Wall Street Journal claims consumers plagued by passwords; Numera offers remedy.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 21, 1995--According to William M. Bulkeley of the Wall Street Journal, the need for secret numbers in everyday life is overtaxing consumers' memories and patience.

In fact, "password overload has become a plague." Every day, consumers get more cards, more

Do you know every code for the credit, phone and ATM cards you carry, as well as those for computer networks, burglar alarms and online services? Could you recall all of them instantly, choosing the right one for the right circumstance, if you had to?

In overwhelming numbers, consumers are claiming that the ritual of remembering their codes has become an ordeal. And the punishment for forgetting even one number ranges from temporary or complete denial of ATM privileges to the loss of access to a computer network or data it took months to create.

NUMERA Corp. of San Diego responded to this code-based confusion with the PINCARD, a wallet-sized plastic card that helps consumers instantly recall any or all of their Personal Identification Numbers (PINs).

"We decided to bring consumers a product that eliminates the burden of memorization," explained Marc Boroditsky, president of NUMERA. "The PINCARD becomes a tool much like the calculator, simplifying a complicated daily task."

The PINCARD reduces the jumble of multiple PINs and codes to one letter and number coordinate -- like "K3" -- which is the only thing to be memorized. The consumer aligns the PINCARD with a small checkerboard grid in order to quickly decipher the applicable code.

Optimal security levels are also maintained with the PINCARD. Many of the tricks people use to remember their codes are far from failsafe. Bulkeley writes that passwords "shouldn't be your name, your birthday or things written in a wallet that could be stolen."

Complicated encrypting rituals also tend to fail if users are tired or distracted. With the PINCARD, as long as the coordinate is memorized and kept secret, proper access is provided while unauthorized use is blocked.

The European market has already recognized the advantages of the PINCARD. Consumers there overwhelmingly identify the system as extremely useful. In the United States, major ATM, credit and telephone card issuers are also exploring the card's potential.

"These companies have identified the key to our product -- its simplicity -- as a benefit for their promotional, educational and marketing programs," Boroditsky said. "They see that simplifying the use of their cards and systems, without sacrificing security, will result in broader and more frequent use."

Consumers, on the other hand, see the PINCARD mainly as a long-awaited remedy for their password plague.

CONTACT: NUMERA Corp., San Diego

Marc Boroditsky, 619/634-9746 (day)

619/755-4739 (eve)