BMS UK takes over healthcare biometrics firm

The company, ISL, manufactured Secure-IT and SentriNET, security systems that revolve around using fingerprints for logon and identity verification, but went into liquidation. The new company formed will be called BMS Biometrics Ltd.

Tina Tsoukatos, MD of BMS Biometrics, said: “With over 200 NHS organisations already using this software, we will continue to provide these products with installation and support services."

SentriNET fingerprint logon is in use is the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, Stanmore, Middlesex. It is used in their award-winning Clinical Information on the Move system that allows staff at terminals throughout the hospital to securely access patient records by means of a dongle. When the clinician logs out and moves to another terminal, it brings up the last item they were working on.

Brian Seaton, assistant director for Health Informatics at the RNOH, said of the system: “Speedy, secure access to patient records has long been a problem for NHS staff constantly on the move or off main hospital grounds. Our idea came from going to the pub after work! We realised the system used by bar-staff to log onto any cash register to bring up their last order could be translated to hospital wards and offices."

Tsoukatos said of the SentriNET software: “Using fingerprint authentication for network or application log-on is very attractive because it is so easy for the user and also there is no need to remember lots of different passwords. We have found that where organisations have implemented biometric technology their IT helpdesks markedly reduce their support calls since many are associated with the use of passwords."

BMS Biometrics Ltd is now aiming to expand the business across the healthcare sector and also into other markets across the UK and abroad.