed that it was possible to use the smartphone more as a second factor for a laptop driven transaction – eCommerce, banking – but actually the reality is much more about driving the entire transaction from the mobile experience.”

David Treadwell, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft commented on the newly minted membership: “As a contributor to the FIDO Alliance working groups on next generation authentication, we look forward to furthering our innovation and thought leadership in the identity space.”

The FIDO Alliance is dedicated to fostering this kind of leadership. The nature of the consortium is one of cooperation between companies that would otherwise find themselves competing. By sharing technology, in a fight for a common goal of low-friction strong authentication across all devices companies that join FIDO are making a strong public stance against the password.

With a high profile member like Microsoft on the board of directors, FIDO will be going into 2014 ready to spread a post-password paradigm across a market filled with consumers that absolutely need personal security alternatives. With Google at its side, and Apple pursuing its own better-than-a-password Touch ID solution, it looks like what FIDO president Michael Barrett has been saying all year is proving accurate: 2013 has been the death of the password.
/////

http://mobileidworld.com/microsoft-joins-fido-alliance-board-of-directors-in-push-for-open-specifications-for-universal-strong-authentication/

Goode Intelligence has revealed that by 2017 there will be more than 990 million mobile devices (smart phones, phablets and tablets) with fingerprint sensors. This number is set to increase further by the following year when there will be well over one billion mobile devices – making fingerprint sensors a common feature in mobile devices.

According to the latest report from Goode Intelligence, Mobile Biometric Security – Market Forecast Report 2013 - 2018, mobile manufacturers will start by embedding fingerprint sensors in their flagship smart phones, phablets and tablets. However from 2015 onwards this will spread into other cheaper mobile devices to become a common way of authenticating and interacting on a mobile device.

Alan Goode, author of the report and founder of Goode Intelligence said, “We shall also see an evolution in fingerprint sensors, excluding Apple’s Touch ID, with Android devices, such as the HTC One max, initially supporting swipe sensor technology. Throughout 2014 we’ll see touch sensors embedded in Android, Windows Phone and potentially BlackBerry devices. The next evolution will see ‘buttonless’ sensors being integrated into the touchscreen itself to make the experience even more frictionless and convenient.”

The consumerisation of biometrics is making mobile device protection more convenient and other biometric modalities will be as important as fingerprint sensors. Alan Goode said “Most of the major authentication vendors support, or have plans to support, biometrics in their authentication products. This includes voice recognition, facial recognition, eye and behavioural modalities.”

Goode Intelligence further predicts that by 2018, 3.4 billion users will be using biometrics on their mobile devices, generating almost US$8.3 billion worth of revenue for the biometrics industry.

In the last 30 minutes of trading the share price went from $1.14 to $1.20 on about 115,000 shares. Total shares for the day were 320,114. I hope this means there is good news coming soon.

BIO-key and InterDigital plan on demonstrating their new product at the Mobile World Congress February 24-27 it was reported in todays conference call.

Isis NFC mobile wallet goes live across the US.

http://www.nfcworld.com/2013/11/14/326846/isis-nfc-mobile-wallet-goes-live-across-us/

NFC payments are now available to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless subscribers across the US, with the national launch of the Isis Mobile Wallet. A 20% discount on their first $200 of purchases made with the American Express Serve account is being provided to every Isis user as an incentive to sign up and use the service.

More than 40 "Isis Ready" Android NFC phones are compatible with the service and new versions of the Isis Mobile Wallet — one for each of the three carrier partners — are now available to download in the Google Play app store as well as at AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless retail stores nationwide.

As well as making payments via a prepaid American Express Serve account, customers will also be able to store their regular American Express card in their Isis Mobile Wallet as well as Chase Freedom, Chase Sapphire, Slate from Chase and JP Morgan Palladium credit cards.

"The redesigned Isis Mobile Wallet features a simplified user interface with a clean, white background and easy-to-navigate toolbars," Isis says. "Integration with American Express Serve makes it convenient for Isis Mobile Wallet users to load funds to their American Express Serve account from a US debit or credit card, bank account, or through direct deposit, as well as pay bills online and send money to friends and family using an American Express Serve account."

A range of special offers are also being made available to users:
?Free soft drinks at Coca-Cola vending machines. "With My Coke Rewards in the Isis Mobile Wallet, users get their first three drinks free."
?20% back on the first $200 of purchases made with American Express Serve. This offer runs until 31 January 2014.
?Free smoothies at Jamba Juice. Isis and Jamba Juice are giving away one million free smoothies to Isis Mobile Wallet users at participating Jamba Juice stores across the country.

A series of videos has been put together by Isis to explain to consumers how to get started with Isis, make an NFC payment, add cards to their wallet and both load and use offers.

One of the questions I'm hoping will be answered tomorrow is, "Is there a specific mobile device that is waiting on the InterDigital or AMD agreements before signing a contract with BIO-key?

Here's a good article on the BIO-key, AMD news.
/////////

Convenience is key in the coming wave of biometric technologies, and this is doubly true when talking about mobile authentication. Super-efficient BYOD business and easy online transactions are the rewards for those who embrace and adopt stronger-than-password authentication, but a big obstacle in achieving this kind of ideal situation lies in finding an end to-end-solution that is flexible enough to allow for a variety of devices to operate in the same secure environment.

To this end, fingerprint biometrics and mobile authentication provider BIO-Key International announced yesterday that it is working with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) in order to ensure that its WEB-key biometric management platform is compatible with soon to be released security solutions from AMD.

The purpose here is flexibility. The compatibility between WEB-Key and AMD’s upcoming security technologies, allowing device manufacturers to use the BIO-Key fingerprint algorithm regardless of sensor choice. BIO-Key’s offering is scanner independent and will enable the matching of enrolled fingerprints on a device, in the cloud or on a server.

“With this solution, OEMs will be insulated from the rapidly changing fingerprint scanner marketplace by having a single best-of-breed, interoperable platform to interface with. Online service providers and enterprises will benefit from a standardized, securely configured WEB-key client on their users’ devices, made available by device manufacturers or through the ARM TrustZone technology ecosystem,” said Jim Sullivan, BIO-Key’s vice president of strategy and business development.

“This will allow enhanced security for online transactions and BYOD security,” he continued.” Fingerprint scanner manufacturers benefit by being part of a secure cloud infrastructure allowing remote and cloud authentication, which significantly enhances the core value proposition of fingerprint authentication beyond unlocking the phone or other device.”

BIO-Key is currently attending the AMD Developers Summit in San Jose and will be delivering a presentation titled “Leveraging fingerprint biometric authentication to streamline secure access” at 4:00 PM local time in Exhibit Hall SE4063.

By Peter Counter of Mobile ID World

BIO-key is working with AMD on TrustZone technology. I thought this news might interest some of you.
////////

WALL, NJ, Nov 12, 2013 (Marketwired via COMTEX) -- BIO-key International, Inc. (otcqb:BKYI), a global leader in fingerprint biometric identification solutions, advanced mobile authentication and identity assurance technologies, today announced that the company is working with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to ensure compatibility of its WEB-key biometric management platform with AMD's upcoming security solutions to leverage AMD Secure Technology, featuring a platform security processor based on ARM TrustZone(R) technology. This development will ultimately allow device manufacturers to use the BIO-key algorithm to match fingerprints on their compatible AMD device, with or without a server, or in the network or cloud. The resulting solution is expected to offer unprecedented levels of security in both the client on the device, and the server components of the WEB-key platform.

AMD's customers will benefit by using BIO-key's NIST-tested and scanner independent algorithm, enabling them to choose any fingerprint scanner to pair with it in their platform design. "BIO-key is honored to be working with AMD toward this uniquely valuable TrustZone integration," said Jim Sullivan, BIO-key's VP of Strategy and Business Development. "With this solution, OEMs will be insulated from the rapidly changing fingerprint scanner marketplace by having a single best-of-breed, interoperable platform to interface with. Online service providers and enterprises will benefit from a standardized, securely configured WEB-key client on their users' devices, made available by device manufacturers or through the ARM TrustZone technology ecosystem. This will allow enhanced security for online transactions and BYOD security. Fingerprint scanner manufacturers benefit by being part of a secure cloud infrastructure allowing remote and cloud authentication, which significantly enhances the core value proposition of fingerprint authentication beyond unlocking the phone or other device. Our existing patents on securing biometric data and keys using Trusted Execution Environments (TEE) make this a natural evolution of our product strategy," he continued.

"AMD is pleased to be working with BIO-key to deliver flexibility in platforms utilizing biometrics for security and authentication," said Steve Belt, corporate Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Solution Enablement, AMD. "BIO-key's WEB-key platform gives customers the ability to choose hardware and software components which best meet the needs and form factor design points of their solutions, while also providing robust use cases through the use of ARM TrustZone technology and other open industry standards."

BIO-key will present at the 2013 AMD Developer Summit (APU13), San Jose Convention Center, November 11th - 13th. Join us on Wednesday, November 13th 4:00pm - 4:45pm in exhibit hall SE-4063 for the presentation titled, "Leveraging fingerprint biometric authentication to streamline secure access."

WALL, NJ, Nov 12, 2013 (Marketwired via COMTEX) -- BIO-key International, Inc. (otcqb:BKYI), a global leader in fingerprint biometric identification solutions, advanced mobile authentication and identity assurance technologies, today announced that the company is working with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to ensure compatibility of its WEB-key biometric management platform with AMD's upcoming security solutions to leverage AMD Secure Technology, featuring a platform security processor based on ARM TrustZone(R) technology. This development will ultimately allow device manufacturers to use the BIO-key algorithm to match fingerprints on their compatible AMD device, with or without a server, or in the network or cloud. The resulting solution is expected to offer unprecedented levels of security in both the client on the device, and the server components of the WEB-key platform.

AMD's customers will benefit by using BIO-key's NIST-tested and scanner independent algorithm, enabling them to choose any fingerprint scanner to pair with it in their platform design. "BIO-key is honored to be working with AMD toward this uniquely valuable TrustZone integration," said Jim Sullivan, BIO-key's VP of Strategy and Business Development. "With this solution, OEMs will be insulated from the rapidly changing fingerprint scanner marketplace by having a single best-of-breed, interoperable platform to interface with. Online service providers and enterprises will benefit from a standardized, securely configured WEB-key client on their users' devices, made available by device manufacturers or through the ARM TrustZone technology ecosystem. This will allow enhanced security for online transactions and BYOD security. Fingerprint scanner manufacturers benefit by being part of a secure cloud infrastructure allowing remote and cloud authentication, which significantly enhances the core value proposition of fingerprint authentication beyond unlocking the phone or other device. Our existing patents on securing biometric data and keys using Trusted Execution Environments (TEE) make this a natural evolution of our product strategy," he continued.

"AMD is pleased to be working with BIO-key to deliver flexibility in platforms utilizing biometrics for security and authentication," said Steve Belt, corporate Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Solution Enablement, AMD. "BIO-key's WEB-key platform gives customers the ability to choose hardware and software components which best meet the needs and form factor design points of their solutions, while also providing robust use cases through the use of ARM TrustZone technology and other open industry standards."

BIO-key will present at the 2013 AMD Developer Summit (APU13), San Jose Convention Center, November 11th - 13th. Join us on Wednesday, November 13th 4:00pm - 4:45pm in exhibit hall SE-4063 for the presentation titled, "Leveraging fingerprint biometric authentication to streamline secure access."
//////////

Sounds like great news to me.

Any thoughts on the Sandia National Lab deal?
////////

Bill Solms from the conference call.

We did have one nice little sale in federal before the end of Q3 Sandia National Labs bought a nice sweet of our stuff and Sandia is a lab that does some pretty sensitive work so their security requirements are pretty high. And I think it’s a testament to the quality of our products that they chose to go with us. So, we’re going to look to leverage that out amongst the other federal customers and we do have some secondary larger companies that are reviewing organizations within federal that are looking at our stuff right now but I'm just not going to comment how close those are to closing.
////////

About Sandia National Laboratories

The Cybersecurity Engineering Research Laboratory, which began operating in 2011, draws from nuclear research and development to test hardware vulnerabilities in closed facilities and model cyberweapons on supercomputers, Sandia officials said. Cybersecurity is one of the New Mexico-based lab’s defense systems missions.

“Sandia’s cyber R&D capabilities are rooted in our [nuclear weapons] mission, and specifically weapons use-control engineering and adversarial threat assessment,” said Ben Cook, a senior manager for Sandia’s research and development science and engineering group.

Officials on Tuesday are expected to showcase several of the new lab’s capabilities in deflecting cyberattacks against citizens, businesses and governments. "Sandia was doing cyber before the term cyberspace existed," states the national laboratory's website.

re:wickw50, Thank you very much.

I was wondering the same thing! Do you supposed there is something up? I looks like trading has been stopped.

BIO-key(R) 3rd Quarter 2013 Earnings Release on Nov 14.
///////

I'm somewhat comforted by the fact they announced the earnings release 8 days in advance. I don't remember them ever giving more than 3 or 4 days notice.
///////

WALL, NJ--(Marketwired - Nov 6, 2013) - BIO-key International, Inc. (OTCQB: BKYI), a global leader in fingerprint biometric identification solutions, advanced mobile credentialing and identity verification technologies, today reported that the company plans to release third quarter Fiscal 2013 financial results on Thursday, November 14, 2013. In conjunction with the release, BIO-key has scheduled a conference call, which will be broadcast live over the Internet on Thursday, November 14th at 10:00 a.m. EST.

Well, there's another major computer technology company being totally scammed by Wave Systems. There doesn't seem to be many left! Could Wave actually have something of value? I wonder? I just wonder??
//////

LEE, MA--(Marketwired - Nov 5, 2013) - Wave Systems Corp. (NASDAQ: WAVX) announced today it is offering complete management of self-encrypting solid-state drives (SSDs) to deliver stronger security and data protection to the enterprise. The drives, which are part of the Intel® Solid-State Drive Professional Family, support the Trusted Computing Group (TCG)'s industry-standard Opal specification.

The Intel SSD Professional Family helps increase employee productivity with power-efficient performance, reduced wait times and faster data delivery. New, small form factors help ensure enterprise-grade storage capabilities designed for use in the latest Ultrabook™ and 2 in 1 designs.

To meet the needs of enterprise IT departments required to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access, the Intel SSD Pro 1500 Series offers improved security and manageability when paired with Intel® vPro™ technology using Wave's management suite which includes the EMBASSY Remote Administration Server and Wave Cloud 2014. Wave Cloud 2014 is the only cloud-managed solution for SEDs on the market today.

Wave enables pre-boot authentication to the drive, automated user enrollment, drive locking, emergency access, crypto-erase, policy enforcement and remote management. Detailed event logs offer independent verification that information on a drive is protected should a device become lost or stolen -- essential for compliance.

"Intel has made guarding sensitive data a top priority with the release of its new Pro 1500 Series, which combines the usability benefits of solid-state technology with the unmatched security and performance benefits of an Opal drive," said Wave CEO Bill Solms. "We're honored to have worked with Intel early on to validate that our software can provide scalable, world-class management of these devices from the cloud to the enterprise. The result is an offering that brings customers no-compromise security, no-compromise performance, and no-compromise management."

Intel's release marks an important step forward in the adoption of the Opal TCG standard, which serves as a blueprint for embedding encryption into the device while ensuring interoperability.

"Data security is top-of-mind for IT departments and the Intel SSD Pro 1500 Series provides organizations with the added assurance their most sensitive data is protected," said Rob Crooke, Intel Corporate vice president and general manager for the Intel Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group. "In addition to delivering security through self-encryption, the Pro 1500 Series enables flexibility through power-efficient performance. When combined with Wave's expertise in trusted computing, we deliver a secure and reliable solution for today's enterprise."

Lenovo intends to make the SSD Pro 1500 Series available on selected models of T, W and X Series ThinkPads.

"Lenovo is committed to offering our ThinkPad and Ultrabook customers best-in-class security and performance," said Jerry Fralick, chief security officer, Lenovo. "Intel has raised the bar with its Intel SSD Pro 1500 series, setting a new standard for performance, battery life, ease of use and security with Opal encryption. Wave's software gives IT all it needs for a quick and painless deployment, minimizing the time to compliance."

15,000 shares just traded at 08:44 for $1.45.

Allscripts is a long time partner of BIO-key and should be part of this contract. I sure hope so.
/////////

HealthCare Partners to Expand Partnership with Allscripts to Transform Enterprise-Wide Integrated Healthcare Delivery

HealthCare Partners Medical group will further deploy Allscripts ambulatory Electronic Health Record and implement patient portal and population health management solutions


CHICAGO, Nov. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthCare Partners, LLC, based in Torrance, Calif., will expand its nationwide partnership with Allscripts (NASDAQ: MDRX) by further deploying the Allscripts Enterprise™ Electronic Health Record (EHR) across its California medical group sites and selecting the FollowMyHealth™ patient portal and the dbMotion population health management solution.

HealthCare Partners, LLC, a subsidiary of DaVita HealthCare Partners, manages and operates medical groups and affiliated physician networks in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, and New Mexico, providing integrated care management for approximately 733,000 managed care patients.

"Our vision is to be the role model for integrated and coordinated care, leading the transformation of the national healthcare delivery system to ensure quality, access, and affordable care for all," said Zan Calhoun, Chief Information Officer of HealthCare Partners, LLC. "Our decision to use the Allscripts Electronic Health Record enterprise-wide in addition to our selection of FollowMyHealth for patient engagement and dbMotion for connectivity, will further enable us to do just that."

Allscripts Enterprise™ is a robust solution for large, multi-specialty practices with some of the most advanced features on the market. FollowMyHealth is a patient engagement solution that combines the incomparable value of a personal health record, the power of an online patient portal and the connectivity and sharing of data that comes within a community of health. FollowMyHealth empowers providers to engage their patients to take a more active role in managing their care. dbMotion is an interoperability platform which enables organizations to compile a longitudinal patient record and deliver next-generation population health management across the enterprise.

"We are pleased that HealthCare Partners has decided to expand its commitment to Allscripts as part of its unwavering focus on patient-centered care," said Paul M. Black, President and Chief Executive Officer of Allscripts. "The combination of our Open Electronic Health Record, patient engagement portal and community interoperability solutions will empower HealthCare Partners to continue as a leader in this evolving healthcare environment and better manage population health for the communities it serves."

BIO-key is listed as a member of the FIDO Alliance. I knew BIO-key said they supported the FIDO Alliance, but this is the first time I've seen them listed as a member.

http://www.fidoalliance.org/members.html

I'm hoping this is related to the InterDigital investment and means it is nearing a new product announcement.

The use of fingerprint biometrics in SIM cards is spreading.

Saudi Call Company, along with a separate unnamed French company are looking to file an integrated study into the use of fingerprint verification for SIM card sales in Saudi Arabia.

The Kenyan government is seeking new regulations and frameworks that will see agents take bio-data of SIM card owners and next-of-kin information, in an effort to streamline mobile phone operations.

Fred Matiangi, cabinet secretary at the Ministry of ICT, said the new regulations would help seal loopholes, which criminals have used in pursuit of illegal activities, especially in the wake of the Westgate attack where the culprits are alleged to have used unregistered SIM cards to communicate.

“The new regulations being developed by officials from the ministry and the Communications Commission of Kenya will capture more data on the SIM card owners such as their Kenya revenue personal identification number, next-of-kin and occupation,” Matiangi said

“We are determined to alter SIM card registration in this country in a radical manner. Unless the government takes control of this situation the country is not going to manage aspects of crime and cybercrime.”

Matiangi said the government would make an announcement on a new framework for SIM card registration soon.
////////

Pakistan government is going to soon require a biometric ID in order to own a mobile phone. The SIM card will be linked to the biometric ID of the owner.
////////

In India they are going to begin by allowing those who have an existing Aadhaar biometric ID card to easily obtain a mobile phone with no delay and no messy paperwork. The plan is that eventually it will be impossible to obtain a mobile connection without an Aadhaar card. India and Pakistan are not the first countries to require the biometric registration of a SIM card.
////////

Nigeria also requires biometric registration of SIM cards. They are also going to a cashless economy and mobile phones are one of the media that will be used for payments. By 2015, biometrics will be required for all purchases in Nigeria.
/////////

BIO-key's contract with Nigeria should be a big help in acquiring other contracts.

Intelligent Decisions Awarded U.S. Army IDIQ Contract Valued at $4.1 Billion.
/////////
Remember this news from July:

Intelligent Decisions (ID), Inc., a premier global IT systems integrator, today announced a new partnership with Wave Systems Corp. (NASDAQ:WAVX), the Trusted Computing Company, to deliver Wave's comprehensive portfolio of innovative solutions for managing data protection, authentication and malware detection directly to ID's government customers.

Together, ID and Wave will address a very complicated problem that government agencies and organizations have faced for years regarding identity and privilege access management - with the added benefits of much lower management costs, greater compliance, and significantly improved security.
///////

Here's more of today's Intelligent Decisions news. Let's hope Wave is included in part of this.
///////

Intelligent Decisions (ID), Inc., a recognized leader in federal IT solutions, announced today that the company was awarded a new U.S. Army contract for the delivery of communications systems, technologies and services. ID was one of two small business set-asides among the twelve awardees. The Communications and Transmission Systems (CTS) contract vehicle is a firm-fixed-price, multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract valued at $4.1 billion over a five-year period of performance.

The CTS contract will cover the full suite of communications including satellite, microwave, fiber optics, Over-The-Horizon, radio, and wireless, and will include all ancillary support services. Additionally, the contract provides an integrated approach that considers the life cycle of any given communications and/or transmissions system and its relationship with other communications and/or transmissions systems.

Francisco Partners acquiring McKesson Automation. Oct 16, 2013

McKesson uses BIO-key (BKYI) tech in their AcuDose-Rx drug dispensing cabinets.
////////

Francisco Partners, a leading technology-focused private equity firm, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire McKesson Automation, a unit of McKesson Corporation that offers integrated pharmacy automation solutions for hospitals and health systems. McKesson Corporation previously announced its intent to divest this division, which will operate under a new name after the transaction closes. The transaction is expected to close this quarter and is subject to customary closing conditions.

“McKesson Automation is highly regarded in the healthcare industry for its system-wide approach to and deep understanding of the medication delivery process,” said Chris Adams, a principal at Francisco Partners. “We are excited to work closely with the existing leadership team to expand the automation business as a standalone company. We will maintain a close working relationship with McKesson Corporation to ensure that the companies’ collective solutions for hospitals and healthcare providers are complementary and effective.”

“Hospitals today face tremendous challenges – from intensifying payment and cost pressures to evolving regulatory standards, changing demographics, and quality of care measures,” said Kraig McEwen, president of McKesson Automation. “At McKesson Automation, we are developing technology solutions that help hospitals and health systems effectively manage these changes while improving patient care and outcomes. As a standalone company and with the financial and operational resources that Francisco Partners offers, we will have the ability to further our commitment to continuously advance medication delivery.”

Located in Pittsburgh, McKesson Automation helps hospitals and health systems streamline the delivery of medications – from the distribution source to the patient – shifting focus from manual, time-consuming tasks to patient care activities that impact outcomes and reduce costs. The business offers a range of products addressing every stage of medication delivery within a hospital, including pharmacy, nursing and surgical services.

Francisco Partners was advised by Robert W. Baird and Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Francisco Partners

Francisco Partners is a global private equity firm that specializes in investments in technology companies. Since its launch over a decade ago, FP has raised approximately $7 billion and invested in more than 100 technology companies, making it one of the most active investors in the industry. The firm invests in transaction values ranging from $50 million to over $2 billion, where the firm's deep sub-sector knowledge and operational expertise can help a company realize its full potential. For further information, please visit: www.franciscopartners.com.

Interesting InterDigital news release mentioning BIO-key. The partnership with BIO-key was first announced in February.

WILMINGTON, Del., May 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InterDigital, Inc. (Nasdaq:IDCC), a wireless research and development company, today announced that Todd Simpson has joined the company as Executive Vice President of Innovation Partners. In this role, Simpson will lead an expansion of the company's technology development capabilities through acquisitions, investments and partnerships with leading technology firms, inventors, universities and research organizations worldwide. Simpson will also be responsible for establishing and leading the company's planned Silicon Valley office, which will drive this initiative.

Simpson brings a wide range of experience and expertise to InterDigital after holding executive positions with several technology companies. Most recently, Simpson served as the Chief of Innovation for Mozilla where he created and led innovation efforts for the company, including leading Mozilla's Identity, Web Applications, Labs, Services and IT groups.

Innovation Partners is a newly formed organization established to capitalize on opportunities to expand and diversify the company's technology sourcing capabilities in response to fundamental changes in the mobile and wireless ecosystem. The concept is based upon the creation of collaborative partnerships to drive disruptive innovation by combining and leveraging expertise and capital in a manner that is beneficial to partners and customers.

For example, InterDigital recently announced an investment and R&D collaboration with BIO-key International to target advanced cloud security, identity and access management solutions for the mobile market. Through this partnership, InterDigital will integrate its security technology with BIO-key's state-of-the-art fingerprint biometric authentication solutions to create product offerings for the mobile market.

"The mobile ecosystem is evolving rapidly, and Innovation Partners reflects our commitment to adapt and grow quickly and efficiently by working with leading innovators to create unique and valuable solutions," said Scott McQuilkin, Senior Executive Vice President of Innovation for InterDigital. "Todd's expertise in the development of innovative mobile software products coupled with his impressive track record of leadership, entrepreneurship and value creation make him the ideal choice to build this new organization and establish InterDigital's presence in Silicon Valley, a leading center for mobile innovation."

DigitalPersona acquired Identity Stream.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

DigitalPersona, Inc., a trusted partner for biometric identity verification solutions, today announced the acquisition of Identity Stream, a leading solution provider that leverages biometrics to ensure positive identification of customers and employees in financial institutions. Identity Stream's software solution is currently marketed with Temenos, the banking software company, as T24 Biometrics. The solution has seen growth in emerging markets by providing "one touch" identification for any transaction in the TEMENOS™ T24 core banking system.

This solution allows banks to cost-effectively launch new products, serve customers in emerging markets and decrease time at the teller in branch operations. It identifies customers and employees by scanning their fingerprints and matching that unique identifier with an identity profile stored on a secure server. DigitalPersona plans to enhance the application by integrating it with its industry-leading line of biometric hardware and software for strong authentication. Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, the Company will continue Identity Stream's partnership with Temenos.


Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1518035#ixzz2hK6y6dzv

Some of Synaptics customers:

Synaptics develops human interface solutions for many major consumer electronics companies, such as Acer, Apple Inc., Asus, Dell, Gateway, HP, HTC, Lenovo, LG, Logitech, Nokia, Samsung, Sony, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and several others. The products include touchpads and touchscreens for a variety of devices including notebook PCs, PC peripherals, mobile phones, digital music players, and remote controls.

Synaptic & Samsung news from last month.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – September 10, 2013 – Synaptics Inc. (NASDAQ: SYNA), a leading developer of human interface solutions, today announced that Samsung has selected the industry-leading ClearPad® high-performance capacitive On-Cell touchscreen solution, featuring Synaptics’ patented 3D-touch™ technology, to drive the user interface of its flagship Galaxy Note 3 device.

Synaptics has worked closely with Samsung to develop Air View, based on Synaptics’ proprietary 3D-touch technology, which made its debut in Samsung’s Galaxy S4 smartphone announced in March. The ClearPad display integration solution expands user interface possibilities with proximity, finger hover and air swipe functionality. The ClearPad family’s high Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and trademarked algorithms continue to deliver seamless multitouch performance in the presence of moisture or with gloved fingers. Synaptics answers the growing demand for accurate multiple input options with support for simultaneous pen and finger touch recognition, passive pen tracking and high performance with a stylus as small as 2mm.

Synaptics has agreed to buy Validity Sensors, a company that sells fingerprint ID technology like that found in the new iPhone 5S, for up to $255 million.

San Jose-based Synaptics said it will pay about $92.5 million in stock and cash at the closing, with the rest coming in possible performance payments over a number of years.

Its stock is up about 55 percent on the year and rose modestly on news of the Validity purchase in after-hours trading on Nasdaq.

Synaptics on Wednesday projected revenue for its most recent quarter would be about $220 million. That's in the middle of the range it had forecast but up 73 percent compared to last year.

Synaptics CEO Rick Bergman said his customers, which include the biggest laptop makers in the world, have been pushing him to add fingerprint ID technology for a couple of years.

"We needed to make sure we matched up with the right one," he said. "We are the No. 1 suppliers of touch controllers for laptops and Validity is No. 1 in fingerprint ID."

Validity, led by CEO Rob Baxter, is headquartered not far from Synaptics in San Jose but Bergman said he has no plans to consolidate into the new space he moved into this summer.

The company's technology isn't used in the new iPhone but Validity includes other smartphone and laptop makers among its customers.

Apple has had in-house fingerprint technology since buying Authentec last year, but Bergman said there is plenty of room for business with other smartphone and mobile device makers.

"This is an emerging huge opportunity and we have added the top technology provider in the market with this deal," Bergman said.

Validity raised more than $80 million in venture funding since it was founded in 2000. Its backers include Qualcomm Ventures, Crosslink Capital, Panorama Capital and Telesoft Partners.
///////////

Article by Cromwell Schubarth, Senior Technology Reporter, Silicon Valley Business Journal

This week two events, both with large mobile implications, were responsible for a lot of biometric payment buzz. It started on on Tuesday, with Michael Barrett, president of the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) Alliance, speaking to USA Today, mentioned an interesting tidbit of information: that in six months he (and therefore we) will be able to purchase the newest Android devices which will feature built-in fingerprint biometric sensors. It’s not a surprise that Android is following the example Apple set with Touch ID, but with nothing but speculation prior to this interview, the fact that Google is a member of FIDO helps bolster the accuracy of Barrett’s claim.

The very next day USA Today got the scoop on what is arguably even bigger news. Major payment network MasterCard, who is developing a smartphone payment system named MasterPass, will be joining FIDO, and in doing so firmly taking a stance in support of strong authentication.

Biometrics provide payment protection in all transaction methods, not just those enabled by mobile devices. This week brought with it all sorts of endorsements for biometric authentication in terminal-level banking. Lumidigm, for instance, announced that its multi-spectral fingerprint imaging has helped an Argentinian private bank win an award for its biometric pension check verification system.

Morpho (Safran) also had an announcement this week in regards to the financial sector, entered a strategic partnership with the Bank for Investment and Development for Vietnam in order to promote biometrics in digital identity management and banking solutions. Morpho is a very large company, with a number of subsidiaries focused on all ends of biometrics, and as such it didn’t stop with finance this week. MorphoTrust USA achieved Final Operational Capability for the transfer of the TSA’s TWIC program on to Universal Enrollment Services.

Thursday also saw Morpho announcing the launch of it’s new long-range iris solution, Morpho IAD (iris at a distance), a no-contact verification and enrollment device that can capture eye and face biometrics from a distance of one meter. Contactless solutions are perfect for access control situations that might otherwise facilitate the spread of germs, a seasonal concern that faces us as we approach flu season.

Finally, secure documents are entering Belgium courtesy of Gemalto and Zetes, who have entered a partnership to provide advanced ePassports to Belgian citizens. Zetes will be personalizing and distributing the Gemalto-made IDs over the five year term of the contract.

The biometric payment news won’t end with this week, as in the coming days Las Vegas will be playing host to Money 2020, an annual conference in support of Emerging Payment and Financial Services. Be sure to stay tuned to findBIOMETRICS and our sister site Mobile ID World to stay up to date on the happenings in the city of Sin.

October 5, 2013 – by Peter B. Counter

http://findbiometrics.com/eta-for-android-smartphone-fingerprints-biometric-payment-protection-and-mastercard-to-join-fido-industry-news-roundup-sept-30-oct-4/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=eta-for-android-smartphone-fingerprints-biometric-payment-protection-and-mastercard-to-join-fido-industry-news-roundup-sept-30-oct-4&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter