“Looking at the United Nations’ refugee agency’s growing enthusiasm for biometric ID systems, Crossmatch very plausibly predicts an increasingly important role for these solutions in helping authorities to manage famine, social unrest, and other issues where tracking vulnerable populations must be accurate and effective.”
While the biometrics boom of the last several years has been remarkable, Crossmatch sees room for even greater growth going forward. Concluding its recent educational efforts through its blog series Behind the Biometric Boom, the company is now looking ahead at where biometric technology might go in the next few decades.
The blog post envisions a future in which biometric technology is used to instantly configure a range of smart devices to individual user preferences, adjusting everything from in-car settings – something we’re already seeing emerge today – to mattresses to indoor climate control. The technology will also play a greater role in medicine, with health records anchored to biometric markers, and various medical devices optimized with greater biometric sensitivities.
Meanwhile, the technology will also play a growing role in humanitarian work. Looking at the United Nations’ refugee agency’s growing enthusiasm for biometric ID systems, Crossmatch very plausibly predicts an increasingly important role for these solutions in helping authorities to manage famine, social unrest, and other issues where tracking vulnerable populations must be accurate and effective. And Crossmatch expects that biometric national IDs will also be used to establish greater economic activity in much of Africa, aided by the emergence of biometric payment systems along the lines of Aadhaar Pay in India.
It’s an optimistic outlook, but by no means an unfounded one. We’ve already seen the nearly revolutionary power of biometric technology over the first part of the 21st century, and with the technology continuing to advance, it’s a fair bet to expect more to come.
Follow Us