The Fingerprint Time Clock

Biometric technology seems to be advancing us into the Star Trek age. Recently admitting the limitations of barcode technologies, Wasp Barcode Technologys put forward a new product, the WaspTime Biometric Time and Attendance system. Designed as a replacement for the old barcode based time clocks, the idea is that if employees' fingers need to be physically present in order to clock in, companies will be able to completely do away with time theft.

The wall mounted fingerprint scanner, which looks something like an elaborate thermostat or security system, works much like a traditional time clock. Employees, upon arriving at work, will place their finger on the reader to clock in. Recognition takes about a second, at which point the machine will beep, and the worker will go on his way. To clock out, he will do the same thing. Since the finger of the employee in question is needed to clock in, the worker will not be able to clock in his late-sleeping buddy as well.

The time clock is then connected to a computer either by a direct USB hookup or an Ethernet connection. Setup, according to PCWorld magazine, takes a bit of doing, and may require the assistance of a techie. Once it is set up, the time clock will report its data to the WaspTime software that comes with the machine. Using this, overseers will be able to track time, as well as all sorts of other statistics, which can be exported to Excel or Intuit's QuickBooks. It should be noted, however, that WaspTime does not compute pay.

This system is not cheap. The unit costs $999 to begin with, and only comes with the ability to recognize the fingers of 50 employees. If you want to add more, that's $100 per every 50 employees. If you want another time clock, say, to put at the exit door or the break room, you can get it for a slightly discounted $750. If you want the capability to track individual workers, that software costs $250.

None of this technology justifies its price, and tech-savvy overseers could easily set up a biometric time clock like this. A fingerprint reader, sold as an accessory for a PC, costs about $100, and, with a little software, could do everything this system could do. However, PCWorld Magazine says that the WaspTime Biometric Time and Attendance System would be a good investment for businesses with more than five employees. Despite its price, it seems to be selling quite well.

It says something about our society that employers are willing to spend that much money on policing their employees. Assuming, as in this case, that a company bought one of these devices for its five employees, that comes out to $200 per each worker, a sum that would go a long way in wages. However, business is business, and the $200 is apparently better spent on enforcement.