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Embracing contactless access solutions

In security matters, there has long been a discussion of the perils and virtues of authentication factors. Is it more secure to use something we have (like a key card), something we know (like a password), or something we are (like our face or fingerprint)?

While each has its advantages and drawbacks, the advancement of biometric technology has made the ‘something you are’ factor all the more viable. The GCC (The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf) is a famous early adopter of technologies, given digitalisation’s potential to propel societies to new efficiencies; and the region has lost no time in examining the potential of biometrics to strengthen physical security.

For example, in the United Arab Emirates, industry watchers are bullish about the biometric system market because of its potential to play a role in the country’s sustainable development goals. Biometrics has applications in the government, banking, and healthcare sectors, where the objective is not only robust security but streamlined authentication and waste reduction.

Many projects are in various stages of development. One example is the partnership announced in July this year between Abu Dhabi Airports and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Ports Security (ICP) to develop a biometric Smart Travel system for Zayed International Airport.

A worldwide surge in interest in biometrics emerged as one of five emerging trends in HID’s recently published State of Physical Access Trend Report. More than 1200 enterprise decision-makers were surveyed, and biometrics was found to be a common subject of feasibility studies, proofs of concept, pilots, and implementation projects.

By 2031, analysts expect the global market for biometrics to be worth more than US$136 billion. The global facial recognition market alone could reach almost US$17 billion by 2030, up from just under $4 billion in 2020 – a CAGR of almost 16%. When we asked decision-makers to name the top three trends shaping the wider access control industry in the coming years, nearly one in four (23%) chose biometrics. More than a quarter (26%) said they already used the technology, and a third (33%) indicated plans to test or implement biometrics within five years.

Far more than fingerprints

Another trend we are likely to see is a move away from traditional fingerprint scanning towards facial recognition, driven by the post-COVID favouring of contactless systems. Indeed, the general desire for contactless scanning may drive enterprises to evaluate technologies such as palm readers, touchless fingerprint readers, and even iris scanners.

Omdia projects a growth rate of 20% in facial recognition, driven by lower pricing and reduced error rates. Some studies, including NIST’s Face Recognition Vendor Test, suggest the latest recognition algorithms can achieve an accuracy of around 99,97%. However, ongoing technical challenges in overcoming poor lighting conditions or non-frontal face positions mean few equipment vendors can offer solutions as accurate as those in NIST’s findings.

Biometrics offers an ideal solution to human error. There is a memory requirement associated with ‘something you know’ factors and an organisational requirement (“please don’t lose this”) associated with ‘something you have’ methods. The employee cannot misplace or forget their face or their hands. While there are certainly drawbacks to biometrics, the potential to fulfil other requirements (sanitary conditions in a post-pandemic reality, for example) will make these systems the solutions of choice for regional organisations in the years to come.

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