Palm-Scanning: Amazon wants offices to use its palm-scanning technology for employees

After introducing it in select grocery store, Amazon is bringing its palm-scanning technology to offices According to a report by CNBC, the tech giant wants o replace traditional security measures like key cards and passwords with a contactless, touch-free system that allows employees to enter offices or access sensitive data with a simple swipe of their hand.
“Businesses appreciate the privacy and convenience for their users, who can access physical locations and software assets with just a hover of their palm,” said Dilip Kumar, a vice president who oversees Amazon Web Services Applications, in a statement to CNBC.

What is Amazon One?

According to the company, Amazon One is a fast, convenient, and contactless experience that enables customers to leave their wallets (and even their phones) at home. That was when it was meant for making payments where users could instead use the palm of their hand for everyday activities like paying at a store, presenting a loyalty card, verifying their age, or entering a venue.
Amazon One is a small device — a type of scanner that uses infrared light — “to recognise the unique lines, grooves, and ridges on your palm, and the pulsating network of veins just under the skin,” describes Amazon. The system uses this information to create your palm signature, or a unique numerical vector representation, and connects it to your credit card or your Amazon account.
Amazon One Enterprise is a similar solution but meant for organisations. The service, as per the report, has generated interest from IHG Hotels and Resorts, turnstile manufacturer Boon Edam, and escalator and elevator provider Kone, among others.The service is available in the US as of now under preview for organisations. Amazon hasn’t revealed how much it plans to charge organisations to use the service.
There might be security concerns over the new technology but Amazon says that it is completely private. “Amazon One was designed to protect customer privacy—the system operates beyond the normal light spectrum and cannot accurately perceive gender or skin tone. Amazon One also does not use palm information to identify a person, only to match a unique identity with a payment instrument,” said the company.