New look Signum launches enhanced fingerprinting software for protecting digital images New look Signum launches enhanced fingerprinting software for protecting digital images
CHELTENHAM, ENGLAND, 22 September 1997 - Signum Technologies Limited, developer of the SureSign advanced digital fingerprinting technology, has today announced the release of their latest upgraded version of SureSign Writer, a Photoshop plug-in for applying fingerprint protection to digital images.
Supplied as Photoshop plug-ins, the SureSign Writer and Detector 2.0 suite is the first product to be launched by this new company following its formation on 1 July when it took over the activities of the former HighWater Signum Ltd. Since the new company was formed, Signum, who are backed by Schroder Ventures, 3i plc and HighWater Designs, have put a major effort into updating the SureSign core algorithms to improve both writer and detector functionality of all of their software tools.
The key features of the new SureSign Writer and Detector 2.0 suite, are:
Signum are allowing potential users to download a demonstration version of SureSign Writer 2.0, for Mac and PC, from the Signum Web site (http://www.signumtech.com). Users who then decide to license the software need only contact Signum to obtain a special unlocking code and their unique user ID. Users can now install SureSign Writer 2.0 and fingerprint as many images as they wish for just £39 or $60 a year.
Also benefiting from the recent development work is Signum's new SureSign software development kit (SDK). Designed for third party developers and system integrators who wish to build in a competitive advantage to their image processing and management applications, this completely new SDK includes all the new performance related features of SureSign Writer and Detector v2.0.
Signum's innovative new technology, which is also known as digital watermarking or steganography, is viewed by industry analysts as being a key enabling technology in the control, protection and validation of digital content such as images, video and audio material.
Trials of Signum's software conducted by leading visual content providers, creators and third party developers around the world, confirm that SureSign offers them protection without loss of quality or productivity. In particular, SureSign fingerprints survive a wide range of resizing, are highly robust, secure and permit users to protect valuable high resolution images intended for use in print reproduction with no noticeable impact on image quality. Now that SureSign fingerprints are more detectable from small image files and hard copy, users will be able identify and monitor the use of their material in both digital and printed media, better than ever before.
Both the SureSign Writer and Detector 2.0 plug-in suite and the SureSign SDK will be available from October 1, 1997.
BACKGROUND
Digital fingerprinting, aka hidden watermarking, is a technique whereby a digital data object, such as an image, is embedded with hidden identifying information which provides authors with the capability to track and monitor the use of their creative output on the Internet and other digital media. Although mainly intended for digital applications, fingerprint data can also be recovered from images which are printed and/or copied. Its main uses are in a diverse range of intellectual property/copyright protection and data validation applications.
Signum's technology, SureSign, which was originally marketed as FBI, was devised by English mathematician and data compression expert, Dr. David Hilton. The subject of a number of patents, the Signum method is highly controlled and is based on precisely calculated algorithms that do not degrade the quality of the data object carrying the fingerprint. The SureSign fingerprint is remarkably robust and secure, being totally impractical to remove once embedded. It is also designed to withstand the effects of editing and processing. Attempts to remove or modify the embedded fingerprint code will simply result in the material being destroyed or rendered unusable.
Operating world-wide, Signum Technologies Limited is a privately held company based in Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England. Its main shareholders are 3i plc, Schroder Ventures and HighWater Designs Ltd.
For more information, please contact:
Alan Bartlett, Signum Technologies Limited,
2-6 St. George's Business Park, Alstone Lane,
Cheltenham, GL51 8HF, UK.
Telephone: +44 (0)1242 221390
Fax: +44 (0)1242 251600
E-Mail: signum@signumtech.com
Web site:
SureSign, SureSign Writer, SureSign Detector, SureSign Pro and SureSign SDK are trademarks of Signum Technologies Ltd. Any product names mentioned in this press release are trademarks of their respective holders.