IDMATRIXX IDSERVER

Product Details

This Product Review is in the following Category:
Authentication, Access Control, ID Management

This Product Review is in the following Sub-category:
Biometrics

	Version:
	Vendor:	IDMatrixx
	Price:	£2,500
	Date:	1-Oct-07
	Author:	Peter Stephenson

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When we received the reader and took it out of the box, we noticed it had not only a fingerprint scanner but also a keypad and a card slot as well. The product brings together biometrics and other authentication methods in one device. This interesting approach allows for implementation of strong authentication service.

This was not a simple install. The IDServer requires its own database running in SQL Server, so management is not done through a Java-based web interface rather than Active Directory. Once we created the database and configured it, we went on to installing the server. We found it a time-consuming process of launching installers and extracting files.

At the end of the installation, there were still configuration steps via the web interface and then we had to install the client. After all that, the enrollment process was easy and straightforward, but getting there was a bit tricky.

Even though this solution does not integrate with Active Directory, there is no reason to rule it out quite yet. We found this tool to be quite powerful, with so much flexibility that it is reasonable that it would require its own database. Administration is fairly simple, and the web interface is quite intuitive. We found the IDServer's overall performance to be good.

This product is supplied with two manuals. The first is the installation guide, the other contains the configuration instructions for initial configuration after installation and the Search Subsystem software. We found this documentation to be well organised and easy to read.

The vendor offers maintenance and upgrades included in a 20 per cent annual maintenance cost package. We were not provided with any more information than that, and there is no support area on the website.

This product, while quite flexible, comes with a high cost. The system costs £2,500, and the vendor was not clear on what is included in the price. However, there is administration overhead as well and it does require its own SQL database. As a result, we find that IDMatrixx IDServer represents slightly less than average value for money.

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