Six industries that need to adopt facial recognition today
This a guest post by Doug Aley, CRO of Ever AI.
Imagine a world in which frictionless interactions allow enterprises to provide superior service and security to customers and employees. Thanks to new developments in biometrics technology, we’re not as far off as you may think.
The launch of the iPhone X paved the way for explosive adoption of facial recognition software at the consumer-level. Although such capabilities have been around for some time (and widely adopted in China, Singapore and other countries outside the United States), concerns over privacy and security have kept mass appeal at bay. But as users recognize the benefits facial recognition can bring to their smartphone experience, it’s no longer a far leap to see how biometrics can play into enterprise interactions, making business exchanges easier, smarter and more efficient.
Below are a few industries that should consider adopting facial recognition today.
Airlines
The airline industry has already taken great strides to adopt facial recognition technologies to streamline business processes and improve security. Last year, President Trump signed an executive order, urging the government to speed up airport use of biometric scanning. In connection with DHS, airlines like British Airways, JetBlue and Qantas have launched pilot programs at a few international airports to integrate facial recognition technology into the boarding process, essentially turning a traveler’s face into an ID card or passport as well as a boarding pass. The hope is that once widespread adoption occurs, airports should expect to see reduced lines, improved speed from check-in to departure gate, and decreased need for excessive staff.
Hospitality
Never again should you be forced to rummage through your purse or pocket to find a tiny, nondescript hotel key. The hospitality industry is ripe for adoption of biometric technologies, both to streamline the check-in process, on-property payments for restaurants and amenities and to improve functionality and security at room entrance. Although some hotels have launched beta programs that automate check-in through facial recognition, there is room for improvement, as a hotel guest’s face can store loads of preference data points such as bed size, check out time and even payment information. What’s more, implementation of biometric technologies will allow even smaller hotels to provide superior, personalized services around the clock, for guests arriving outside of regular business hours.
Retail
With online retailers biting at the heels of brick and mortar, in-store customers increasingly expect personalization and ease in their shopping experiences. Facial recognition software can provide employees with shopper preferences and demographic information upon arrival, allowing retailers to provide a personalized touch through special deals or recognition of loyalty to a store or brand. For retailers, facial recognition can also supply rich demographic information. By better understanding your in-store shopper profiles at different points throughout the day, store design and display cases can adjust to meet the needs of patrons.
Manufacturing
Industries, including manufacturing, keep track of where critical workers are on the factory floor, ensuring their safety at any given time should an emergency take place. The once preferred “key-card” or “time-card” methods are not only easy to bypass, but do not provide the level of security required when entering classified regions or ensure that employees are where they say they are, and when. It is not hard to imagine friends or colleagues passing off a traditional key-card in order to gain access to secure areas with ease or punching a time card for a friend. Facial recognition allows businesses to ensure security protocols are not dismissed.
Live events
To date, live events, like concerts or conferences, have required arduous check in processes. We’ve all fiddled through our pockets to find a baseball ticket while holding a beer, or sat in long lines to gather name badges and expo passes. Large events promoters and venue operators can greatly benefit from adopting facial recognition technology, not only to minimize wait times, but also to provide a more pleasant, seamless experience for event participants. Your face can now hold the key to entry, your payment selections, and even your in-experience preferences.
Financial services
Consumers are increasingly moving to mobile banking to manage finances, with 81% of U.S. adults set to use mobile banking technology by 2020, according to Javelin. Yet concerns about security related to mobile banking continues to plague users and financial institutions alike. One security breach at a bank or credit union could result in detrimental loss of trust and irreversible reputational damage. Financial institutions can provide an additional layer of security to mobile banking apps by using facial recognition software to authenticate users. This allows banks to strengthen biometric multi-factor authentication methods and further engage customers across all personal devices and ATMs.
Many industries are at the cusp of creating more secure, personalized and streamlined environments for employees and customers through the use of facial recognition technology. Moving forward, businesses should have consumers opt-in to these experiences. As we have seen with the launch of the iPhoneX, individuals are ready and willing to do so. Expect to see widespread adoption throughout 2018, and enjoy the benefits associated with such business transformations.
About the author
Doug Aley has spent his career helping to found, lead, and scale startups. He is currently Ever AI’s CRO and a principal at Atomic Ventures. Mr. Aley holds a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
DISCLAIMER: BiometricUpdate.com blogs are submitted content. The views expressed in this blog are that of the author, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of BiometricUpdate.com.
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