Getting the lay of the land can be an exercise in diversity, so it was no surprise that when Hi-Tech Security Solutions spoke to five industry players, they had varying viewpoints on what trends are apparent in biometrics today.
Getting the lay of the land can be an exercise in diversity, so it was no surprise that when Hi-Tech Security Solutions spoke to five industry players, they had varying viewpoints on what trends are apparent in biometrics today.
First up to the plate was Gary Chalmers, CEO of iPulse, who said that usability of systems was the trend coming to the forefront. “When biometrics was first introduced, like most new technologies, it, promised much more than it could actually deliver. In some respects, one could say, it started out more an art than a science. In the early days, many systems struggled to read fingerprints, especially from individuals with scarring, low blood pressure or extremely dry skin.
“However, the technology has thankfully evolved to a stage where the quality of reading is vastly improved and the functionality has increased exponentially. If you look at the Gartner Hype Cycle you will see that we are currently on the Plateau of Productivity, so things are definitely looking more promising.”
Referencing the Gartner Hype cycle, Chalmers said that he believes the Trough of Decline happened during 2005 to 2008 and although there has been no major breakthrough technology since this time, the usability of the biometric software systems of some suppliers have now resulted in far more stable products that are living up to, and starting to exceed, initial expectations.
Likewise, MD of ATEC, Frans Verwoerd said: “In South Africa the biometric access control market is moving from the early adopter phase of the product maturity lifecycle (c.f. Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore), to the pragmatist market. In this market, decision makers seek reference from proven technologies in similar industries and applications in which they are operating. A good example of this in the industry where ATEC operates, namely access control in residential estates. In the past it was just the larger, upmarket estates which could afford to try the technology because of their budgets. However, many of the smaller estates and complexes are now implementing the technology as it is now seen as proven for this specific industry.”
Charles Laxton, MD of Brand New Technologies believes that people no longer view biometrics as merely a fingerprinting technology. “There is definite evidence that iris and face recognition technologies are evolving at a rapid pace and are ideal for specific, niche applications such as crowd control. In addition, we need to acknowledge that biometrics is not only suitable for security purposes, but can also play a large role in convenience, at for example, airports where it can speed the processing at customs up substantially.”
Walter Rautenbach, MD of neaMetrics agrees that convenience for the individual is a big driver for biometrics. “Companies, on the other hand, also want more effective workforce and productivity management. They need to be able to track the whereabouts of employees within the facilities’ and to account accordingly for the production these employees bring to the table.
“We have noticed a trend towards the utilisation of mobile biometrics technology, like construction sites or farms, where workforce teams have to report at different locations and need to be accounted for. By using mobile technology, one is able to perform time and attendance duties with ease.”
Another buzzword meeting biometric technology today, according to Rautenbach, is that of cloud computing. “This is a very exciting way of managing huge amounts of data in cyberspace and reduces the conventional architectural risks associated with using standard servers to store and access data. However, storing data in the cloud still raises many questions regarding how secure individuals biometric data is, although it is sold as a more secure solution.”
Jonathan Kahn, MD of Virdi Distribution SA said that increasing access to information on circumvention of biometrics technology via the Internet and popularised crime scene investigation programmes mean that the industry has had to become more proactive in applying preventative measures.
What is new?
Kahn said that to counteract this growing knowledge base of hackers, the major manufacturers have had to employ increasingly complex algorithms for both software and hardware driven solutions.
“We have heard of a number of instances whereby perpetrators take photostat copies of a bona fide person’s fingerprints then wet the paper containing the fingerprint and place this on the fingerprint reader – and it worked! Obviously, this has led to the development of software to counteract this.”
Rautenbach concurred that biometric technology has improved through the improvement of algorithms. “The technology is not actually becoming cheaper, but it is becoming more cost effective because of the multitude of functional operations it is capable of. The wide interest in improving algorithms is on an upward trend at the moment with daily competitions running (FVC Ongoing) to ascertain the best-performing algorithms. Obviously this type of highly competitive research and development can only be advantageous to the industry as it greatly enhances the accuracy of systems.”
Verwoerd said that five years ago biometrics, due to its cost, was predominantly used by large corporations and government agencies. “However, with the maturity of some technologies, biometrics are now more widely used. Prominent examples of this are fingerprint readers on laptop computers, used for login purposes; time clocking and access into residential complexes.”
Look into my eyes
The common comment received from the respondents was that although iris and facial recognition technology has advanced in leaps and bounds, the databases currently available are nowhere near as comprehensive as fingerprint databases such as AFIS. Equally, though all agreed that there are certain applications that lend themselves quite happily to iris or facial recognition technology.
“We have seen a number of new installations in airports and for border control, especially in the Far and Middle East,” said Laxton. “The beauty of iris recognition technology is that it is non-intrusive, with no direct participation required from the subject. In addition, one can pick up an iris in an area of 1-square metre when the person is 3 metres away from the camera. The person does, however need to look directly at the camera for a valid scan to be performed but many of the cameras are able to track the person’s eye until a match is acquired.”
Kahn added that iris recognition technology has found its way into ATM applications. “Where additional verification is required for a person to perform transactions, iris recognition will act as an accurate backup to inputted pin codes. Banks can hide the technology away so it cannot be vandalised. A cautionary note, however, is that the lighting conditions for both iris and facial recognition technology need to be adequate in order to ensure a perfect match for verification purposes. For this reason, indoor applications are more desirable and therefore limit the eventual number of installations.”
Rautenbach agrees that facial recognition is fast gaining popularity because of its convenience of use. He is of the opinion that in some instances, subjects are enamoured with facial recognition technology because of its association with sci-fi type television programmes and movies. “They seem to find the idea of having their face scanned rather appealing, so this enthusiasm could be used to the advantages of the relevant authorities in building up a comprehensive database. It also does not have the same criminal connotation as fingerprints.”
Laxton said that the quality of images produced by facial recognition scanners is critical. “If an image is not clear, or it is too dark, for instance, then there will be no verification of identity possible. Obviously, the quality of the scanner is important, but so too is the ambient lighting and environment in which the camera is placed. To date, the quality of images within the facial database has been poor so there needs to be a drive towards the initial capturing of images in a high-quality digital format.”
Another common consensus amongst the interviewees is that while fingerprint technology, for the immediate future anyway, will remain the predominant technology of choice for identification and verification, facial and iris recognition technology has a huge complementary role to play in total, integrated multimodal biometrics systems. “With fingerprints the possibility also exists to close the identity loop through the comparison of data against current criminal and Civil AFIS systems where such databases do not exist for facial and iris,” said Rautenbach.
“We still have a long way to go until iris and facial recognition technology is of a standard acceptable to the authorities, and at a price tag that does not cripple the economy. Sadly, there has been too much over-promise accompanied by under-delivery,” said Chalmers.
Crystal ball?
So what does the future hold for biometrics in both South Africa and across our borders? All interviewees were optimistic about the growth curve the sector has entered and all indications are that the footprint of installed systems will continue to grow at an encouraging pace.
Fingerprint biometrics continues to remain a favourite with all African countries but iris and facial recognition are now stepping out of their Cinderella status. “The most pressing concern with facial recognition is that the technology is not currently geared towards bright light conditions and darker complexions so that could pose a problem within Africa. Obviously, manufacturers will need to address this issue if they wish to gain acceptance for their systems,” said Rautenbach.
Rautenbach added that organisations like the UN and other international NGO partners have become increasingly involved in monitoring the allocation of funds to developing countries. “It has become a prominent requirement to use biometric technology to record and authenticate the identities of the beneficiaries, to ensure that fraud is kept to a minimum and so that funds reach the people for which it is intended.”
Challenges which companies continue to face with many African countries include the red tape when trying to get approval on tenders; tender irregularities and fraud.
“As the African countries continue to build their population and voter registration registers and issue identity documents, passports and driver’s licences, biometrics will play a huge role in the capturing and verification of data,” said Laxton. “Obviously, the countries that can most take advantage of biometrics are those that have a good database in place.”
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