Dr. Peter Waggett, project leader for IBM’s Emerging Technology Programme and chairman of the BSI Biometrics Group spoke at a recent Christmas lunch for Global Bio Tec partners, stakeholders and management in Leamington Spa.
The key question during open discussion with Dr. Wagget was do potential buyers and the public hesitate to install and accept fingerprint biometrics because of the historic and cultural links of taking fingerprints with criminality? What do you think?
Dr. Waggett was there in his capacity as a mentor who has helped advise GBT on setting up and developing their Connective Touch range of biometric access control systems.
Helping the market to understand and adopt biometric solutions is a key goal of the Biometric Centre of Excellence that GBT has helped to found. Dr Waggett was supportive of its aims and said, “The centre of excellence can spread the message on how successful biometric solutions can be developed, following research and development, design and production that will fulfil the market’s need for solutions that deliver on their promise.”
After acknowledging the dedication and determination of GBT founder Devi Sohanta to develop fingerprint verified access control systems that can be used with confidence across a wide range of sectors Dr. Waggett discussed the growing acceptance of fingerprint biometrics. Fingerprint biometric solutions currently account for around 40 per cent of current applications. He predicts that this can only grow as other countries follow the US example of requiring all entrants into the country to provide a fingerprint and as the UK progresses to adopting biometric passports.
One of the issues for biometric technology and fingerprint biometrics has been the fact that there have been few standards for solution developers and manufacturers to follow. Dr Waggett noted the work that the BSI group has been doing in this area with the launch of a PAS for Biometrics anticipated in 2011.
An interesting point to bear in mind is that Singapore as a country rely heavily on the use of fingerprint biometrics on identity cards.
ReplyDeleteIn the UK biometric technology is becoming the norm with schools who operate a cashless system of buying lunches. Stastics show that there has been a drop in bullying in these schools.
But are we going to see biometrics introduced in to the UK?
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