2 firms create secure router

Two companies. Three technologies.

People doing the math said Monday that such a combination has led to a first in the technology industry: a super-strong wireless router combined with biometric authentication technology that together beef up security, allowing wireless access only to those who should have it into enterprise networks like those used by hospitals and governments.

"This partnership will actually provide something that ensures the greatest level of security through biometric fingerprint security in a wireless environment," said Dan R. Paxton, chief strategy officer for Bountiful WiFi. "That is going to revolutionize wireless and give opportunities for people who heretofore were afraid of security issues."

The result of the partnership between Bountiful WiFi, based in Woods Cross, and Silex Technology America Inc., based in Salt Lake City, is a fingerprint-based access control system for WiFi local area networks.

Bountiful WiFi is providing the Bountiful Router, which can move a powerful wireless signal a half-mile or more and can penetrate several walls, even those made of concrete.

Silex's contribution to the partnership is its SX-650 network access control device and its S1 fingerprint reader, which uses radio frequency technology to detect a person's identification by reading an inner skin layer.

The combination is designed to thwart unauthorized users from cracking into a network.

Gary Bradt, Silex's vice president for the biometrics division, said governments and hospitals have been afraid to use WiFi technology for their enterprise networks because of security issues. He described the partnership's offering as "very simple" and "very safe."

"We fundamentally believe that this could be in a home or it could be in any federal or state agency," he said.

"This is a first of its kind. There's nothing else like this in the United States today. You have two Utah companies coming together to provide reliability and durability to an everyday common problem in corporate America today, in state and local government offices and federal offices."

David Egbert, president and chief executive officer of Bountiful WiFi, said the partnership should be beneficial to government, education, military, hospitals, large enterprises, small to medium businesses, the small home office and retailers.