MCS Software deploys Fujitsu biometric palm vein solution

FOOTHILL RANCH, USA: Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc., a leading provider of IT-based business solutions, including advanced technology products, biometric security, and digital media solutions, and MCS Software, a leading provider of completely functional and user-friendly software for the school food service environment, announced that Pinellas County School District (Florida) is deploying the Fujitsu PalmSecure palm vein authentication solution.

The PalmSecure technology has been integrated into the existing MCS Software’s Point-of-Sale system to provide a more reliable, hygienic, accurate, and secure authentication solution that is also easier to use and maintain.

The fully integrated solution combines PalmSecure biometric technology and the MCS POS system to provide enhanced security without student PINs or fingerprint scanners and replaces them with a user-friendly PalmSecure palm vein authentication solution.

MCS integrated the PalmSecure technology into their POS system with the development-friendly Fujitsu PalmSecure Software Development Kit (SDK), reducing the full integration and deployment cycle to less than a month. The ability to rapidly scope, develop and deploy was an important factor in choosing the Fujitsu PalmSecure biometric technology.

“We knew starting out what was expected of us from the Pinellas County School District and the PalmSecure biometric technology gave us the ideal method to not only meet their needs but also on the technical side of integrating with our Point-of-Sale system,” said Jay Meral, chief financial officer, MCS. “Often with projects, expectations can be hard to manage but with PalmSecure technology, we’ve met the expectations and are looking forward to working with the Pinellas County School District on a District-wide roll-out.”

All food service program transactions will be done using PalmSecure biometric technology and the MCS Software POS system. The use of palm vein biometric scanning for food service program transactions has many advantages. For example, a simple palm vein scan rapidly identifies the student, assuring the student's identity thereby reducing waste and impersonation, while providing a level of reliability not found in legacy fingerprint systems which often malfunctioned or simply froze, causing repeated disruptions in the student cafeteria service.

“We examined several biometric systems during our review process and it was evident during our pilot phase that the Fujitsu PalmSecure solution, paired with MCS’s POS application, best met our qualifying criteria,” said Art Dunham, director Food Service Department, Pinellas County Schools. “The primary drivers for us are the students, security and adhering to our budgets. PalmSecure technology and MCS Software addressed our priorities and we are very excited to implement this solution across the district.”

The Fujitsu PalmSecure sensor uses a near-infrared light to capture a student’s palm vein pattern, generating a unique biometric template that is matched against the palm vein patterns of pre-registered users. Unlike other readers, a PalmSecure device does not come into contact with the skin, making it extremely hygienic, non-intrusive and unrestricted by external factors such as skin types and conditions.

“Fujitsu is pleased to have our PalmSecure biometric technology, along with MCS Software, selected by the Pinellas County School District,” said Christer Bergman, VP, Biometric Solution Group, Fujitsu Frontech North America. “Working with MCS Software to deliver the best possible combination of technology, software and services, we are confident that we’ll keep the Pinellas Country School District’s cafeterias humming along, securely and efficiently.”