UC4 Workload Automation Suite is IT process automation and job scheduling software that can be used to integrate and automate enterprise workload.
UC4 Workload Automation Suite is IT process automation software that will integrate and accelerate enterprise workload across your existing IT landscape. We built the UC4 Workload Automation Suite on an enterprise job scheduling platform that you can use to manage, monitor, control and synchronize business applications with IT infrastructure workload. This allows you to create intelligent, automated end-to-end IT processes that span multiple applications and operating systems.
We use proven and certified interfaces to ensure existing investments are fully leveraged and you get full integration with strategic applications and IT system management tools. With dynamic dispatching and management of workload across enterprise servers, you'll see your performance and throughput maximized.
UC4 Workload Automation Suite can drive your business' processing based on calendars, events, dynamic data changes, message queues, database triggers, file arrivals, thresholds, resource availability and more. We know you have other things to do beside managing dependencies and performing housekeeping jobs–that is why we do it for you, automatically.
UC4 solutions enable organizations to become more agile and flexible by removing human interactions and reducing latency through advanced automation of manual tasks–from functional users keying forms input through to IT Operations staff handling a console alert. UC4 Workload Automation Suite is designed to complement managing your business workload at all levels. In fact, it is what we do best.
Modernization and consolidation of existing scheduling tools into UC4 Workload Automation Suite
The automation demand on the data center has grown historically and continues to grow today. Different automation solutions are in place to solve different kinds of problems, e.g. for mainframe/midrange solutions, distributed systems or applications.
There are more reasons why products of other vendors and company specific applications have to be integrated into a common infrastructure: Some 85% of enterprises have two or more job scheduling solutions in place today. With complexity growing, tracking and monitoring of business processes from end to end becomes a cumbersome task.
High maintenance and personnel costs, complex interfaces, a lack of agility and overview can be issues arising from the use of multiple automation tools. The deployment of one solution for all automation demands in your IT and business processing can improve and accelerate monitoring, error analysis, usability, maintenance, updates, migrations, and reporting.
9 Mart 2009 Pazartesi
What UC4 Workload Automation Suite Can Do For Your Business
Socoin Porto Rotondo srl
Azienda leader nell’ intermediazione immobiliare e promozione turistica a Porto Rotondo e per le ville di prestigio in tutta la Costa Smeralda. I 25 anni di esperienza hanno ormai consolidato ed affermato l’ azienda a livello internazionale. Lo staff della Socoin, ha raggiunto da tempo un altissimo grado di professionalità, riuscendo a soddisfare appieno le numerose richieste dei propri clienti.
La società ha la fortuna di svolgere la sua attività in una delle zone più affascinanti del mondo, fra spiagge paradisiache bagnate da un mare color smeraldo ed inebrianti profumi mediterranei. Il Nord Est Sardegna meglio conosciuta come Costa Smeralda, è un angolo magico di questa terra antica, dove cultura millenaria e folklore si fondono mirabilmente con mondanità ed eleganza, in una modernissima concezione di vacanze, grazie ai modernissimi porti turistici, i campi da golf e le varie strutture ricettive e sportive. Oggi Porto Rotondo e Porto Cervo sono luoghi dove gli ospiti vengono coccolati e viziati sia dal lusso che dalla semplice bellezza del territorio.
La tradizione ed il carattere di quest’isola collocano l’ospitalità al primo posto fra i molteplici pregi naturali.
L’esperienza maturata nei 25 anni di attività permette alla Socoin di poter offrire ai propri clienti una consulenza su misura sia per i loro Investimenti in Costa Smeralda (acquisto e gestione di ville e appartamenti) che per le loro vacanze con una grande offerta di dimore in affitto ( anche settimanale per gli appartamenti ) dove è possibile godere la lunghissima (da maggio ad ottobre), profumata, fresca estate della Sardegna.
Affinché le vostre vacanze siano ancora più spensierate e piacevoli, siamo tra le pochissime Agenzie Immobiliari in grado di fornire tutti i servizi, quali cuochi qualificati, colf, domestici, giardinieri, manutentori, per il periodo e le ore di cui avete bisogno.
7 Mart 2009 Cumartesi
precision gantry system
Hercules Series Gantry X-Y stages
Anorad's standard low cost Hercules Series Gantries are designed for economy and performance. Their highly efficient layout provides the best utilization ratio of system X-Y travel to overall gantry footprint.
The Hercules family of gantries are designed to address a multitude of performance requirements for inspection, pick-and-place, assembly or dispensing applications. Taking advantage of economies-of-scale, the Hercules gantry stages are based on a single platform design. Many linear servo motor selections, linear encoder options and several travel lengths allow Anorad to uniquely support a variety of applications with a cost effective solution.
The standard model Hercules gantries feature Anorad's new LC iron core linear motors. These motors are ideally suited to meet the rapid point-to-point motion common in the electronics assembly industry. These high force LC motors, combined with a low mass, ridged webbed X-axis crossbeam, allows high acceleration to help maximize throughput.
Additional design features include cable carriers terminating at a fixed bulkhead connector. This provides for easy integration. Travel limits for both the X and Y axes are adjustable to optimize total work area. A variety of optical encoders with multiple resolutions can be selected based upon application requirements.
The Hercules Gantry is the first of its type to offer a standard modular base plate to reduce total gantry cost in a standard base configuration. This innovative design offers user flexibility with work surface fixturing and interchangeability. The modular base allows the machine builder to utilize the same machine on differently tooled multiple lines.
In addition to all these features, the Hercules Series Gantries can be supplied with many desirable value-added options including Z axis or Theta axis modules, servo drive and control packages, machine frames, enclosures and the complete line of over 500,000 world-class industrial automation products available only from Rockwell Automation.
Product Features
Low-cost modular design
Optional modular base plate offers flexibility with work surface fixturing
XY travels from 250-to-650 mm
High output iron core or zero cogging motors
Dual-motor Y axis options for high-speed precision applications
Compact Footprint maximizes use of production area ,,,alıntı,,,
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4 Mart 2009 Çarşamba
Kadınlara her gün fedâ olsun!..
Zaten her ailede yeterince doğum günü, evlilik yıldönümü var. Bir de Sevgililer Günü, Kadınlar Günü, Anneler Günü, Babalar günü kutlamanın ne âlemi var. Zaten Kadınlar Günü'yle Anneler Günü'nün ne farkı var da, 2 ay arayla hediye avcılığı yapılıyor bir türlü anlayamam. Sanki erkeklerden de anne olurmuş gibi, Kadınlar Günü'ndeki hediye borcunu ödemeden bir de Anneler günü hediyesi derdi çıkıyor. Bir de Sevgililer Günü'nü hesap edersen, 3 ayda 3 hediye. Bir de kadınların ezildiğinden, horlandığından dem vurulup, feminist akımlarca kıyametler koparılır. Hiç aslı yok kadınların mağduriyetinin. Esas mağdur, erkekler. Kadınların yüzde 70'inin ev kadını olduğunu, yani ev dışında başka bir işte çalışmadığını düşünürseniz, bir ailede erkek de hediye alsa, kadın da alsa, çocuklar da alsa, parası erkekten çıkıyor.
Tüm günler kadınlara adanmış. Ayıp olmasın diye bir de Babalar günü uydurmuşlar ya, ne zaman Babalar Günü olduğunu bilenlerin sayısı parmakla sayılacak kadardır ancak.
Laf açılınca Türkiye'nin çoğunluğunun ataerkil aile olduğu söylenir, evde erkeklerin sözünün geçtiğinden yakınılır. Külliyen yalan. Gerçi, eşin, dostun yanında mangalda kül bırakmaz, erkekliğe toz kondurmayız. Hatta hanımlara atfen "Ağzını kulaklarına kadar yırtarım; bir ekmeği bir lokmada yer", "Elim de çok ağır, bir elim kalkarsa 15 gün rapor aldırırım" gibi laflar ederiz. Bunların gerçekle uzaktan yakından ilgisi yok. Gerçek şöyle:
Hanımım ne söylerse, çıkmam onun sözünden
Ne arzu ettiğini, keşfederim gözünden
Saygı gösterip ona, sabah erken kalkarım
Ortalığı süpürüp, sobamızı yakarım
Çayımızı hazırlar, soframızı kurarım
Bu arada uyanır, sultanlar gibi hanım
İbriği tası alır, eline su dökerim
Hizmetimi beğenir, takdir eder şekerim
Evi badana eder, duvarları sıvarım
Elimden her iş gelir, tahtaları ovarım
Sinirliyim, titizim. Terstir biraz damarım
Yırtık sökük gördüm mü, hemen alır yamarım
Sporu çok severim, salıncağı sallarım
Çocuk doğdu doğalı, idmanlıdır kollarım
Biraz müşkül pesendim, her yemeği yiyemem
Gururluyum hanıma, şunu pişir diyemem
Ev işine karışmam, herkes gibi aşırı
Haftada bir yıkarım, biriken çamaşırı
Kimseye boyun eğmem, temizlerim ocağı
Misafir günümüz de, toplarım dört bucağı
Hanıma fincan cezve, getirttim Kahire'den
Kahve pişirmem için, çağırır daireden
Dalar karıştırırsam, şekerliyle sadeyi
Oklavanın altında, veririm ifadeyi...
Durumlar böyle böyleyken, daha da sanki eksik bir yanımız varmış gibi 3 ayda 3 özel günde hediyeler alır, gönül almaya çalışırız. Ne bu erkeklerin çektiği be!..
Yukarıda söylediklerimin hepsi latife, hepsi espri… Kadınlara ne kadar gün adasak azdır. (Bu gerçek valla) Bir çocuğun annesi şöyledir (Kim yazmış bilmiyorum):
Dünyada karşılık beklemeden börek yapan tek insandır...
Karşılıksız sevginin ete kemiğe bürünmüş hâlidir...
Ne kadar üzsen de, 10 dakika sonra seni affeden zarif bir memeli türüdür...
Elleri yağlı bile olsa, saçını okşayan, kucağına yatıran, öpüp koklayan tek varlıktır; meleğin, sütlü olanıdır...
Yarasın diye, muhallebinin içine ciğer katarak çocuğuna yediren bir varlıktır...
Yemek yemeyen çocuğun dikkatini çekmek için elindeki tencere ve tavalarla maymunluk yapan kişidir...
Kafayı, çocuklarıyla bozmuş; göbek bağı kopsa da, yürek bağı asla kopmayan, sevgi dolu fedakâr bir insandır..
Bulaşık, ütü ve başkaca işler yaparken bile çene çalan kendi kendine konuşan; 'Anne, ne dedin?' dediğinizde, 'Sen kendi işine bak; bir de seninle uğraşmayayım' türünden yanıtlar verendir,
Yemek uzmanı, düzen insanı, bilgili, kültürlüdür; her şeyi bilen bir şahsiyettir,
Yavrularını, yol tarafından değil, kaldırım tarafından yürütendir...
Dizi dizi incidir; lâkin, gerektiğinde lâf sokma dalında da birincidir...
Sevgiliden ayrılma haberi verildiğinde, "Amaaan, ben sana daha akıllısını, güzelini/yakışıklısını bulurum" diyebilen komik bir karakterdir...
Dünyanın en güzel kucağına sahip; en güzel kokan, harikulade bir varlıktır...
Olmadık yerlerde "İyi ki doğurmuşum seni!" diyen, evlâtlarını asla ayırmayan, aynı zamanda birbirinden koruyan güç abidesidir...
Evde bir yere uzandığınız an, orada temizlik yapacağı tutandır...
Mutfakta yaşayan; evde, herkesi idare eden bir tür canlı türüdür...
Oğlunun, damat; kızının gelin olduğunu görünce; çocuğu, okuldan mezun olunca; gol atınca, hasta olunca; çocuğu askere gidince, 'Asmalı Konak' seyredince, dolar yükselince;
velhasıl; olduk-olmadık yerde ağlaya(bile)n; bu mesajı okurken duygulanıp, gözleri dolabilen bir duygu çeşmesidir...
Uzakta dursa da, yakın hissedilen; hep istenen, asla vazgeçil(e)meyen, dizinin dibinde olmak istenen; evlâtların varlığını, varlığına armağan edendir...
Velhasıl…
3-5 değil, 365 özel gün feda olsun; eli öpülesi kadınlara.
Tüm kadınların günü kutlu olsun.
Mehmet ATILGAN
Gençlik nereye gidiyor?
Gençlik, toplumun en dinamik kesimidir.
Onun için de, tüm aktivitelere en uygun çağdadırlar.
Daha hareketlidirler, daha heyecanlıdırlar, risk almaya daha yatkındırlar.
Belki zaman zaman duygular, aklın önüne geçer ama; yine de gençlerin idealleri için göze aldıkları, ileriki yaşlara göre çok fazladır. Günü kurtarmak, çıkar endişesi; ideallerinden sonra gelir…
Tabi, genç tanımı da duruma, konuma göre değişir.
50 yaşında birisi ölür; “Çok genç gitti” denir.
34-35 yaşındaki bir futbolcuya “yaşlandı” denir.
40 yaşında doğum yapan bir kadına “Bu yaşta çocuk mu yapılır?” derler.
Fakat, genel olarak 2 yaşına kadar bebek dediklerimize, 15 yaşına kadar çocuk; 30 yaşına kadar genç; 50-55 yaşına kadar orta yaşlı ve sonrasına yaşlı deriz.
Çocukların, gençlerin yaşamları, yetişme tarzları da dönemlere göre değişir.
Bizim çocukluğumuz misketle geçti, şimdiki çocuklar disketle büyüyor.
Bizden önceki ve bizim dönemimizin gençliği ile, şimdiki gençlik arasında da dünya kadar fark var.
Örneğin bizim dönemimizde gençler esas olarak iki büyük gruplaşma içerisindeydi. En büyük grup, sağ olsun, sol olsun; ülke ve toplum için idealleri olan siyasal örgütlenmeler içerisindeydi. Bunun dışında gençler, ya sadece okullarını düşünüp, gelecek için yollarını çizerler, ya da günübirlik eğlence içerisinde lüpken bir yaşam seçerlerdi.
Şimdilerde de iki büyük gruplaşma var ama nitelikler tamamen farklı. Gençler, ya en iyi üniversiteye girmek ve o okulu bitirip en gözde mesleklerde yükselmek için tüm toplumsal kaygılardan uzak kişisel bir kurtuluş yolunu tercih ediyorlar; ya da çete, mafya özentisiyle az emekle rahat bir yaşam elde etme peşinde yasa dışı yollara başvuruyorlar. Bunun dışında mütevazı bir yaşam seçip işinde, gücünde olan genç sayısı hiç de çok sayılmaz. Hele toplumsal kaygı taşıyıp, olumsuzluklara tepki veren, siyasal etkinliklere katılan gençlerin sayısı (Ülkü Ocakları çevresini saymazsak) yok denecek kadar azdır. MHP dışındaki partilere bir bakın; ne CHP’de, ne AKP’de, ne DYP’de ciddi bir gençlik kolları çalışması göremezsiniz.
Oysa, bir ülkenin siyasal sürecinde gençler yoksa, o ülkenin geleceği de yoktur.
60’lı ve 70’li yıllarda gençler iki siyasal örgütlenme içinde olurlardı. Sağcılar MHP’li; solcular çeşitli sol gruplarda yer alırdı. Bu gençlerin yaşları 30’u geçtiğinde MHP’liler AP’ye doğru; solcular da CHP’ye doğru yönelirlerdi… O dönemde, 30 yaşın altında olup da, AP’liyim veya CHP’liyim diyenler yadırganır, “Şimdiden durulmuşsun. Yaşlanınca nereye gideceksin” diye sorulurdu. Şimdilerde gençler bırakın siyasi etkinliklere katılmayı, partilerin, hangi partinin ne ideolojide olduğunu bilmiyor…
Hiç kimse elbette ki 80 öncesindeki kaos günlerini istemez. Ama siyasi örgütlenme içerisinde olan gençlerin ideolojilerle hareket etmesi sonucu, yurt sevgisi, toplumsal sorumluluk da kazanırlardı. Belli bir örgütlenme içerisinde olduklarından hep göz önünde olurlar, dürüst bir kimlik sergilemek zorunda kalırlardı. Kısaca oto denetim vardı. Tek yanlışlık, belli güçlerin provokasyonlarıyla şiddete yönelmeleriydi. Şiddetten uzak, siyasi bilince sahip sorumlu gençlerin bu ülkeye katacakları çok şey var.
En başta belirttiğim gibi, gençler; toplumun en dinamik kesimidir ve enerji doludurlar. Bu enerjinin ülke gelişmesine, toplumun mutluluğuna yönlendirilmesi için siyasi partilere, sivil toplum örgütlerine ve ebeveynlere görev düşüyor… Yoksa sadece kişisel kurtuluş yolunu tercih eden gençler, gelecek için, toplum için büyük kaygılar yaratıyor.
Mehmet ATILGAN
2 Mart 2009 Pazartesi
krediet,bank,finance,Banking,
krediet,bank,finance,Banking,
Avrupa Yatırım Bankası Hakkında
Avrupa Yatırım Bankası 1958 yılında Roma Antlaşması hükümlerine göre kurulmuştur. Merkezi Lüksemburg’da bulunmaktadır. Avrupa Yatırım Bankası, Avrupa Birliği’nin finansman kuruluşu olup, kamu ve özel sektör kuruluşlarına uzun vadeli finansman sağlamak suretiyle Birliğin politik hedeflerinin hayata geçirilmesine yardımcı olmaktadır. Avrupa Yatırım Bankası, kâr amacı gütmeyen bir kurum olup, özellikle kalıcı projelerin finansmanını sağlamaktadır. Banka, Avrupa Birliği’ne üye devletlere ait olup, kurulduğu 1958 yılından bu yana Birliğe üye ve partner ülkelerdeki projelerin desteklenmesi için 540 Milyar Euro’dan fazla finansman sağlamıştır.
Avrupa Yatırım Bankası 1960 yılından itibaren Türkiye’de faaliyetlerini sürdürmektedir. 90’lı yıllardan önce hatta 2000’li yıllara kadar istenilen destekler sağlanamamıştır. Ama başvurular son yıllarda büyük bir artış göstermiştir. Bankanın, AB üyesi olmaya hazırlanan bu ülkeye sağlamış olduğu finansman miktarı 2001–2005 seneleri arasında 3,1 Milyar Euro’ya ulaşmıştır. AYB (EIB) fonlarından faydalanan kamu ve özel sektör mensupları, yabancı yatırımcıların yanı sıra, merkezi ve yerel yönetimler, yerel bankalar ve sanayi kuruluşlarıdır. Ancak bu krediler hakkında büyük bilgi eksikliği söz konusudur. İnsanlar krediye nerden ve nasıl başvuruda bulunacağını bilmiyor. Bu konuda destek alacağı kurumları yine aynı şekilde bilmiyor.
Avrupa Yatırım Bankası, Türkiye’nin Birliğe üye olma sürecindeki gelişimini desteklemek amacıyla faaliyetlerini öncelikli olarak bazı alanlarda yoğunlaştırmaktadır.
— En önemli öncelikler arasında İş sektörü yer almaktadır. Bankanın sunmuş olduğu finansal enstrümanlar yelpazesinin genişletilmesi ve yerel para birimi bazında kredi sağlanması suretiyle yabancı kökenli şirketlerin yanı
sıra özellikle de ulusal özel sektörün teşvik edilmesi amaçlanmaktadır.
— AYB-EIB, kredi desteğini Belediyelere, şehir içi taşımacılık sektörüne, katı atık ve ısıtma hizmetleri ile su tedarik işletmelerine genişletmek suretiyle altyapı sektörünü teşvik etmeye devam etmektedir.
LONDON HOTEL
Cheap London Hotels
Finding cheap London hotels is often a priority for travelers, and the city does offer some excellent options. Travelers looking for cheap London hotels will do best to concentrate on the outskirts of the city, as the more expensive hotels tend to be concentrated in London's west end. Inexpensive London hotels can also be located through travel companies and by booking a travel package that will combine the price of accommodation and airfare. For a comprehensive list of inexpensive London hotels, search online. Be sure to compare online prices with those offered on hotel websites to ensure that you really have found the best deals on the most inexpensive London hotels.
Bed and Breakfast London Hotels
Bed and Breakfast hotels in London are becoming more popular as many Victorian homes in the city are being restored. A Bed and Breakfast offers a feeling of home in a faraway place and can be a great way to start up a conversation with a local owner or fellow travelers from around the world. Though you may have to share a bathroom, some Bed and Breakfasts have en suite water closets; and all will of course serve you breakfast. History enthusiasts will find these restored accommodations charming.
Resorts and Spas
London and the areas surrounding London are full of relaxing resort-and-spa hotels. For travelers interested in luxury accommodation or a little time spent under the hands of a massage therapist, a London spa is a great place to make your vacation stay.
Historic Hotels in London
In a city rife with history, London does have some world-class hotels with stories to tell. The Ritz opened in 1906, and has since become the most famous hotel in London. The Savoy is also one of London's oldest hotels that is still in operation and is housed in an elegant downtown building. The Langham Hotel was the largest in London when it opened in 1865, and the Russel Hotel opened in 1898 and features one of the most stunning exteriors of any current London hotel.
Wherever you plan to make your stay in London, you'll be sure to enjoy at least one of the more then 100,000 hotels that line the city streets. Check online or with a travel agency to find the hotel that best fits your London vacation plans
THE LAST DAYS OF PRIVACY
that is susceptible to prying eyesWithin the next four months, a major Bay Area
supermarket chain plans to introduce a payment system that uses biometric
fingerprint authentication to verify customers' identities. Under this system,
shoppers in checkout lines won't need to use cash, checks, debit cards or credit
cards. Instead, they can place their fingers on scanners that read fingerprints,
and once the device links to their bank or credit card accounts, they can buy
groceries, get cash back and do everything else shoppers do.ImagesView Larger
Images--------------------------------------------------------------------------------More
OpinionClinton first looks east 02.21.09 Terrorism as a crime 02.21.09 Past the
point of no return 02.20.09 The end of a budget battle 02.20.09
<_script><_script>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------[Podcast:
Insight Editor Jim Finefrock and reporter Jonathan Curiel talk about how
Americans might as well face up the fact that there is little privacy left.]The
system is already used in cities around the United States, including Portland,
Ore., and Chicago, where one shopper says it has changed his life for the
better. Linc Thelen, a 37-year-old interior designer, says the fingerprint
system -- known commercially as Pay By Touch -- is convenient to use and
expedites his way through grocery lines at Jewel-Osco, where he shops. Thelen
says the system lets people leave their wallets behind, so they don't have to
worry about being robbed or losing their credit cards."I had no reservation,"
Thelen said in a phone interview. "It's a safe way to store information."But no
system is 100 percent foolproof.Despite the fact that armed men guard the
computers that store the customers' virtual fingerprints, despite the fact that
Bank of America's former security chief now heads Pay By Touch's security
division, and despite the fact that Pay By Touch hires people to try to expose
vulnerabilities in its computer system (so those vulnerabilities can be
eliminated), Pay By Touch President John Morris acknowledges that "it's not
impossible" for computer hackers to figure out how to tamper with its
information.And therein lies one of the 21st century's most vexing problems:
More and more of our personal data are captured and stored by corporate and
government interests, and are potentially available to anyone with the
technological, legal or financial means to access that information.Whether it's
phone calls we make, library books we check out, CDs we buy on the Internet or
divorces we finalize in court, we leave a trail of information that becomes
susceptible to prying eyes. For the price of a bus pass, you can pay a company
to supply anyone's address, phone number, political affiliation, estimated
income and property history. For $20 more, you can find out if that person is
married or divorced, has a criminal record, and what sort of jobs he or she has
worked.Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., says she will introduce a "privacy bill of
rights" because identity theft and security failures of personal records have
become "one of the most important issues facing us as individuals and as a
nation."The availability of personal information -- downloadable onto laptop
computers, which are increasingly being fitted with fingerprint technology -- is
changing the culture in ways that may seem trivial but are really benchmarks for
a new society already in its formative stages.A small example: Unbeknownst to
the men who date her, Judy runs background checks on all of them, using a
private investigator to dig out any "red flags" that would presage troubling
behavior. A businesswoman in Southern California, Judy, 50, uses a company
called DateSmart, whose client base has boomed in the past five years as more
people confront the perils of online dating."I'm glad the information is out
there," says Judy, who did not want her last name used because of concerns her
suitors would read this article. "The men I'm talking to online are complete
strangers. And I have absolutely no knowledge of their character other than what
they're saying in their profiles. I need to feel comfortable knowing that
they're not an ax murderer. The people you meet might be well dressed, but you
never know if they have any criminal history. It's for (my) safety."Background
checks are nothing new. What's changed are the speed with which you can obtain
them, their relatively small price (some companies advertise free checks) and
their growing public acceptance. The information revolution has transformed the
background check into a common and casual tool, and those being scrutinized
probably don't have a clue. More obvious are the security cameras embedded in
nearly every major American city, including New York, Milwaukee, Chicago,
Atlanta, Los Angeles and, yes, San Francisco, where lenses record people's
activities in such crime-ridden neighborhoods as Bayview-Hunters Point and the
Western Addition. The spread of these cameras is championed by authorities, who
say it reduces criminal activity, and criticized by the ACLU, which says the
equipment is an unnecessary intrusion into public spaces.Civil liberties groups
have joined the widespread outcry against the government's monitoring of
Americans' phone-call records. Two weeks ago in federal court, the ACLU
challenged the legal rationale behind the National Security Agency program,
arguing that the NSA's actions -- involving "data mining" of records provided by
AT&T and other telephone companies -- violate Americans' rights to free
speech and privacy as guaranteed under the First and Fourth Amendments. Last
week, privacy experts raised questions about the U.S. government's monitoring of
international bank transfers -- previously secret data surveillance officials
say is justified by the fight against terrorism.Americans' rights to privacy
will be tested even more in the next few years as biometric technology creeps
increasingly into everyday arenas. For example, on the campus of UC San Diego,
biometric experts are testing a soda machine that uses both fingerprint and
face-recognition technology. The machine is in a lounge for grad students in UC
San Diego's computer science building."The students are very excited about
getting it working," Serge Belongie, a UC San Diego associate professor of
computer science, says in a phone interview. "People think it's very cool. ...
No one uses money. They have accounts. What would be fun is if (the machine)
recognizes you and says, 'Would you like your usual?' "If UC San Diego students
are reluctant to use the machine, their privacy concerns are outweighed by
convenience -- a sentiment echoed in survey after survey on biometric
technology. In March, Unisys Corp. released a report on public perception of
"identity management" that said convenience and efficiency were the two biggest
reasons consumers would use biometric technology. (The most preferred biometric
methods are fingerprints and voice recognition, according to the survey. The
least preferred, because of its perceived intrusiveness, is an iris or eye
scan.)Two of the biggest turnoffs for those who shun biometric technology:
suspicion of how the technology works and loss of privacy. Among respondents
from North America, just 56 percent said they'd be willing to share their
fingerprint with a government organization such as a post office or tax
authority. Among respondents from the Asia-Pacific region, 71 percent said
they'd share their fingerprint with the government."As consumer confidence grows
in the large-scale usage of (biometric technology) and standards are more
generally comfortably adopted, you're going to see a pretty rapid migration" to
it, says Mark Cohn, Unisys vice president for homeland security solutions.Cohn,
a principal architect of the Department of Homeland Security's US-VISIT Exit
system, which uses fingerprint technology to run background checks on visa
applicants and verify their entry to and arrival from the United States, says
Malaysia offers a preview of how the United States may change in the coming
years.Since 2001, the Malay government has issued a biometric "multipurpose
card" to Malaysians 12 years and older. The card, which features a thumbprint
and photograph, acts as a passport, driver's license, ATM card, toll and parking
pass, and medical record that lists blood type and any allergies.The card is
convenient to use -- but it's a nightmare for Malaysians who lose it or have it
stolen. Crime syndicates in Malaysia have altered cards with different
photographs and used them to give members new identities, though the Malay
government insists these identity thieves can't access the original cardholders'
personal information. Special chip technology and other password features
prevent this, they say. Also, the cardholder's fingerprint -- rather than being
visible on the card -- is encrypted in the card itself: To reveal the
fingerprint, the card must be inserted into a special biometric device that
compares the encrypted print with that of the person claiming to be the
cardholder.For anyone who has read Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four," where
"telescreens" keep track of people's lives, this new biometric technology will
seem like fiction come to life. It's showing up everywhere. By the end of this
year, U.S. passport agencies hope to issue "electronic passports" with computer
chips that have digital photos of the holders. With the help of face-recognition
machines, airport security can compare a photo with the face of the passport
holder. For two years, an American corporation, VeriChip, has sold
government-approved electronic chips that are inserted under people's skin to
give doctors instant access to patients' medical histories.In 2008, as mandated
by the Real ID Act, states plan to issue driver's licenses linked to a database
that includes each license holder's photo and Social Security number. These
licenses (civil liberties groups call them national identity cards) will likely
include a biometric photo of the driver accessible by authorities.In the
meantime, banks are considering using iris scans and even palm scans at ATMs in
an effort to cut down on fraud. (In 1999, Bank United in Texas adopted iris-scan
technology at three of its ATMs in a test that was discontinued when Washington
Mutual took over the bank.)Some people love the new technology. Others shun
it.Pay By Touch admits it has encountered some resistance among shoppers it
approached in supermarkets that already use the company's fingerprint service.
But Morris, its president, says many of these customers are quickly won over by
the convenience of Pay By Touch, which is free for consumers, and that the
company keeps data points based on users' fingerprints, not actual fingerprints.
So far, supermarkets in 40 states use the Pay By Touch system.Pay By Touch,
which is based in San Francisco, wouldn't say which Bay Area supermarket chain
will start using its fingerprint system in the next four months -- only that the
chain will use the system in just a handful of its Bay Area stores. Pay By Touch
users sign up voluntarily and are under no obligation to use it at the checkout
line.Pay By Touch says it takes great care to safeguard its users' data. After
fingerprints are converted into algorithms, they're encrypted, then stored in
IBM computers. Those algorithms can't be reconverted into an exact copy of the
fingerprint, though Pay By Touch may eventually store users' actual fingerprints
if the technology improves, Morris says. The company insists it will never sell
users' personal information or fingerprints to anyone else -- a pledge that's
backed up in writing when users sign up with the company. But what if federal
authorities, citing national security, insist on the finger scan and payment
history of a Pay By Touch user?Pam Dixon, who heads the World Privacy Forum, a
public research group, went to Chicago to warn potential Pay By Touch users
about possible dangers."It didn't stick," she says. "People were (more)
concerned with (convenience than) the potential risks. People can put their
thumb on a pad and be done with it. But meanwhile, their biometric data is
sitting with another company, a third party, that's subject to subpoena. One
argument that I made: Let's say that every supermarket in the country,
particularly the large chains, (use) a biometric payment system. It's a law
enforcement dream because who needs a biometric database run by the U.S.
government when you've got one being run by private companies?"Citing the recent
disclosure by the Veterans Administration, which said a computer with credit
information on millions of veterans had been stolen, Dixon says, "The second
issue is information security. If the VA can't keep its records secure, which is
a government agency that has all sorts of strict controls that are supposed to
be in place, how on Earth can a private company without the resources of
something like the VA manage to keep something secure? When we have a credit
card stolen, we can call the credit card company and say, 'Give me a new
number.' But you can't do that with your biometric. You can't say, 'Give me a
new fingerprint.' "Morris dismisses such concerns, saying that Pay By Touch will
actually decrease the likelihood that consumers' credit information is stolen or
misappropriated. "I think (Pay By Touch users) get pretty rapidly that it's the
ultimate way to secure their private data," he says. "It connects (their
accounts) to something that's uniquely them, as opposed to handing a credit card
over to a stranger or writing a personal check that seven or eight humans touch
before it gets in their statement. Securing information by a biometric is a
giant leap forward. (Users) like that they don't have to pull their card out
anymore. They (tell us they) like that they don't have to carry their (purses or
wallets) through the parking lot of an urban supermarket. There's a physical
security benefit. Their numbers are never displayed. The safety of securing
their data is the No. 1 thing they like."The marketplace will determine whether
the public is ready to accept commercial fingerprint identification. Investors
in Pay By Touch believe that day is here, capitalizing the company with $190
million in the past 12 months. More than 2.5 million shoppers already use the
Pay By Touch system. Morris envisions a day when all stores -- even mom-and-pop
ones -- offer a Pay By Touch option.Soon, customers will be able to use Pay By
Touch from home with the help of fingerprint readers attached to their
computers. In ancient China, rulers would put their fingerprints on documents to
give them an official seal. Artists would also mark their work with prints. It
wasn't until the late 1800s that authorities realized they could use
fingerprints to catch criminals. Their evolution as a way to pay for groceries
is a 21st century twist fueled by technology. It's also a trade-off between
privacy and convenience. Welcome to the brave new world in Aisle 5.
1 Mart 2009 Pazar
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