SubscribeIf you wanted to gauge how seriously America now takes Biometrics, you only had to spend three days in September at the annual Biometric Consortium Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.
This year's conference attracted a record 1,000 participants and over 100 speakers and moderators from US Government, Industry and Academia.
Of course it's hardly surprising that post 9/11 the US is now examining biometrics with renewed vigour. However, this has turned out to be a double edged sword for the vendors, because although the opportunities could easily be identified, it also exposed the immaturities of the biometric systems.
Improving the Standards
It was clear from the extent of the Exhibitor list, and the institutions represented by the Speakers, that considerable investment has now been made in biometric systems and the core technologies. In the US, as with the rest of the world, the focus has been on fingerprints, facial scans and iris scans.
Naturally, as Managing Director of KeCrypt Systems, I have an issue with this! But it's an emphasis that's mainly been driven by the Standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (IACO). The IACO is an agency set up in 1944 by the United Nations to promote safe international civil aviation. At least Standards are seen to be key in driving the biometrics market further into maturity and good progress is being made both in the US and Internationally.
The ICAO decided to adopt a biometric scheme for machine readable passports involving facial recognition optionally supported by fingerprints and iris recognition. So a lot of investment and research has gone into the improvement of facial recognition, including 3D imaging. Also in equipment for the speedy taking of all ten 'slap' fingerprints, plus other methods in digitally capturing 'rolled' fingerprints.
Unfortunately, all this has left other biometrics struggling for the same level of attention.
It was also very clear that a critical issue in the US is Privacy. Here language has real difficulties. Privacy in the US is really about remaining anonymous, whereas privacy in Europe is about Data Protection, and privacy in the Far East does not appear to be a cultural issue at all.
Investing in security
One of the Conference's most encouraging indications is that the biometrics market is also starting to show the right signs for investors. Sustainable revenues have now being generated and market consolidation is occurring. These factors are attracting the venture capital community with reports of very good revenue multiples being used in valuations.
With major merchant banks, such as Credit Suisse, now presenting themselves as enthusiastic promoters of the investment potential of biometrics, the pace of further development should rapidly increase.