Iris ID biometric system selected by UAE retailer for time and attendance

Cranbury, N.J., USA – Aug. 8, 2016 – Iris ID, a leading provider of iris biometric technology, today announced its IrisAccess® iCAM7000 identity authentication system has been installed for employee time and attendance at all Sharjah Co-Operative Society retail stores in the United Arab Emirates.

The retailer operates 26 stores with more than 3,000 employees throughout Sharjah, a UAE state, and the capital city of the same name. The outlets offer goods ranging from electronics to groceries. Iris ID systems in each store are connected to the payroll system at company headquarters, providing accurate reports of time worked, overtime and work absences.

Sharjah Co-Operative Society previously used a fingerprint time-and-attendance system, but grew dissatisfied with a high false rejection rate. Henna hand tattoos, favored by many female store employees, proved problematic for the system. Iris ID’s non-contact solution provides highly accurate identification using the iris, the colored part of the eye, to authenticate employees. The system automatically accommodates for employees wearing glasses or contact lenses.

The iCAM7000 also offers unmatched speed. Following enrollment, employees require about a second to check in or out of work daily. Mohammed Murad, vice president, global sales and business development, for Iris ID, said the iris-based identity authentication system has brought the stores’ employee rejection rate to virtually zero.

“Studies have shown even the smallest error in employee payroll can create significant added operating costs for any organization,” he said. “The Iris ID system also eliminates fraudulent time-reporting practices, including ‘buddy punching’ in which an employee clocks in or out for a friend.”

Murad said recent reductions in both product and deployment costs have made iris-enabled time and attendance a practical investment for organizations of almost any size.