How identity document scanners lead to efficient identification

By Sunny Sun, GM of Telpo International

No country can be truly isolated from the world under globalization. As globalization deepens, personnel exchanges between countries are increasingly frequent. It is not surprising that people immigrate to another country, let alone travel internationally. At the same time, illegal immigration is on the rise, which is a threat to national security. Under such circumstances, efficient identification is necessary.

In recent years, the number of smugglers and illegal immigrants who use fake documents has been increasing, and therefore the traditional identification method only through documents is no longer enough. Since April 1, 2010, machine-readable passports based on ICAO standards have been adapted globally, explicitly using face, iris and fingerprint as biometric modalities. Machine-readable passports are more easily identified, making visa application and boarding procedures easier.

What follows is the emergence of digital document scanners and identity document scanners, which makes it possible to scan digital documents and know other identity information at the same time. The introduction of digital document scanners and identity document scanners makes the border security inspection simple, swift and secure.

How identity document scanners improve the efficiency of identification?

Nowadays, digital identity documents are common in travel. Personal information is presented fast and accurately by scanning the digital documents, which makes digital document scanners be helpful to staff who are responsible for customs, security and immigration. Staff in these kinds of government institutions need to manage multinational affairs daily. It is important for them to quickly and accurately verify the identities of people who they are dealing with. With the ongoing development of technology, however, it also becomes easier to forge documents, adding an additional difficulty to the job of these public employees.

Luckily, biometric identification technology can help solve this challenge. Biometric characteristics like face, iris and fingerprint are universal, unique, stable and easy-collected. Even if people intentionally or accidently forget their key documents, their identities can be verified swiftly and accurately thanks to biometric identification technology.

Various verification methods

Technology of digital document scanning and identity document scanning has been developing greatly in these years. A rugged biometric tablet can support a variety of verification methods, including 2D and 3D scanning, near-field communication (NFC), optical character recognition and passport machine-readable zones (MRZ). Various verification methods of digital document scanners can be applied to different kinds of documents.

It provides convenience for government staffs, especially who works in customs offices and immigration offices. What’s more, staffs in security checkpoints border benefit from it. Digital document scanners help simplify procedures visa application and boarding, improving the efficiency of government and security checkpoints border.

Multi-modal biometrics

Under globalization, illegal immigration is as common as legal immigration. Most people entering a country illegally don’t possess documents to prove who they truly are. They are often motivated to try to use fake identities to pass security checks. Without biometric recognition, staff at border security checkpoints performing manual checks are far more likely to make a mistake.

Digital document scanning and biometric recognition are complementary to each other. Biometric recognition helps identify the ones who use fake documents and steal others’ identities. In addition, it is easy to collect and verify face, iris and fingerprint biometrics. An identity document scanner is able to check and verify identification data fast and accurately as well as flag suspicious users, data inconsistencies or fraud attempts, ensuring only legitimate travelers come into the country.

Verifying identities of outsiders is of great significance for national safety. Identity document scanners present all information to the staffs of government agencies such as security checkpoints, customs offices, immigration offices and so on. Scanning identity documents help government staffs recognize reliable and secure identities as well as flag the suspicious, improving efficiency and ensuring safety.

About the author

Sunny Sun is the general manager of Telpo International. She leads the Telpo team to provide personalized products and services for more than 120 countries and regions, including more than 200 high-end industrial and government projects.

DISCLAIMER: Biometric Update’s Industry Insights are submitted content. The views expressed in this post are that of the author, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of Biometric Update. 

Article Topics

biometrics  |  border security  |  digital ID  |  document reader  |  document verification  |  identity document  |  identity verification  |  NFC  |  OCR  |  Telpo