IN THE PIPELINE: Xerox Sees A Way To Make Its Glossmark
Counterfeiters beware. Illegally reproducing documents could become harder to do if Xerox Corp. (XRX) has a say.
Three scientists in the company's Webster, N.Y., research lab recently discovered a way to use laser printers to imprint hologram-like images on documents. The images appear when light hits the paper at certain angles.
Called Glossmark, Xerox says the marks are difficult to reproduce with a copier, scanner or camera, which can capture images only in a one-dimensional manner.
"Because it takes precise control over the printing, it's not something easily duplicated," said Rob Rolleston , manager of the imaging research ideas and solutions lab at Xerox.
While there are many technologies available to authenticate documents, like holograms and water marks, Glossmark is different because it can be incorporated into standard laser printers.
"It's unique because it can be built into all kinds of printing devices," said Bryan Corrigan, principal at Corrigan & Associates, a digital document consulting company in Framingham, Mass. "It wouldn't be impossible for Xerox over a period of five years to embed it in printers that are as fast as 200 pages a minute and as slow as 20 pages."
To protect documents today, companies typically have custom paper made or do spot varnishing, which is putting a separate gloss-like ink on the paper. While the technologies work well for firms like banks that deal with high volumes, it could be costly for smaller shops that don't send out millions of checks a year. But Glossmark could affordably put that kind of protection into the hands of small businesses.
Xerox's Rolleston said it also presents a new services opportunity for the one-time copier icon. In an industry marked by lackluster demand and tight corporate budgets, industry watchers say anything that saves money for a company helps drive sales.
An Accident
The three Xerox scientists stumbled onto Glossmark by accident when trying to solve a problem with toner used in laser printers.
In some applications, like printed text, gloss can accidentally appear on the printed paper, making the text hard to read. By manipulating how the toner is laid down on the page using software, the scientists discovered they could control where the gloss falls on the paper. By controlling the toners, they were able to superimpose images with gloss within the original image.
Some of the first images Xerox was able to superimpose using gloss were a time stamp, name and birth date on a birthday card. Because the technology is digital, Rolleston said each Glossmark could be personalized.
Glossmark is still in the conceptual stage, although Xerox does have a patent pending. Xerox's Rolleston said the technology could morph into a standard feature in Xerox printers someday, although right now they are still experimenting with simply superimposing information.
Another issue the company is contending with is controlling who has access to the technology, since conceivably counterfeiters could simply buy a printer that has the technology built in. Xerox said it's working on controlling access.
The obvious use for Glossmark in the marketplace would be to protect documents like concert tickets, identification papers or airline e-tickets. Xerox also envisions the technology being used in greeting cards, advertisements and in magazines to improve the aesthetics of the pages.
"Applications could be in security and entertainment," said Rolleston. "We are doing various market probes to figure out which market to go after."
Consider security in the workplace. Ever since the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks, many companies have required employees to show company identification when entering a building.
Often times the cards, which usually include an employee picture, are also used to enter locked rooms. With Glossmark, companies can add another level of security by superimposing a social security number or employee number into the picture. That way security personnel could only allow employees with the Glossmark to enter the building.
In commerce it could be used to prevent pirated software from being returned to an unsuspecting store and could be used to prevent counterfeit stock certificates or insurance polices from being issued.
"It's as important to commerce as it is to some large financial institution," said Corrigan of Corrigan & Associates, noting that there is an unmet need to protect documents once they exit the printer.
An Unmet Need
Everyone who uses the Internet to communicate, conduct business and buy things has some level of fear in the back of their minds that their personal data will be captured and used fraudulently. Few, however, worry about what happens to their documents once they are printed out.
"Over the past few years all the attention has been on securing the soft document (or digital document)," said Dan Corsetti, an analyst at market research firm International Data Corp. "No security is attached to the hard document other than putting it in a locked file cabinet or putting a wax seal on it."
But protecting hard documents is growing in importance, given scanners, copiers and software make it relatively easy to reproduce identification cards or checks.
Take the banking industry. The American Bankers Association found U.S. banks lost $689 million due to check fraud in 2001. Had all the fraudulent checks been cashed, the Washington, D.C., trade group said that number would have ballooned to $4.3 billion.
"Check fraud has risen dramatically due to the easy access to desktop publishing," said spokesman John Hall.
While Hall isn't familiar with Xerox's Glossmark, he did say it could be used by corporations that issue large checks to prevent fraud.
But banks aren't the only ones worrying about document reproduction. According to a recent poll conducted by IDC, document security ranked as the No. 1 concern among respondents, with electronic document storage next. IDC's Corsetti said Xerox's Glossmark technology can help address the weak link in the document security chain.
"With Glossmark, Xerox is trying to find cost-effective means of providing security to the hard-copy document," said Corsetti. "It's a compelling proposition because there really is a need in the market."
施乐新技术打击文件伪造
伪造者要小心了。如果施乐公司(Xerox Corp., XRX)的新技术得以实施，非法复制文件可能就会变得越来越困难了。
施乐公司驻纽约韦伯斯特实验室的三位科学家最近发明了了一种使用激光打印机在文件上打印类似全息图像标记的技术，这种标记在光线从某个特定角度照在纸上时才能显现。
施乐称，这种名为Glossmark的标记不易通过复印机、扫描仪或相机等产品复制，这些设备仅能捕捉一维图像。
施乐图像研究创意及解决方案部门经理劳勃．劳莱斯顿(Rob Rolleston)称，由于该技术对打印进行精密控制，这种标记不易被复制。
虽然目前已经有许多文件认证技术，如全息及水印，但Glossmark却独辟蹊径，因为该技术可以与标准激光打印机配套。
马萨诸塞州弗雷明汉一家数字文件谘询公司Corrigan & Associates的负责人布莱恩．考瑞根(Bryan Corrigan)表示，该技术较为独特，因为它适用于所有打印设备。未来5年内，施乐可能就会将该技术应用于从每分钟打印20页至200页的各种打印机中。
现在为了文件保密，公司通常使用添加局部加印光油的特殊纸张。这种方法在诸如银行等业务量较大的公司颇为有效，但对那些每年不可能发出数百万支票、业务量较小的公司来说则显得成本高昂。但Glossmark对小公司来说则是一种廉价可行的保密举措。
施乐的劳莱斯顿称，该技术也意味著提供一次性复印标志服务的机会。行业观察家表示，对面临市场需求疲软、客户预算紧张，能为客户省钱的技术就能推动销售业绩。
偶然发现
施乐三位科学家是在研究激光打印机碳粉问题时十分偶然地发明了Glossmark技术。
在某些时候，如印刷文本等，纸的表面可能会意外地留下一层光面，使纸上的文字很难辨认。利用软件控制碳粉的落点，科学家发现可以控制光面在纸上出现的位置。通过控制碳粉的落点，他们可以利用光面在原有的图像上叠加另一个图像。
劳莱斯顿称，施乐最先利用光面在生日卡上叠加了时间、名字及出生日期等标识。因为该技术为数字技术，Glossmark标记可以按照客户要求设计，非常个性化。
Glossmark仍处于概念阶段，尽管施乐已经申请了专利。劳莱斯顿称，未来某天该技术可能将成为施乐打印机的标准配置功能，尽管目前仍在初期试验阶段。
为使人信服，伪造者可能会购买配备该技术的打印机，施乐要应付的另外一个问题就是控制接触该技术的人。施乐称，公司正在研究如何控制接触该技术的人。
Glossmark将被广泛应用于诸如演唱会票、证明文件或电子机票的防伪上。施乐还计划将该技术应用于贺卡、广告及杂志中，以提高纸张的美感。
劳莱斯顿称，该技术将应用于安全及娱乐领域。施乐正在进行各种市场调查，以确定重点发展哪个市场。
首先来看看该技术在保证工作场所安全方面的应用，从911恐怖袭击之后，许多公司要求雇员在进入大厦时出示工作证。
通常这种带有雇员照片的卡片也被用于打开办公室大门。如果应用Glossmark技术，公司就可以通过在照片上加印雇员社会安全号码或雇员号码提高安全水平，该方法可以使保安人员仅允许那些证件上带有Glossmark的人进入大厦。
在商业方面应用方面，该技术可以用来防止某些人将盗版软件退给毫无防备的店家，并可以防止伪造股票或保险单。
Corrigan & Associates的考瑞根称，与大型金融机构相比，该技术对商业企业来说同样重要。他指出，企业对保护纸文件的需求尚待满足。
存在市场需求
每一个使用互联网通讯、做生意或买东西的人都会担心他们的个人信息可能会被盗并被冒名使用。但却没人对打印出的文件存在这种担忧。
市场研究公司国际数据公司(International Data Corp.)的分析师丹．考塞提(Dan Corsetti)称，过去几年，所有注意力都集中在保障电子版文件安全上，而对纸文件来说，除了把它们锁在档案柜里或涂上腊封之外，没有其他保护方法。
但由于扫描仪、复印机及软件的使用，使复制证件或支票越来越容易，对纸文件的保护也正变得越来越重要。
例如银行业，美国银行家协会(American Bankers Association)发现，2001年美国银行因支票欺诈损失了6.89亿美元。如果所有伪造支票都被兑现的话，该数字就将增为43亿美元。
美国银行家协会发言人约翰．豪尔(John Hall)称，由于复制技术的日益成熟，支票欺诈案件激增。
虽然豪尔对施乐的Glossmark技术并不熟悉，但他表示，该技术可以帮助发行大量支票的企业防止伪造和欺诈。
但银行不是唯一担心文件被复制的行业。根据国际数据公司最近所作调查，文件安全已经成为受访者担心的首要问题，电子文件存储排名尚在其后。国际数据公司的考塞提称，施乐的Glossmark技术可以帮助巩固文件安全问题的薄弱环节。
考塞提称，施乐正在寻找保护纸文件安全的更为经济、有效的方式。这是一个急需解决的课题，因为市场确有这方面的需求。
