printer friendly version

Biometric Industry Forum launched

The Biometric Industry Forum (BIF), launched 9 February 2010, offers its members free access to the annual BiometriX conference, meetings, special interest groups and workshops held throughout the year, monthly newsletters, inclusion in the supplier directory and access to tenders.

“The BIF feels that these are excellent benefits, given the annual cost of R7500 per person, and that they enable users and potential users of these technologies to benefit from networking, international updates and local implementation strategies,” states Carol Willis, general manager of smart x central intelligence, an industry association focusing on smart technology.

“Its formation follows the 15 years’ experience smart x has had in running forums such as this and the success of the BiometriX conferences, which have been in operation for two years. As the only providers of this service in the country, we decided to launch the BIF after two years of research and lots of pressure from our members.”

Mission, goals

Its mission is to facilitate the responsible implementation and use of the biometric technology and aid users and interested parties. These include government agencies, vendors, consultants, manufacturers, universities and research institutions which are involved in the biometrics field. Its goals are to:

Promote due consideration to privacy concerns.

* Promote responsible and ethical implementation and use of biometric technology.

* Stimulate discussions between users and vendors within the forum.

* Educate and inform members, businesses and connected communities.

* Promote awareness of standards development, benchmarks and test regimes for industry.

* Encourage appropriate research and development of biometric technologies.

International access

Smart x central intelligence operates within an international network of professional associations concerned with smartcard, RFID technologies and related emerging technologies. World membership exceeds 500 companies in the UK, Africa and the Asia Pacific regions. It has been in operation as an association since 1995 (Smart Card Society of Southern Africa) and in 2007, in response to the changing face of the industry and new technologies, it refreshed its brand and company focus and established the new name.

Biometrics comprises methods for uniquely recognising humans based upon one or more intrinsic physical or behavioural traits. In IT, biometrics is used as a form of identity access management and access control using technologies that measure and analyse human body characteristics, such as fingerprints, eye retinas and irises, voice patterns, facial patterns and hand measurements, for authentication purposes.

Share this article:

Further reading: