Solving the problem of sending digital signatures over the Internet.

Solving the problem of sending digital signatures over the Internet is crucial for the development of banking technology. The Compaq Fingerprint Identification Technology, is aimed at "organisations with a high interest in security, such as financial institutions (banks, brokerages etc)." The product is compatible with Windows 95, 98 and NT. Retailing at £100 per unit, the product features a box which simply plugs into the PC or laptop. The user then presses a finger on the box to record their fingerprint. What the software records is a digital representation of the fingerprint. A tiny camera in the Fingerprint Identification Reader captures an image of a fingerprint and uses algorithms to convert the image into a unique "map" of the fingerprint_s minutiae points. The Fingerprint Identification reader easily connects to the parallel port and either the mouse or keyboard port via a power pass-through cable. A USB port connection is also available. The Fingerprint Identification Reader can be kept on the desktop as a standalone device or used with a portable PC.