BioLink, a developer of fingerprint biometrics, has been awarded Microsoft Certified Partner status. This is due to all of BioLink’s products running on Microsoft’s operating systems, including Vista.

Additionally, BioTime, a BioLink product that serves as a biometric time, attendance and access control solution, is built on Microsoft’s .Net framework and uses a Microsoft SQL server to store data. The Microsoft Partner status offers BioLink multiple resources and tools to further promote their products.

L-1 Identity Solutions, a biometric solutions provider, has received a $4.9 million order for their Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment. The company would not say which agency made the order.

The new devices are intended to be used as a means of identifying individuals via iris finger and face biometrics in a mobile situation. The devices are intended for use by security, law enforcement, and military troops and over 7,500 of the devices are in use in areas around the world.

Identica, a developer of biometric solutions, has developed a system that scans for information beneath the skin, according to a TMCnet article. The new system claims to be superior to the fingerprint scanners specifically when used in conjunction with labor related professions.

In the past researchers had to capture and tag an animal to track its movement and habits, however, with the possibilities of a new biometric solution, the animals may never have to be tagged again, according to a BBC News article.

The new solution, currently being implemented on tracking a large group of African penguins, involves using stationary cameras in high traffic areas to track individual animals by unique markings; in the penguin’s case black spots on their white bellies.

Ceelox, a biometrics developer, announced a new plan called the Channel Sales Partner program intended to increase sales and profit margins both for itself and its partners.

The new program is based heavily around pushing the first six months of a customer relationship as being the most crucial by cutting prices by 50% during that time.

Atos Origin and Sagem Securite will implement the issuance of France’s biometric electronic passport, according to a VNU Net article.

The two companies will deploy 5,000 data acquisition and processing systems to 2,350 government offices by next June. The new travel documents will include fingerprints and a photograph that will be stores on a contactless smart card chip on the document. ANTS, France’s national secure credentials agency, is managing the project.

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The State Bank of India is looking to incorporate fingerprint biometrics into their smart cards for account holders, according to a Financial Express article. SBI is looking towards Hewlett Packard to help them provide software to support the new fingerprint readers.

A school in the UK has started using fingerprint scanners to replace cash for students at the cafeteria, according to a This is Cornwall article. This new system has done away with past problems of lost or stolen money as well as issues of embarrassment for students who qualify for the free lunch program by allowing students to simply swipe their finger on a reader to debit an account.

Illinois DMVs are using facial recognition biometrics with their database of driver’s license pictures to help stop driver’s license fraud, according to a Government Technology article. While Illinois was the first to implement this program in 1997, since then roughly 20 other states have created similar programs.

The International Organization for Standardization has created a new standard for the use of biometrics in authenticating consumers in financial transactions, according to a Bank Systems & Technology article.

ISO 19092:2008 details the framework for using biometrics in financial services. It introduces the different types of technologies and issues concerning their application.