Developer contest for Windows 7 biometric applications

UPEK and Microsoft launched the Worldwide Biometric Challenge, a developer contest for biometric applications on Windows 7, the first Windows operating system with native support for fingerprint biometric authentication.

The contest encourages software developers to utilize the Windows Biometric Framework (WBF) to build applications that make use of notebook computers with integrated fingerprint sensors as well as USB peripheral fingerprint readers.

“There are tens of millions of laptops with fingerprint sensors in use. Today the applications running on those notebooks are limited in their ability to access the fingerprint capability,” commented Brian DeGonia, senior manager, product marketing at UPEK, Inc. “Windows 7 will bridge the gap by making it much easier for the large and diverse Microsoft developer community to develop innovative software that utilizes the fingerprint capability in new ways.”

Submissions to the Worldwide Biometric Challenge will be judged for their innovativeness, usefulness, usability and utilization of the WBF. Submissions are due November 9, 2009 and winners will be announced November 16, 2009. The winner and runners-up will receive prizes and have their applications featured on the UPEK website.