Acknowledgments

To get a book to market takes many people doing different things. First and foremost, you need an editor with a vision of what is taking place in the computing industry to see the need to address a new area of technology or innovation. Prentice Hall is a company that has a very good editor in Mary Franz. She showed me that I had the knowledge, the understanding, and the passion to write such a book. On behalf of myself and my family, I thank Mary for all she has done.

I also thank Noreen Regina for keeping my chapters organized and my reviewers' comments in order.

To bring a book to market, it needs to be reviewed. I have been privileged to have Warwick Ford, Manfred Bromba, and Salil Prabhakar review this book for me. It was their comments and suggestions that improved the book immensely. Thank you to everyone for helping me.

Over the years, I have learned that the first step in learning is to understand what gaps there are in your knowledge. By identifying these gaps, you can look for people and resources to help you fill in the gaps. I have been very fortunate over the years to have been surrounded by a large number of people willing to help enhance my learning process.

In particular, I need to thank Larry Hamid and Bob Hillhouse for their time and patience in explaining to me the inner workings of biometrics and smart cards. Without their initial patience and willingness to share their knowledge, I would never have been able to start down this technology path . Thanks, Larry and Bob!

Thanks also to Steve Borza and Gino Vechio for taking the time to fill in my knowledge gaps on integrated circuits, optics, and the manufacturing process. Their many years of experience and hands-on teaching gave me the knowledge I was missing. Thanks, Steve and Gino!

In understanding an industry, it is also important to understand how that industry functions. Thanks go to Simon Morgan and Scott Ashdown for providing an overview of how the biometric industry works, and also thanks to Scott for a good history lesson on the biometric industry itself. Thanks, "Old Man" and Scott!

To enter into a new technology field takes foresight and a belief that the technology has value and purpose. A thank you goes to Wally Rouche of Dew Engineering for having the vision and belief in the technology to start the American Biometric Company. Thank you, Wally.

To reach a point in one's career to have the confidence and knowledge to learn new technologies and then share them with others requires having the right mentors. I have been blessed in my life to have had four of the finest.

Growing up, my father always encouraged me to learn and explore. With support from my mother as well, I continued my exploration and learning of computers. It was this early experience that created my desire to learn new technologies and gave me the confidence to master them. Mom and Dad, thanks!

The second mentor I had was John Jed. He taught me that the best way to learn was by doing. He also provided the balance between technology and rest of the world. He taught me that the most important things in life come down to "Good friends , good food, and good times." Thanks, John!

I was also lucky enough to find, during one of my earliest jobs a, seasoned veteran of the computer industry named Pierre Kerr. "PK," as we called him, had been around computers since the early days of time-sharing and punch cards. It was while I was working with Pierre that he taught me that many of the "leading-edge" technologies today had their bases in previous technologies or industries. It was this understanding that taught me that simply because something is old, it does not mean it is not worth learning or understanding. Thanks, PK!

The current mentor in my life is Marshall Sangster. Marshall, for the past eight years, has shepherded me and my career. Marshall imparted to me the knowledge of how to tie technology to business. He taught me a very important lesson about losing. I always believed that losing was through lack of effort. Marshall believed that if you were not losing occasionally, you were not trying hard enough! Thank you, Marshall!

Even with the great fortune I have had with mentors, I would still not be anywhere if it was not for my wife, Stephanie. When we were married, she did not expect to have a husband who would need to travel to all parts of the world at a moment's notice or be on the phone all hours of the day and night. Through all the time I was away ”the late nights at work, the weekends in front of a computer, the missed birthdays and anniversaries ”she never complained. It was her never-ending support and love that allowed me to do the things I needed to do, to grow in my career and knowledge in this field. Stephanie and our children, Nicholas, Katherine, and Gregory, have given me the support and love I needed to get this book done. Thanks to them, the book has been completed.