silex Technology has added SecurePrint to its biometrics product line. This addition further strengthens silex's security measures that provide enterprise a way to secure complete data and physical access environments. SecurePrint will likely interest healthcare facilities and government agencies of all sizes because of its 'for my eyes only' secure printing.

With SecurePrint documents can be sent to networked printers without the security concerns that arise when networks are shared by workers. "Typically," silex notes, "where a printer is shared, once the print command is activated, it becomes a race to the printer to make sure unauthorized eyes do not view the document."

SecurePrint allows an individual to send a document to a printer. The printer, however, will not print the job until the user places their pre-enrolled finger on the fingerprint reader at the printer. Once this is done, all the users' queued documents print out creating the "For my eyes only" privacy that workers, managers and executives need when utilizing a network printer.

"Privacy and security of business documents and records is a top-priority among businesses today, emphasized even more by HIPPA and The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, designed to control access to sensitive information," said David Smith, president of silex. "SecurePrint ensures that confidential and secure documents are viewed only by those authorized to do so when they emerge from the printer."

Users are added to the system by installing the software on each computer and enrolling their fingerprint. During the first enrollment, the software applies the silex algorithm to create a unique pattern of data points taken from the fingerprint of the person touching the reader. The pattern is called minutiae. When the user touches the reader at the printer, the newly created minutiae are compared to confirm authentication of the user, then releases the queued documents to the printer.

If an extra level of security is required, any of silex's fingerprint readers can also be used at each individual computer requiring that a user touch the fingerprint reader at the computer before sending a document to the printer and again at the printer location to release the document for printing.

silex's roadmap for SecurePrint includes a dedicated, drop in, appliance server to independently manage enrollment, spooling and the individual's minutiae data allowing for centralized security control and access by IT professionals. SecurePrint includes silex's FUS-200N fingerprint reader; the SX-5000U2 four-port USB device-to-device server that can be used to connect one FUS-200N fingerprint reader and up to three USB printers together; and, SX-SecurePrint software.

silex's security provisions have started attracting attention. silex was nominated for both the Best Government Solution and Best Government Vendor award during its first showing at the Government Solution Summit in Bonita Springs, Florida in December, 2004. The company debuted its SecurePrint solution to government technology system integrators there.