NEC ranks first in NIST fingerprint matching technology benchmark test

*** For immediate use August 21, 2014


Tokyo, August 21, 2014 - NEC Corporation's (NEC; TSE: 6701) fingerprint identification technology has garnered the top place for matching accuracy in the Proprietary Fingerprint Template Test (PFT II), a benchmark test conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to measure performance of fingerprint matching software by utilizing vendor proprietary fingerprint templates (*1).

The test evaluated one-to-one verification matching accuracy against 120,000-subject datasets consisting of a wide range of fingerprint data collected for official uses.

NEC ranked number one in the evaluation test by achieving a 99.47% match rate on average, providing definitive proof of the superiority of NEC's technology. Thanks to the enhanced noise removal algorithm, NEC succeeded in accurately matching even low-quality fingerprints used for the NIST tests, which usually resulted in matching errors when using previous technologies, making highly accurate personal identification a reality.

In recent years, government agencies and enterprises have increasingly required more rigorous verification systems for managing personal-identification operations and preventing leakage of critical information. To address these rigid requirements, security providers around the world depend on personal identification using fingerprints, which are characterized by their uniqueness and permanence, as a highly reliable and useful identification method that is applicable for a wide range of purposes.

"For more than 40 years, NEC has been developing fingerprint identification technologies as one of its key technologies for realizing a safe and secure society and has deployed systems based on these identification technologies in more than 40 countries around the world," said Hiroshi Suzuki, General Manager, 2nd Government and Public Solutions Division,  NEC Corporation.

"The same technology used for these tests has been applied to NEC's Hybrid Finger Identification Products (*2), a solution that combines fingerprint and finger vein identification, to provide even higher accuracy matching in order to further enhance security for government agencies and enterprises."

Going forward, NEC will pursue further improvement of its fingerprint identification technology and contribute to the building of a safe and secure society by promoting the global sales and development of products and services based on advanced biometric technologies.

Notes:

(*1) Results shown from the Proprietary Fingerprint Template Evaluation II (PFT II) do not constitute endorsement of any particular system by the U. S. Government.

(*2) Hybrid Finger Identification Products
http://www.nec.com/en/global/solutions/security/products/hybrid_finger.html

About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company's experience and global resources, NEC's advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.

Based on its Mid-term Management Plan 2015, the NEC Group globally provides "Solutions for Society" that promote the safety, security, efficiency and equality of society. NEC's brand message of "Orchestrating a brighter world" represents the fusion of advanced information and communication technologies and know-how created in coordination with partners and customers all over the world in order to contribute to the betterment of society and realize a brighter and more prosperous future.


NEC is a registered trademark of NEC Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Other product or service marks mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. (C)2014 NEC Corporation.