Major Biometrics Magazine Says NEXT Biometrics CEO Expects Fingerprint Sensor Growth in Smart Card, NEXT-Enabled & IoT Sectors


OSLO, NORWAY--(Marketwired - Feb 5, 2016) - A feature article in FindBiometrics Magazine reported that the CEO of NEXT Biometrics (Oslo Bors: NEXT), the leading provider of high quality lowest-cost fingerprint sensors, expects significant growth in sensor use in the potentially huge Smart Card and Internet of Things (IoT) market sectors in the years ahead.

Tore Etholm-Idsoe, CEO NEXT Biometrics, said, "Smart Cards and IoT will require exquisite fingerprint sensors that meet the highest demands of security, durability, convenience, design and flexibility to provide maximum security and performance for consumers."

In an extensive interview, FindBiometrics, a top publication in the field of biometrics news, Etholm-Idsoe said, "Fingerprint sensors in Smart Cards must meet three major criteria: first, flexible to endure constant bending and use; second, be inexpensive enough for mass applications; and third, be big enough for accurate, safe, secure and convenient use near 100% of the time, which small sensors, such as those in smartphones, don't meet."

He added, "NEXT Biometrics is uniquely well positioned to meet such criteria due to its patented polysilicon technology that enables us to produce excellent and flexible sensors at the lowest-price in the industry."

NEXT Biometrics Group ASA, based in Oslo, Norway, is online at www.NEXTBiometrics.com, publicly-traded on the Bors with ticker symbol "NEXT" and has operations in USA, Europe and Asia.

The NEXT CEO said, "In Smart Card applications, fingerprint sensors need to be inexpensive and as opposed to smartphones and tablets, there can be no way for people to bypass the security by entering a password. The sensor must be the first and final line of defense for security to protect consumers using the cards. NEXT is among brand name players in several industries working on new concepts for these kinds of markets, which offer great opportunity for NEXT." 

FindBiometrics editor Peter O'Neill noted the flex technology being perfected by NEXT and asked Etholm-Idsoe to discuss IoT applications. The NEXT CEO said, "You see it already in a mass market product like the LG SmartWatch, which has a display that is curved at the edges, and that is indeed polysilicon technology. It is produced in a flexible state and then later mounted on a curved rigid shape. We think a lot of new cool devices in the IoT, in smart home context, and maybe even in smart phones going forward would like to have the some kind of shaping of the fingerprint sensor to meet creative design demands and criteria."

He added, "In addition to physical flexibility, NEXT fingerprint sensors also have other major advantages over the rigid sensors of all other fingerprint sensor companies. Apples to apples, when the sensor size and performance is similar, our NEXT fingerprint sensors are unsurpassed in performance and are 70% cheaper, putting us at a strong price advantage to competitors."

"It was proven in the Madrid Report, a large scale third party test initiated by NEXT with results and state-of-the-art methodology fully published. In the study, more than 180,000 fingerprints were collected and same size sensors from three suppliers were blind tested. The study proved that sensor system performance deteriorates fast when sensor size is reduced," he added.

Etholm-Idsoe told FindBiometrics, "At NEXT, the market we think that will be our largest market segment is in what we label as NEXT-Enabled markets; typically small devices, Internet of Things, smart home concepts and the huge smart card markets."

He added, "In these NEXT-Enabled markets and applications the fingerprint sensor needs to be inexpensive and as opposed to smartphones and tablets there is no way for people to enter a password. You simply cannot offer these types of secure applications unless you have a fingerprint sensor that is capable of conveniently serving close to 100% of the targeted market. Brand name players in several industries are working on new concepts and these kinds of markets offer great opportunity for NEXT."

ABOUT NEXT BIOMETRICS:

Enabled by its patented Active Thermal Principle, NEXT offers high quality area fingerprint sensors at a fraction of the prices of comparable competitors. A wide range of product formats including Smartphones, Tablets, PC's, Doors, Time registration systems, Payment terminals, Flashdrives, USB-tokens, Key fobs and many more are targeted. NEXT Biometrics Group ASA, online at www.NEXTbiometrics.com, is a publicly-listed company headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with sales, support and development subsidiaries in Seattle, Silicon Valley, Prague, Taipei and Shanghai. Media and Investor contacts for NEXT Biometrics: Tore Etholm-Idsøe, CEO, Tore.Idsoe@NEXTbiometrics.com and Knut Stalen, CFO, Knut.Stalen@NEXTbiometrics.com

Contact Information:

Contact:
Brian Dobson
DobsonPR.com

203-613-2222

Tore Etholm-Idsoe, CEO of NEXT Biometrics, holding a NEXT flexible sensor. He says NEXT sensors meet ISO standard for Smart Cards. NEXT Biometrics sees opportunity in “NEXT-Enabled” products for small devices, Internet of Things, smart home and smart card market where fingerprint sensors need to be inexpensive and avoid passwords to conveniently serve near 100% of a market.