News and insight into biometric identification and authentication

Australia seeing growth in biometrics usage

Monday, June 15, 2009

National Australia Bank (NAB), a banking company in Australia, is one of the latest organizations in the country to begin using biometric systems to better secure their operations, according to a Computer Weekly article. NAB has deployed voice biometrics to better and more quickly authenticate their customers utilizing the bank’s call center. Other organizations also have begun using biometric technologies, such as NAB competitor HSBC who has employed facial recognition for better securing their customers’ accounts.


A major concern for companies and organizations moving forward with such systems has been security of the data collected as biometric experts warn of the public perception of biometric data collection as a breach of privacy in the first place.

Many still report great success with adopting new security standards such as the nursery school at Berkshire Shared Services (BSS) whom utilize a fingerprint system for parental access. Officials from BSS have reported that although it was tricky to implement, it has been exceptionally cost efficient in the end.

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RNCOS has released a report predicting the Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) standard will lead to “robust growth” in the smart card market.

The report, titled “Smart Card Market Forecast to 2012,” also predicts a surge in the telecom and financial/retail/loyalty sectors, with unit shipments of applications growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of approximately 13% and 17% respectively during 2010-2012.

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RNCOS, an industry research firm, has released a new report detailing an expected compound annual growth rate of 9% for automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS) and that the growth is likely to be driven by private companies as opposed to government entities.

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India’s Social Welfare Department has implemented the Beggars Personal Management System to track beggars using biometrics. This effort is to fight recent large-scale deaths and mismanagement within colonies, according to a Deccan Herald article.

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Frost & Sullivan has released a report for the North American biometrics market under its Automatic Identification and Security Growth Partnership Services program. The report specifies that continued growth in the market is expected with forecasted revenues of more than $1.5 billion in 2016.

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Safran SA, a Paris-based developer of defense-related electronics, is in talks to buy the majority of biometrics developer L-1 Identity Solutions, according to a Bloomberg article. Safran is one of multiple bidders to purchase the company, who has seen big jumps in its stock price recently.

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The Biometrics Institute, a not-for-profit run for and by the biometrics industry, has launched its Annual Industry Survey looking for input on current business and future plans from key players in the biometrics industry in Australia and New Zealand.

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