Fingerprint biometrics will remain the dominant biometric as it is the most widely deployed and therefore the most mature. It also doesn’t cost as much. Fingerprint readers will find their way not only to the entrances of more doors, but on more laptops and mobile devices.

Face readers will grow in popularity as a hands-free alternative. They have proven themselves in high-volume applications, such as The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel. It’s the world’s biggest casino in the world’s second largest building and 12,000 workers use 13 face readers placed at the employee entrance to authenticate themselves as they head into work.

Face readers will also be used for network access control with the development of desk cams that can authenticate users as they sit down in front of their PCs or laptops.

Biometrics are also finding their way into consumer products such as mobile phones and PDAs. Banks are turning to biometrics as well to authenticate online customers in response to the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s regulation recommendation that financial institutions use two-factor authentication in online transactions.

The industry is also heading towards physical/logical identity convergence. Administering physical and logical identity and access management under one unified policy has many benefits–it increases security, reduces redundancies and creates complete audit trails. However, there have been many barriers to adoption, such as the varying approaches to security taken by facilities operators and IT security staff and the fact that physical security products have been slow to become IP-enabled.

Yet, as companies move to meet compliance regulations that mandate strict access control processes, and as IP-based security products become the norm, more companies will begin unifying physical and logical identity management.

About the AVISIAN Publishing Expert Panel At the close of each year, AVISIAN Publishing’s editorial team selects a group of key leaders from various sectors of the ID technology market to serve as Expert Panelists. Each individual is asked to share their unique insight into what lies ahead. During the month of December, these panelist’s predictions are published daily at the appropriate title within the AVISIAN suite of ID technology publications: SecureIDNews.com, ContactlessNews.com, CR80News.com, RFIDNews.org, FIPS201.com, NFCNews.com, ThirdFactor.com, and DigitalIDNews.com.

Near Field Communications News and Insight
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