eSuccess to Offer New Biometric Too

After searching years for a new biometric technology, Inroad Technologies is hoping that it struck gold with its latest application.

The company recently inked a licensing agreement with eSuccess, a leading fraud detection company for the gaming industry. Under the agreement eSuccess will distribute and sell Inroad’s Aegis Secure Login worldwide. Aegis is the company’s new Internet security software program that offers a cheap alternative to other high-priced biometric tools.

eSuccess will be able to provide Inroad's customers with Aegis Secure Login either as part of an eSuccess suite of products or as a standalone application.

Aegis Secure Login is designed to sense a user's tendencies and habits when typing in a password (such as how fast the keys are punched, etc.) The software takes in a host of data and information to calculate if the same user is trying to log in or if an outside source has gained access to the password.

Aegis Product Director Anthony Bassett said the program is the best biometric device out there when cost is considered.

"For years we spent a lot of effort and money trying to develop software that would analyze a person’s use of language," he said. "We quickly realized that a project of that magnitude was beyond our capacity and probably beyond the capacity of most personal computers. Aegis requires no add-on or peripheral items installed on the computer."

Granted Aegis may not be as James Bond-like as other biometric software like iris scanners or thumb print devices, but all those require the user to have a device installed on the computer.

The deal with eSuccess is the coming out party for Inroad and Bassett is counting on the deal opening up other doors down the road.

"We are attempting to align ourselves with other sectors," he said. "eSuccess is certainly a leader in fraud detection for the gaming industry, and we are looking at other leading companies in sectors like banking and information technology."

Michael Meeks, President of eSuccess, said the fit with his company and Inroad was a perfect one.

"We will now be able to provide our customers with a means to protect their businesses from unauthorized site entry even if valid usernames and passwords are stolen," he said. "User authentication is a major network security issue and Inroad's Aegis product is a creative and elegant solution to that problem."

In addition to proving its worth to the gaming industry, Inroad also sent a message to the software industry that location isn’t everything. The company is headquartered in Sasakatoon, Saskatchewan, an area not considered to be a hotbed for new technology.

"It certainly isn’t in the same class as Vancouver is in Canada or a host of other cities in the States," Bassett said. "But our operating cost is a lot less up here and we have proven that if you have a good product it will sell itself."

Inroad spent two-plus years on research and testing Aegis. The last six months were spent trying to bring the product to market, according to Bassett.

"There was an excellent synergy between the technology we have developed and what they (eSuccess) have," he said. "They are leaders in intrusion software and our product fit right in with their offerings."

Aegis has been integrated into the eSuccess suite and while Bassett hopes the program will soon penetrate the gaming sector, Inroad continues to seek other options.

"We think the wireless market has a lot of potential for us," he said.

Bassett, in the meantime, is keeping busy making sure the launch of Aegis goes as smoothly as possible.

"We haven’t really had a whole lot of time to work on other products right now," he said. "This is the first product that we have really brought to market, so we are busy making sure that goes off without a hitch."

Once the launch is completed, Bassett said, the company will turn its attention to other projects, but in his mind, Inroad’s role in the gaming industry is set thanks to eSuccess.

"We are quite comfortable with the relationship we have with the gaming industry thanks to eSuccess," he said. "Any technology that can make gaming more secure is a good thing."