Biometrics research, authentication, border security and fintech trending this week

Here is a recap of the most popular biometrics industry news that appeared on BiometricUpdate.com this past week.

Research vendors

One of the most popular articles this week concerned two new biometrics market reports by leading research vendors Goode Intelligence and Technavio. Goode Intelligence published a new report that predicts that by 2020 over 16 billion mobile biometric payment transactions will be made. Technavio also released a new report on biometrics in workforce management which discusses the key drivers and trends responsible for the growth of this market and its sub-segments.

Cloud-based deployment

Bio-Metrica announced this week that it has adapted its Biometric Identification Infrastructure (BII) multi-factor authentication biometric identity framework to work completely from a cloud-based deployment giving clients the benefit of rapid deployment times and the ability to control system performance by rapidly scaling up or down a BII installation within a few hours.

Vision technology

Infinity Optics Solutions is making headway on its groundbreaking biometric “depth-of-field” vision technology, announcing that its technology has emerged from early development and will soon be introduced into fast-growing biometrics markets, including India. The optics imaging technology increases the depth-of-field of up to five times, significantly enhancing the user experience.

Fingerprint technology

Fingerprint Cards and Precise Biometrics fingerprint technology has been integrated into the Huawei Changxiang 5S and ZTE Blade A1 smartphones. Precise recently announced that 20 smartphone makers are using its software for fingerprint authentication on mobile devices and that Precise BioMatch Mobile is now running on more than 50 different mobile devices sold worldwide.

Authentication

Fintech experts are predicting that the PIN number will be obsolete within the next five years as banks turn to mobile and biometric authentication technology, such as fingerprint, vein pattern and voice recognition. Some banks are already acting to introduce increasingly hi-tech payment methods to make it “impossible” for fraudsters to impersonate a customer for higher value transactions.

Earlier this week, Morpho CEO Anne Bouverot shared her insights on the future of the digital identity market and said that in order to meet the demand for faster and simpler use of mobile, such as password-less mobile payments, the market must develop safe and reliable technologies for user identification. A couple of days later, the company announced it had finalized its acquisition of AirTag, a French startup focused on innovative mobile payment solutions. By combining areas of expertise, the two companies will be able to manage the multiple security aspects involved in mobile payments.

In a recent podcast, Bob Reany, senior vice president of identity solutions at MasterCard, discussed Mastercard’s development and implementation of a mobile and biometric authentication strategy for online purchases including its recent survey that found that advances in biometric authentication technology is slowly shifting consumers away from using passwords for authenticating online purchases.

Under a pilot program, some McDonald’s restaurants in the United States have installed a fingerprint device on cash registers which require fingerprint authentication to activate the system. The fast food giant is also considering implementing a biometrics-based time and attendance system to combat buddy punching and other attendance related issues to help the loss prevention team detect fraud, as well as aid the operations and management team keep track of employee activity.

3M has introduced several security solutions to strengthen authentication and control access at financial institutions, including biometric scanners, identity document readers and automated license plate recognition. 3M’s biometric technology includes facial, fingerprint and iris recognition capabilities, which can be integrated into existing security products and software.

Morpho (Safran) announced that it has been chosen by Airtel, a leading Indian telecom operator, to become its key partner in an electronic know your customer (e-KYC) pilot project. Customers in Uttar Pradesh will be required to use their Aadhaar number along with a biometric identifier, such as an iris scan or fingerprint, in order to activate a new prepaid or postpaid mobile phone. The pilot will use Morpho’s managed services, along with the biometric firm’s branded MorphoTablets.

Border security

The Secure Identity & Biometrics Association (SIBA) announced its support for security improvements for the US Visa Waiver Program. In a statement, Michael Dougherty, CEO, said “SIBA applauds the balance that the Administration and Congress are trying to strike between enhancing security and the benefits that follow from business and tourist travel to the US”.

The Canadian government is collecting biometric information from refugees headed to Canada under the government-assisted refugee aspect of the Syrian resettlement program. Under the extensive background screening process, families are required to fill out forms with biographical information, have their photograph taken, submit their biometric data, participate in an interview and undergo a medical examination.

Following the recent launch of its pilot program to collect biometric data at the country’s international airports, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA) confirmed plans to implement biometrics capturing devices at every port of entry by August 2016. Once the project is fully implemented, all international travelers will be required to submit biometric data at the arrival and transit counters at SA’s international airports.

Voice biometrics

In a guest post, Michael Boukadakis, founder and CEO of Enacomm, discusses how the number of applications for voice biometrics are growing beyond security to meet the needs of organizations of all sizes and the demands of consumers.

Article Topics

3M  |  Bio-Metrica  |  biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  biometrics research  |  border security  |  Enacomm  |  Fingerprint Cards AB  |  fintech  |  Goode Intelligence  |  Infinity Optics Solutions  |  Mastercard  |  morpho  |  Precise Biometrics  |  SIBA  |  TechNavio