From Smartphones to Smart Homes: Consumer Biometrics Are Booming

The biometrics industry has seen explosive growth over the last several years, thanks in large part to advancements in technology and a growing awareness of the need for sophisticated biometric security in the years since 9/11. Government has therefore been a key driver of the market, across a wide range of sectors and applications.

But the consumer market has shown pronounced growth, too, particularly over the last few years. Much of the credit goes to Apple and its introduction of a fingerprint scanning system in the 2013 edition of its iPhone, which prompted a wave of fingerprint scanning phones that got consumers used to the idea of biometric identification. But the government’s use of this technology in airports and other applications has also helped this familiarization process.

Now, we’re seeing a proliferation of biometric technology in consumer-facing applications, and not only in the area of smartphones. Here’s a small sampling of recent examples:

Biometric authentication is starting to play a much bigger role on the world’s biggest web browser:

New Version of Chrome Supports Fingerprint Authentication for Websites

Chrome OS to Get Face Unlock Feature Suggests Code

Voice recognition technology is also spreading, across call centers and in the smart home:

Nuance Delivers Germany’s First Call Center Voice Recognition System

Voice Recognition Helps Google Assistant Protect Your Smart Home

Biometric technology is also extending to more everyday products…

IDEX Sensor Integrated Into Biometric Remote Control

… and getting more sophisticated in those where it’s already firmly in place:

Apple Watch’s New ECG Feature Opens Up New Authentication Potential

And that, of course, includes smartphones:

All Three New iPhones Feature Face ID Biometric Authentication