Comdex Is Stage For Key Tronic

Key Tronic Corp. unveiled its prototype fingerprint scanning recognition device at the Fall COMDEX show in Las Vegas on Monday.

The Spokane-based company also displayed its universal serial bus products at COMDEX, the international computer industry’s premier trade show.

Key Tronic developed its prototype finger-image scanning devices in cooperation with The National Registry Inc.

The scanners will be integrated into keyboards or offered as stand-alone units.

They would allow computer access by fingerprint recognition, eliminating the need for passwords on computers, or PIN numbers at automatic teller stations.

Until now, finger-image scanning devices for security were limited to government and military applications due to high prices, said Craig Gates, Key Tronic’s general manager of new business development.

But the combination of Key Tronic hardware and NRI software, expected to be priced below $600 when they go on the market, “should enable corporations to enhance the security of every desktop PC connected to its network or corporate intranet,” Gates said.

“For example, banks could install finger-image ID at every customer service workstation, hospitals could secure every PC that can access patient health care records, and so on,” he said.

Key Tronic’s KT2000 USB keyboard was developed in partnership with Intel Corp.

The keyboard’s universal serial bus provides a single connection point for all PC peripherals. Currently, peripherals such as keyboards, mouses, scanners, phone connections and card readers plug into individual ports on the back of a personal computer.

The USB also allows users to attach or unplug devices like keyboards and joysticks while their PC is running, rather than shutting down and rebooting the computer.

Key Tronic is the world’s largest independent producer of keyboards and also manufactures PC peripherals for a number of leading original equipment manufacturers in the computer industry.

, DataTimes