News
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The right biometric? - March 2006
This feature takes an introductory look at biometrics and contrasts the differing performance of biometrics, both physical and behavioral. In particular, the article puts forward the case for speaker verification technology which could have an edge over alternative biometrics, thanks to its accuracy, ease of use and infrastructure advantages.
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Biometric statistics in focus - February 2006
Since its inception approximately a decade ago, the modern biometrics industry has experienced rapid growth, year after year. According to the latest statistics from the International Biometric Group (IBG) the next five years appear poised to perpetuate this encouraging trend.
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New man at the top for EBF - December 2005
The European Biometrics Forum has been without a CEO for just over a year, but within the last few weeks it has officially appointed Max Snijder to take on the role. In this news feature Snijder talks to Btt about his aspirations for the EBF, in particular about his mission to shake off any perceptions that it is a forum solely for the industry.
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Part Two: National ID – Rest of the World - December 2005
In last month's survey we saw how Europe is experiencing increasing momentum towards implementing biometrics into ID cards. However, while activity Europe is growing, and is becoming increasingly coordinated, there are some impressive projects being rolled out on a large scale in other parts of the world. This is the final part of our two-part focus on national ID cards. It is predominantly tabular in nature, detailing the use of biometrics in ID card schemes from 15 countries outside of Europe.
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Part One: National ID – Europe - October 2005
Right across the world there is a drive to increase document security with biometrics. This is the first of a two-part survey into the use of biometrics in national identity cards and will focus on the European market. There has been increasing momentum in the region towards implementing biometrics, particularly given that biometric identifiers are now being introduced in passports and other ID documents in line with international requirements. Next month, Btt will focus on more ID card issues and hone in on schemes in other regions of the world.
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The loss of privacy and identity - September
2005
The loss of privacy in American society has been caused
by major shifts in economic practices and technology,
which have little, if any thing, to do with terrorism.
This article examines the root causes behind the loss
in privacy and the rise in identity theft, and considers
how the emerging technology of biometrics can be used
to ensure privacy in the 21st century.
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Spectral
face profiling? - June 2005
Hyper-spectral cameras are becoming a reality
as the technology matures. This article addresses a simple
question: What benefits could they provide to support
biometrics?
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Part
1: Biometrics and ePassports - June 2005
The level of activity surrounding the ePassport
industry is reaching fever pitch. But although deadlines
are fast approaching for the introduction of biometrics
into passports, much work must still be done on political,
technical and business levels. This is the first half
of a two-part survey looking at the pressing issues surrounding
the introduction of biometric ePassports.
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UKPS
biometric enrolment trial - July/August 2005
Analysis of the UK Passport Service's biometric enrolment
trial gives hope that future trials will be able to
perform much better, from an enrolment and verification
success rate standpoint. Lessons learned throughout
the trial suggest that relatively simple adjustments
to the environment, equipment and procedures could help
to ramp up the fairly disappointing performance figures.
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BioSec:
a European project - June 2005
The BioSec research project is co-funded by
the European Commission's 6th Framework Programme
and has participants from 23 organisations in nine countries.
This article explains the aims and objectives of the
project and reveals some of the latest developments
and ongoing activities.
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United
States visa waiver deadline extended by one year - June
2005
Intense political wrangling has brought about a further
one-year deadline extension for the 27 countries involved
in the US visa waiver programme. The countries had faced
a US-imposed deadline to begin rolling out biometric
passports by 26 October 2005, but with this deadline
fast approaching, and the majority of countries unable
to comply, the USA has said that the deadline will be
shifted to 26 October 2006.
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Financial
success for biometrics? - April 2005
There is a diverse range of ways that biometrics
can be used in the financial industry, from network access
control and employee screening to its use at the ATM to
verify customer identity. This survey highlights the main
drivers and detractors in the market and assesses the
applications that are proving to be successful hunting
grounds for biometric suppliers.
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Coming
clean on hygiene - April 2005
Is the potential for catching a disease from a fingerprint
reader or hand geometry scanner really a problem? Daniel
Munyan explains how cultural sensitivities, hygienic requirements
and practical considerations might impact the biometric
industry's development of verification systems.
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Iris
recognition in focus - February 2005
Iris recognition is a fast, accurate and secure biometric
technique that can operate in both verification and identification
modes. A relatively late starter in the biometrics field,
it has had to play catch up to some of the more established
biometrics over the last few years, but today it is making
strong progress. The variety of cameras is increasing,
costs of the devices are coming down and the emergence
of large-scale projects, where the technology's unique
attributes can be capitalised upon, are helping to push
iris recognition further into the limelight. With key
patents expected to expire in the next few months, however,
and competition waiting in the wings, the next year could
prove to be interesting.
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Biometrics
in the office: Bottom-line benefits? - February 2005
There are many misconceptions surrounding the implementation
of biometrics. NEC's Carl Gohringer puts forward the business
case for the integration of biometric technologies into
the corporate environment.
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Sizing
up silicon sensors - March 2005
Silicon fingerprint sensor technology is moving
forward in leaps and bounds, although its penetration
into the marketplaces it is being targeted at is still
low. Nevertheless, within the last two years many millions
of fingerprint-enabled devices, such as laptops, PDAs
and mobile phones, have been sold and this trend looks
set to accelerate. Personal electronic goods manufacturers
(and to some extent the suppliers of the fingerprint technology)
are beginning to realise that fingerprint technology can
be used in ways far beyond its original brief as an enhanced
security tool.
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Livescan
Market - Alive & Well - November 2004
The market for livescan devices is experiencing strong
growth. As well as its growing use in criminal justice
applications, one of the primary reasons is the emergence
of new civilian-based uses of the technology, which
are helping to boost sales. However, the development
of new technology is also expected to provide a robust
replacement market for existing devices.
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Securing
Speech - October 2004
The term ‘Secure Speech’ refers to applications
where automated speech recognition (ASR) systems are
combined with speaker verification (SV) capabilities.
When integrated with enterprise contact centre infrastructure
or ‘auto attendant’ applications that answer
an enterprise's main number, secure speech provides
a streamlined, convenient and conversational way to
validate an incoming caller's identity. This article
aims to highlight some of the market trends, applications
and suppliers in this promising biometric market.
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FpVTE
2003: Results - September 2004
From law enforcement agencies worldwide to major
projects, such as the US-VISIT programme, the use of large-scale
fingerprint matching systems is becoming widespread. This
feature reviews the results of the Fingerprint Vendor
Technology Evaluation (FpVTE) performed in 2003, which
assessed the accuracy of fingerprint matching, identification
and verification systems.
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Driving automotive security forward - September 2004
Car thieves have responded to the effectiveness
of immobiliser technology by becoming more aggressive
in their methods. This survey analyses how biometrics
could deliver a new and effective generation of vehicle
protection systems.
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Biometrics and ‘Homeland Security’ - July-August
2004
Implementing ‘Homeland Security’
and the systems that underlie it is already well underway
in the US. However, what are the implications for such
initiatives in the UK and beyond in Europe? This article
will consider the role of biometrics in European homeland
security.
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DoD's approach to biometric standards - June 2004
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has a growing
need to control access to its many assets. Similarly,
DoD organisations must always be ready to identify "friend
or foe". The terrorist attacks of 11 September
2001 reinforced the need for technologies that can enhance
homeland security, force protection, and counter terrorism
measures. DoD recognises the value of technologies such
as biometrics in this area and has taken an active role
in their development, particularly in the area of standardisation.
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Tomorrow's
Markets - May 2004
Faced with an array of potential hazards, from
terrorism and computer viruses to fraud and organised
crime, the world is perceived by many to be an increasingly
dangerous place. As a result, the focus on security issues
has sharpened and the demand for security-related goods
and services has steadily grown, giving rise to a wide
and varied range of economic activities in both the government
domain and the business sector. This is termed ‘the
emerging security economy’, and is the title of
a new report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD). The report looks at the growth
and emergence of the security industry, the impact of
advances in RFID and biometric technology, and the societal
implications of the trade offs between increased economic
efficiency, on the one hand, and higher levels of security,
on the other. This feature is an extract from that report
and focuses on the current status of and challenges ahead
for the biometric industry.
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Standards
work drives government initiatives - April 2004
Government projects using biometric technology are proliferating
worldwide. Many of these large-scale initiatives have
been underpinned by unprecedented work in the area of
standardisation. This article looks at some of these
standards and projects which will benefit from their
development.
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Where
we really are with biometrics - April 2004
This controversial opinion article questions
and criticises the way the biometric business has evolved.
While some good work has been done, the last 15 years
has seen the industry tread water on many issues. Future
efforts must be based on frank and open dialogue, where
the interests of society as a whole are put first.
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With
the flick of an eye - March 2004
The way a person moves their eyes may not at first seem
like the ideal basis for performing identification, but
new research shows that this biometric type could offer
several advantages. For example, while the biometric is
difficult to counterfeit, it is nevertheless easy for
a user to use the system. Moreover, it could also be possible
to combine this type of biometric with other techniques
such as iris or facial recognition.
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A
global pilot credential - February 2004
An issue of critical importance to the global
aviation community is the secure, personal verification
of an individual pilot's identity, training, experience,
and certifications. A number of experts are asking whether
it is now time for the issuance of a credential that would
include both biometrics for personal identification and
a secure, unalterable memory to verify on-going training
and experience.
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2003
market review - January 2004
The prospect of new large-scale identity systems dominated
the headlines in 2003 and there is no sign that this
is about to change. All around the world, governments
are considering putting biometrics at the heart of ambitious
projects, ranging from high-tech passports and ID cards
to driving licences and immigration control. This has
meant the face, finger and iris recognition players
– the most favoured biometrics for these sorts
of project – have been working overtime to try
and secure the lucrative contracts on offer. Meanwhile,
other technologies are also making progress and antics
on the business front have continued apace...
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A
peripheral market? - September 2003
Considering the number of PCs that could benefit from
the addition of biometric user identification, the market
for biometric PC peripheral devices is potentially massive.
But, to date, the number of sales is disappointing, and
in some cases is falling. There are many potential drivers
and detractors at play, so it may take another few years
before the overall dynamics of this market become easier
to predict...
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FVRT
2002 results are in - April 2003
The eagerly awaited Facial Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT),
performed in 2002, is now available and has been well
worth the wait. The performance of the various vendors
is fascinating, of course, but there are real areas of
technical interest that have been unearthed by the tests,
which will give product developers plenty of ideas for
improvement in the coming years.
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Leave
that gate open! - March 2003
With biometric passport RFPs appearing all over the world,
and US$3 million being given to NIST for research into
facial recognition in passports, the deployment of face
recognition technology within Australia's SmartGate border
control system is timely. Calum Bunney reports on its
official launch this January.
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A
framework for the development of biometric systems - January
2003
The design and development of systems that include biometric
devices pose specific challenges to integrators because
of the interplay of technical and social factors. This
article outlines a systematic approach from the initial
concept through to deployment, emphasising the unique
aspects of such systems.
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The
value of the biometrics platform - November/December 2002
Biometrics may be about to hit the big time, but is the
technology mature enough to cope with the demands of a
large-scale, widespread system? For many scenarios the
answer is a resounding `no'. One possible answer to the
problem may be to introduce a biometric platform which
could insulate consumers from weaknesses, such as low
accuracy and the possibility that products today may not
be around tomorrow.
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The
evolving biometric marketplace to 2006 - October 2002
The International Biometric Industry Association (IBIA)
is forecasting rapid industry revenue growth to reach
US$2 billion by 2006. Behind this spectacular rise the
Association is predicting that embedded biometric mobile
devices will become an important new category to overtake
physical and logical access control and time/attendance
applications over the next four years.
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Biometrics
enter Europe’s access control markets - September
2002
New research into non-residential buildings in Europe
shows that while biometrics are making headway against
more traditional forms of physical access control methods,
they still have a long way to go to capture significant
market share.
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Improving
travel safety with enhanced personal ID - July/August
2002
The development of comprehensive international standards
that will extend the functionality of machine travel documents
to include biometrics has become ever more crucial since
the terrorist attacks of September 11th. ISO and ICAO
had already been developing such standards prior to the
attacks, where biometric technology would be introduced
in support of border clearance, air travel and travel
document issuance. This article tracks the progress made
so far.
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A new
vision for Europe - June 2002
With many independent forecasters predicting expansion
in the use of biometric technologies, now is an opportune
time to review the status of European biometrics and to
look forward to the opportunities offered in this fast
developing market. A new venture-_ BIOVISION-_ promises
to bring together key players on the biometrics scene
to develop a roadmap for the future of biometric_enabled
applications. The group also aims to create the European
Biometrics Forum.
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German
saving banks reject biometrics at ATMs - April 2002
In 2001, the German BioTrust group focused its attention
on the use of biometrics at ATMs. It performed a study,
which looked at specific banking requirements, as well
as at privacy and consumer issues. The news was far from
being good. This article presents some of the group's
findings, which show there is still a long way to go.
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DSV
technology — a sign of the times? - April 2002
Dynamic signature verification technology has been a contender
in the biometric market for many years, but in terms of
revenue has never lived up to the hype. Accuracy problems,
cost and the lack of end user interest have all contributed
to the technologies' disappointing showing. With the emergence
of new widespread input device technology and legislation,
however, dsv systems could at last be on the brink of
a breakthrough.
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Developing
biometrics with an eye on the future - February 2002
It is now 30 years since the first biometric devices,
algorithms and systems were developed and deployed,
mostly in quite small numbers. Over much of this period,
research and development has been paid for by small
companies, often without adequate funding, and targeted
at getting the product to market in the quickest possible
time. It is no surprise that the first university group
with a focus on biometrics was set up in the heart of
Silicon Valley – Jim Wayman's team at San Jose
State University.
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Market
Surveys |
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Biometrics
Enter Mobile World
The potential for mobile biometric devices is considerable,
especially in light of certain recent technological
developments. This month's survey will take a closer
look at this market sector assessing the fundamental
distinctions between various types of mobile biometrics.
It will also look at products that have either been
recently introduced, or are slated to be released in
the near future, and give an overview of some deployments
that are taking advantage of the flexibility offered
by mobile biometrics.
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2004
Market Review - January 2005
The year 2004 has been exceptional on many fronts. A number
of the large-scale projects that had been designed with
biometrics at their heart have now come on line, such
as the US-VISIT programme, and progress in many other
schemes has been swift, especially in the area of passports.
Some contracts have been record breaking in their size,
while others have used biometrics in ways previously unconsidered.
At the business end of the market, industry-wide revenue
continues to grow, but the year has not been without its
casualties. Biometric Technology Today reports on the
year gone by…
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e-Passports,
part 2
Many countries are now publicly announcing
their plans for biometric e-passports. Within a year
the first biometric passports will be being issued and
the global use of biometric technology will finally
become a reality. This predominantly tabular survey
assesses 15 countries around the world and their readiness
to implement the technology..
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e-Passports,
part I
As e-passports with biometric identifiers loom
ever closer on the horizon, this first part in a two
part survey of the e-passport system examines the need
for speed in their implementation; legislation being
formed around their evolution and the challenges faced
by the companies and countries involved.
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Alternative
Biometrics - May 2004
With the biometric industry moving rapidly ahead, it is
sometimes hard to see how the non-mainstream biometric
technologies can hope to break into the commercial world.
While it is true that some technologies are still languishing
on the laboratory bench, others have managed to grasp
the nettle and succeed where even some established biometrics
are failing.
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In
association with... - April 2004
Membership of an industry association can have many benefits
and today there is a wide selection to choose from. Over
the last year numerous new associations launched within
Europe and this is creating a flurry of activity. On the
downside the similarities between some of the associations
is causing friction and uncertainty. Elsewhere, the main
association in the USA is actively expanding beyond its
borders and shaking up its membership structure in a bid
to retain its traditionally strong position.
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Speaker
recognition - Part 2 - March 2004
This is the second half of a two-part survey
into the area of speaker recognition technologies. While
the number of players in the market seems certain to
fall significantly over the next few years, the technology
itself is now achieving the sort of consistent accuracy
levels that will allow it to compete against other biometrics
and alternative security technologies. As well as enhanced
accuracy, other enhancements are also making the end
user experience easier than ever.
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Speaker
recognition - Part 1 - February 2004
This is the first part of a two-part survey into
the area of speaker recognition technologies. Speaker
recognition refers to a collection of technologies that
perform a range of applications including verification
and identification of an individual. Despite being a well
known biometric, this market is still in its infancy and
is made up from a large number of players.
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Facial
recognition - Part 2 - January 2004
This survey forms the second part of a review into facial
recognition technology. Part 2 focuses primarily on the
technological trends, the players in the market and the
capabilities of their products.
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Facial
recognition - Part 1 - November/December 2003
Out of all the biometric technologies, the facial recognition
sector has received the most attention in recent months.
Although the technology is not as accurate as some others,
such as fingerprint or iris recognition, it does have
unique features that elude other biometric modalities,
and that make it an attractive biometric to use in a multitude
of scenarios. The first part of this two-part survey looks
at the issues surrounding this technology, predicted market
sizes and the types of technology on offer. Part two will
look in depth at the companies and individual products
in this exciting market, as well as listing full contact
details for the main players.
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In
the Middle East - October 2003
Business is brisk in the Middle East, where national ID
schemes, commercial ventures and improving security at
borders are all providing impetus. Conditions may be challenging,
but the ambitious approach taken by some of the region's
governments should lead to some exciting and cutting edge
biometric schemes being deployed in the next few years...
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Hand-based
biometrics - July/August 2003
The human hand and finger provide the source for a number
of biometric techniques with geometry-based, vein and
palmprint technologies now available. Despite the availability
of technologies on the increase, however, the number of
companies in the market is decreasing each year. Nevertheless,
the overall revenue picture remains healthy with geometry
systems leading the way. Biometric market share erosion
is still occurring in this sector, however, and this is
a trend that will be hard to reverse.
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Selling
biometrics to the retail sector - June 2003
The retail sector is a potentially `hot' application area
for the biometrics industry. Fraudulent transactions and
identity theft are rising at unprecedented levels causing
unacceptable losses to retailers. Biometric technology
is proving successful in fighting these sorts of crimes,
and is attracting attention from some of the world's major
retailers. This attention has not yet matured into contracts,
however, so for now the use of the technology is confined
to small chains of stores, which are using the technology
primarily for secure cheque cashing.
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DSV
technology — good on paper? - May 2003
Signatures are a natural, traditional and accepted way
for people to prove their identity. A person's signature
implies their agreement with a transaction or business
deal and creates a bond that can later be submitted as
evidence in a court of law. As Btt discovers, it is this
purpose, rather than immediate user verification, which
is driving today's dynamic signature verification market.
Technology is also playing its part as more input devices
in the form of tablet PCs and cheaper stand alone tablets
hit the market.
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Biometric
middleware - February 2003
The biometric middleware market has a number of players
with impressive products and this is reflected in the
strong growth of this relatively new market segment. As
economic conditions pick up, then enterprises wanting
to streamline the complicated identity infrastructure
surrounding their various legacy IT systems will doubtless
turn to these types of products as a way of achieving
their goals. Meanwhile, certain legislative requirements
facing various vertical market sectors has also increased
the appeal of such systems.
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2002
market review - January 2003
Following years of mixed interest in biometric technology
by government and commercial organisations alike, 2002
was the year when the biometric industry was asked to
deliver on its promises. This interest was primarily in
response to the terrorist events of September 2001, as
the world's governments focused their attention on the
technology in an attempt to improve intelligence and strengthen
borders.
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Face
recognition: a new dimension - November/December 2002
3D facial recognition technology has not yet made any
significant progress in the commercial world, but its
promise of higher accuracy and better performance under
difficult conditions make it a technology that could attract
a great deal of attention over the coming year.
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Biometrics
and telecoms - October 2002
The telecoms sector holds the promise of massive revenues
for the biometrics industry. But before this dream can
be realised a lot of marketing, technical and mindset
changes need to occur.
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Biometric
standardisation - September 2002
The terrorist events of 11 September 2001 have resulted
in a substantial refocusing of standardisation efforts
within the biometric industry. Whereas the main focus
had been on internet security, the new drivers in the
industry are bringing secure travel, ID documents and
government applications to the fore.
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Silicon
sensors size up - July/August 2002
Although still not as widespread as optical fingerprint
sensors, silicon-based sensors have cleared many of the
technical hurdles that were historically holding the sector
back. Now the sensors are strong contenders in the market
thanks to decreasing prices and sizes and their increased
robustness. It may not be long before the sensors become
the technology of choice for many fingerprint-based applications.
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Speaker
recognition - June 2002
Speaker recognition refers to a collection of biometric
technologies that use features of a person's voice to
perform a range of operations, including authentication,
identification, classification, differentiation and lie
detection. Of those operations, speaker authentication–
use of a person's voice to certify they are who they claim
to be– is the most highly commercialised and most
widely deployed application of speaker-recognition technology.
Speaker-authentication deployments account for virtually
all implementations of speaker recognition in private
industry and is usually used for security .
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‘Smart’
cards use biometrics - May 2002
The combined usage of smart cards and biometrics has gained
in popularity over the last two years. While smart cards
themselves may be highly secure, many smart card suppliers
are acknowledging the advantage that biometrics can bring
to their products by linking the card to the owner. Meanwhile,
an advantage to the biometric industry is a privacy-friendly
medium to carry its templates. A number of high profile
applications have helped push the convergence of the technologies,
but a remaining question is how far this convergence will
actually go, with sensor-on-card products just around
the corner?
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A
healthy prognosis for biometric technologies - March 2002
In an increasingly complex healthcare environment, where
information can be shared by multiple organizations and
users, biometric technology is gradually gaining acceptance
as a vital part of the security equation. New legislation
is pushing this biometric adoption, but lead times still
remain lengthy.
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Alternative
biometrics - February 2002
Biometric Technology Today runs its survey on the lesser-known
and lesser-used biometric technologies once every two
years. These technologies often suffer from a lack of
funding and credibility making it extremely difficult
for them to gather momentum. This year, however, the amount
of progress made is impressive and it seems that at least
two of the biometrics could warrant their own surveys
in the not too distant future.
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2001
Market Review: Uncertain times - January 2002
As diverse a market as the biometric industry has become,
any review of the last 12 months cannot help but devote
a large proportion of space to the horrific events of
11 September 2001 and its consequences. Biometric Technology
Today attempts to put the year gone by into perspective.
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