Merrion Vaults Switches From Fingerprint Security to Iris ID Tech

A new partnership announcement has revealed that Ireland-based Merrion Vaults will be using Iris ID‘s iris recognition technology to replace the biometric fingerprint sensors already featured on its products.

A provider and operator of private safe deposit boxes like those found in banks, Merrion Vaults has operations in Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh), England (Nottingham, Liverpool, and Newcastle), as well as in its home base of Dublin, Ireland.

According to Seamus Fahy, Director, Merrion Vaults, the move to switch the modality of biometric authentication on the boxes from fingerprint-based to a contactless one like iris recognition is a direct response to new challenges and concerns brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

“The initial customer reaction to the Iris ID readers has been excellent; the customers love it,” said Fahy. “It’s a simple, easy process for them to swipe an access card and then look into the reader with nothing to touch. The entire process takes a few seconds to complete.”

Fahy also pointed to other reasons the switch away from fingerprint sensors will benefit Merrion Vaults’ customers.

“Using the fingerprint reader, customers would forget which finger they registered with or would press too hard or too lightly on the reader. If they couldn’t get access, we’d have to check their names and passwords and then re-register them. It was a hassle.”

The addition of the Iris ID readers is part of a Merrion Vaults security plan that also includes the use of video surveillance (monitored by employees at each facility along with the main control room at the Dublin HQ), turnstiles, intrusion alarms, panic buttons, as well as water and seismic sensors, all with the aim of ensuring the safety of its customers’ boxes and the belongings contained within them.

“The accuracy, speed and convenience of the Iris ID system are critical for a business that identifies its customers using biometrics,” said Mohammed Murad, vice president, Iris ID. “Our system also provides another critical layer of security, ensuring only Merrion customers gain access to the vault. No two people, including identical twins, have the same iris patterns.”

The readers being used by Merrion Vaults are Iris ID’s iCAM7s system, which has a mirror interface and color-align indicators to help guide customers through the authentication process. The iCAM7s sensors are able to capture an individual’s iris image from as far as 15 inches away.

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April 22, 2021 – by Tony Bitzionis