Iris ID Biometric System Selected by Merrion Vaults

  • Apr 20, 2021

Ireland-based facilities use iris recognition for identity authentication and security

Merrion Vaults, an Ireland-based provider of safe deposit boxes, has selected biometric identity verification technology from Iris ID. Merrion Vaults rents safe deposit boxes like those found at banks, but with a significant difference, customers’ identities are authenticated through highly accurate iris readers to enhance security.

Merrion Vaults operates private safe deposit boxes in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland; Nottingham, Liverpool and Newcastle, England; and Dublin, Ireland. Seamus Fahy, director, Merrion Vaults, said the iris readers are replacing fingerprint recognition systems for authenticating customer identity.

Fahy said the choice of contactless iris readers was well timed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The initial customer reaction to the Iris ID readers has been excellent; the customers love it,” he said. “It is 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. 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.”

Fahy said the Iris ID readers are part of a tight security plan that includes video surveillance, access control, turnstiles, intrusion alarms and panic buttons, as well as seismic and water sensors. Employees monitor cameras at each facility and in a systemwide control room in Dublin.

Mohammed Murad, vice president, Iris ID, said the iris recognition system allows rapid and highly accurate authentication of Merrion Vaults customers due to each person’s unique iris patterns.

“The accuracy, speed and convenience of the Iris ID system are critical for a business that identifies its customers using biometrics,” Murad said. “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 Iris iCAM7S system readers provide a mirror interface with color-alignment indicators guiding customers through the authentication process, while capturing iris images at distances of up to 15 inches.

Fahy said many banks in the U.K. are discontinuing safe deposit box service, creating an opportunity for private vendors to fill the gap. He said Merrion Vaults plans to open new facilities in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Reading and Bristol, England and Barcelona, Spain in 2021. Longer-term plans include locations in cities across the United States.

Featured

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.