Record growth for Biometrics Institute

The Biometrics Institute says it has reached a total membership of 182 organisations, representing more than 650 individuals from around the world.? "We witnessed record membership growth last year and this trend is continuing," says Isabelle Moeller, chief executive of the Biometrics Institute. Over the past year, membership has gone from 163 to 182 organisations. Our most recent members represent organisations from all regions of the globe including Metrobank UK, World Privacy Forum USA, HSBC, Danish Prison and Probation Service and University of Konstanz Germany."The Biometrics Institute is the only global membership organisation for biometrics and is supported by government agencies, other users including banks, airlines and airports, suppliers of biometric technologies and services as well as the research community. The number of members from the financial sector has now reached 15 including ANZ Bank, Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and MasterCard among others.?Several organisations have chosen to upgrade to a global membership to encompass their employees in different countries under the one umbrella membership."Morpho has strengthened its partnership with the Biometrics Institute, by taking out a global membership. Morpho and the Biometrics Institute share the common objective of encouraging and facilitating a wider acceptance and adoption of biometric technologies worldwide," says Thomas Chenevier, chief operating officer of Morpho.The Biometrics Institute is now focusing on broadening its coverage so that organisations representing the consumer sector, especially those who offer information sharing services are able to benefit from membership and engage in the dialogue with existing members."There is such great innovation coming from these companies and we continue to encourage their participation in our discussions and in membership," explains Moeller. "Our industry survey confirmed that biometrics on mobile devices are the key trend. While we continue to see government applications in identity and security, consumer biometrics are clearly a growing area. We are looking forward to involving such companies in future discussions in this truly independent and international forum."The Biometrics Institute recently held a joint-meeting with the Natural Security Alliance and MobeyForum in Paris and is establishing closer links with the FIDO Alliance, all with the aim of engaging with related organisations wanting to promote the responsible use of biometrics.?It is continuing its consultation with industry over the Biometrics Institute Trust Mark, and it is currently reviewing its Privacy Guideline, a guide for members defining best-practice which may sometimes differ from legislation in some countries.?"We are also encouraged and motivated by the increased interest in the Biometrics Institute's expert and sector groups focusing on privacy, technology, vulnerability assessments and the newest group on borders," says Moeller. "These groups offer another way for members to engage, share and guide best practice in an exclusive forum."

Also in the news:

Zetes chosen to personalise Belgian eID Magicard launches retransfer ID card printer Blackboard and Entrust Datacard team up for student ID