Fujitsu’s latest biometric security platform is to be rolled out internationally, following its successful use by Japanese businesses. Palm-vein technology does pretty much what its name suggests - the pattern of veins inside the user’s hand is scanned in order to verify identity. The system has worked well for The Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi, which employed the technology as an alternative to PIN codes in its cash machines.

The technology compares a near-infrared scan result with a previous image of the user’s hand on a database. If the results match, the user’s identity is verified. According to Fujitsu the palm-scan system offers higher security than fingerprint scanning, being over ten times less likely to accept an unauthorised user in error. The James Bond appeal of fingerprint scanning has waned since 2002, when a Japanese scientist demonstrated that fingerprint scanners could be fooled by a gelatin ‘dummy’ finger.

Many fingerprint-scan users complain of a criminal connotation to being fingerprinted in advance. This process is naturally unnecessary for palm-scan technology. The current sticking point in the widespread employment of palm-scan is that of size. The race is now on to shrink the palm-scanner down from its current 7 square-inch area to a size that is compatible with the increasing miniaturisation of mobile phones and handheld PCs.

It is anticipated that palm-scan will available to overseas markets such as the UK and US by the close of 2005. Palm-scan is certainly set to provoke as much debate as iris scanning and the aforementioned fingerprint scan technology. It will be interesting to see if biometric data from palm-scans will form a basis for the government’s planned ID card.