A private library and museum in a New York hospital uses biometric access control.
This part of the New York Weill Cornell Medical Center is so secure it is only accessible to a dozen people. The HandKey II reader is used, made by IR Recognition Systems, the biometric component of Ingersoll-Rand?s (IR) Security & Safety Group?s Electronic Access Control Division The reader authenticates the doctors, support staff and museum manager by the shapes and sizes of their hands, not their keys, cards or codes.
What they say
Ben Scaglione, director of security at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, says: ?It was imperative that access be secured because of the value of our library and the museum?s contents,? It is part of New York Presbyterian Hospital, one of the biggest university hospitals in the world. ?People come from all over the world to review and look at the books and artifacts located here. We were introduced to the HandKey II by our sister organisation. They?re using approximately 100 IR Recognition Systems HandPunch units for time and attendance and, from them, we learned that hand geometry is effective for both large and small applications.? According to Scaglione, New York Weill Cornell has a magnetic stripe system for the rest of the facility. Magnetic stripe is used on the perimeter and in high-risk areas such as pharmacies, the emergency room and some offices. Nurseries are also accessed via card swipes. The HandKey II is placed outside the doors of the museum on the 12th floor of the complex? main building. Instead of verifying a card or code, the HandKey reader verifies the person who is at the entrance. The exclusive users simply enter their unique ID numbers on the HandKey?s keypad and present their hands to gain entry. Scaglione adds: ?The HandKey has had an excellent acceptance. Only having to remember the PIN and presenting their hand is easy, reliable, fast and effective. We look forward to expanding our use of hand geometry into other areas. A high priority for us is securing our utilities with this biometric. We will fund it with a FEMA grant slated for security improvements made available as a result of 9-11.? Vist www.irco.com
