Jumio argues for SDK-based biometrics over APIs and web apps for online identity verification

The ability to leverage the built-in features of smartphones for better automatic document capturing is a major benefit to performing online biometric identify verification through an SDK, according to a Jumio blog post.  Eleven advantages of mobile SDK-based implementations over mobile and desktop web integrations and APIs are explored in the post.

Automatic data capture enables more accurate data extraction from the ID document, as optical character recognition (OCR) technology can pick up the biographic data the document includes. Jumio’s SDK also looks for the machine-readable zone (MRZ) of a passport or barcode of a two-sided driver’s license, and does not capture the image otherwise, which allows it to avoid processing incorrect documents. Liveness detection is not available in many APIs, according to the post, forcing customers to find workaround to build the capability in, or accept heightened risk from spoof attacks.

Jumio says its mobile SDK has resulted in a 20 to 30 percent reduction in drop-offs compared to API implementations, as the user journey is more intuitive and because of the document capture advantage. Fraud attempts are 50 percent lower than with web-based image capture methods, according to the post, and processing for mobile SDK transactions is 30 percent faster than web or API methods, due to the more intuitive interface, and better data capturing with higher-quality images. Jumio’s new NFC chip-reading capability can also accelerate the process.

SDKs can also accommodate a wide range of end-user devices, and client organizations can customize the interface with their branding. Simplicity of implementation with documentation and assistance from account managers and solution engineers, and the user experience of a single click to select country and document type are also advantages to its SDK-based approach, Jumio argues.

There are trade-offs associated with each implementation method, the post concludes, and understanding them and the impact they have on fraud, verification and user speed is necessary to making an informed decision about which to choose.

Article Topics

authentication  |  biometric liveness detection  |  biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  fraud prevention  |  identity document  |  identity verification  |  Jumio  |  OCR  |  SDK  |  smartphones