July 7, 2005

By Robyn Jones

EAST MANATEE -- Darla Cook doesn't need a key to open locked doors at her husband's business.

Instead, she relies on a high-tech security device that scans her fingerprint and identifies her. Cook simply swipes her finger across a scanner and the doors open; people whose fingerprints aren't approved can't get in.

The security system is programmed with a device sold by eKeyUSA Systems, an East Manatee company. Pat Cook Construction in Bradenton was eKey's first customer.

"It's just super cool," Darla Cook said. "I feel very high-tech."

In January, eKeyUSA owners Hassan and Donna Hares established the company, which now distributes products throughout North America for eKey Biometric Systems, an Austrian company. Next month at an Orlando trade show, the couple will unveil a new device that allows remote programming of the security system.

The devices, sold to homeowners and businesses, use biometric technology that identifies people through biological traits like fingerprints or retinas.

"Everybody thinks it's like CSI or something like that," said Donna Hares, vice president.

But the technology is becoming more common. And it's simple to use, said company president Hassan Hares, who has it installed at his Creekwood home.

The device can track who's coming and going, and at what hour. For instance, when homeowners go on vacation, they can set the service to allow certain people in at certain times. It also will prove visits were made, like by a maid, pool cleaner or pet sitter.

Convenience is the main advantage of this technology, said Philip Youn of International Biometric Group, a consulting firm for the industry.

People don't need to carry keys or make copies of them. They don't have to worry about who has a key to their home or business. And businesses don't need to change locks when an employee is fired. They just erase the person from the system, the owners said.

In these ways, the investment will pay for itself, Hassan Hares said. Prices start at about $700, not including installation.

The cost for these types of products will continue to drop as processes improve, Youn said.

Darla Cook said fingerprint technology is not a catch-all security solution. A determined person could still break in through a window, she said.

But, "it's definitely safer than having keys," Youn said.

There are some flaws: a small percentage of people's fingerprints just can't be read, and people with burns or any damage on their fingerprints can also have trouble, Youn said. People with rough hands or who put on hand cream not long before touching the device could also have problems, according to Vnunet.com, a technology Web site.

Still, the Hareses believe the system will catch on.

Cook already has ordered an upgraded system for a model home the construction company is building on Riverview Boulevard.

"Everybody we talk to that sees it, wants it," Darla Cook said.