Confidence and control: how to understand that it is time for your company to implement biometric identification

Every year biometric technologies find successful application in new fields: from industry to retail. And, nevertheless, some business representatives still consider biometrics as something complex and intended only for the “chosen ones”, for example, for airports or banks.
In fact, such attitudes turn out to be a common prejudice. Over the years of work in the field of creating and implementing ready-made biometric solutions, the RecFaces team has become convinced that biometrics can be successfully used in the work of enterprises of any specialization and scale. In this article, we will figure out how to understand when a company should think about implementing biometric identification.
Table of Contents
- Requirement of enhanced security
- The need to increase the level of comfort for employees and visitors
- The need for reliable data
- Image component
- Fears, prejudices, myths
- “It's very difficult”
- “Everything is all right on our end here”
- “We are a small company, why do we need this”
- “Employees will not understand”
Requirement of enhanced security
“Wake-up calls” here are becoming more frequent incidents, an increase in the number of violations of the access regulations, possible facts of fraud on the part of staff. The presence of at least one of these factors is a reason to think about the introduction of biometric identification.
Improving the level of security is the primary task of facial biometrics. The use of facial recognition technology in video surveillance systems and ACS is the most modern tool for ensuring the physical security of the company, as well as the reliability of data.
“Smart” video surveillance in real time detects the presence of unwanted persons on the territory of the enterprise and promptly notifies the security of their appearance. Biometric identification allows you to fill in weak points in security systems. Sometimes a company needs to differentiate the access of employees in facilities where it is physically impossible to install ACS, for example, on turnstiles, doors, as well as in open production workshops of the enterprise or common areas of business centers. The solution to the problem is virtual access control points. Video cameras equipped with a face recognition function track the movement of personnel without contact. If violations of the access regulations are detected, the system automatically notifies authorized employees about them.
It is worth emphasizing that the presence of a security service is not always a guarantee of well-timed prevention or effective investigation of possible incidents. The main reason for its imperfection lies in the human factor (the operator did not follow the monitors, the guard at the checkpoint does not know all the employees by sight). The use of biometric technologies allows you to exclude possible errors.
The need to increase the level of comfort for employees and visitors
Taking care of the convenience of your employees is no longer the “gesture of goodwill”, but an urgent need and a way to improve the image of the employer. Automation of routine processes through the introduction of biometric identification makes the stay of employees and customers on the company's territory much more comfortable. First of all, we are talking about the use of biometrics in the work of the ACS. Anyone who has worked at a large enterprise or in a large office building is well aware of the problem of queues at the checkpoint during “rush hours”. Get annoyed at an intern from a near-by department who forgot his REFID card at home or get angry at yourself for not being able to find a pass in your own bag on the first attempt — the last thing an employee wants to do at the start of the working day. Replacing traditional cards with a biometric identification system significantly speeds up the process of personnel passing through the control zone.
The need for reliable data
Biometrics can act not only as a tool for improving security or comfort, but also as a source of reliable data. “Who owns the information, he owns the world” — this phrase is attributed to the famous banker Nathan Rothschild. Of course, biometrics does not guarantee world domination, but the opportunity to be aware of the main processes within the enterprise may well give.
Returning to the field of security, we will give a curious example. An employee goes on an “unauthorized” vacation and is absent from the workplace for a week. All this time, the pass in the control zone is helpfully “rolled” by a colleague instead of it. The management, in turn, is in complete ignorance. This story may seem like an ordinary case. And, nevertheless, such incidents are not so rare at all. Especially in large enterprises with a numerous staff. When using biometric ACS, this situation is completely excluded. After all, unlike an RFID card, a person's face cannot be transferred to either a colleague or a friend and it is impossible to put the authorities in the dark.
Biometric identification also helps to monitor the working hours of employees. CEO always wants to know that his subordinates are busy during working hours and are not discussing about fishing with a colleague from another department.
The introduction of the face recognition technology into the video surveillance system at the enterprise allows not only to record the facts of the arrival and departure of employees, but also to track the trajectory of their movement around the building. To record the working hours of employees, you can also use password-free access systems to corporate information systems based on biometric identification. Such an opportunity, for example, is provided by the Id-Logon software solution developed by RecFaces company and integrated with Microsoft Active Directory. Authorization at the service computer “by face” increases the level of information security of the company. After all, unlike a password, an employee's face cannot be forgotten or forged. After the employee leaves the workplace, access to the computer is automatically blocked. If necessary, two-factor authorization based on a password and biometric data can also be used. This provides additional protection against unauthorized access to the company's systems.
In some business fields, the information obtained with the help of biometrics also becomes the basis for conducting marketing research. First of all, in retail. A video surveillance camera with biometric identification installed at the entrance to the retail floor provides comprehensive statistics on the number of unique and repeat visitors, their gender and age. Based on the data obtained, you can create an accurate portrait of the store's target audience, track the dynamics of customer activity and evaluate the effectiveness of marketing activities carried out.
Image component
Creating the image of a technological up-dated company is another task that can be solved by the introduction of biometric products. This cannot be called the primary function of biometrics. And, nevertheless, the use of facial recognition technologies often causes a wow effect among partners or customers of the company. And it allows you to stand out from the competition. For example, the Id-Welcome software solution from the RecFaces product line generates personalized greeting messages for a group of people or a specific person. A video surveillance camera on the input group identifies a person and automatically gives the system a command to display the specified content on the screen. For example, it can be a birthday greeting for an employee or a greeting for VIP guests of the company.
Fears, prejudices, myths
Let's consider the most popular prejudices and arguments against the introduction of biometric identification in the business environment.
“It's very difficult”
Biometric technologies are developing extremely fast today. Just five years ago, biometric algorithms were a complex set of mathematical libraries. Before implementing them, they had to be fine-tuned and adjusted to a specific company. This was indeed a time-consuming process that required significant time expenditures. However, with the advent of ready-made biometric products, the situation has changed radically. For example, the implementation of a project based on Id-Gate or Id-Guard software solutions from RecFaces takes only 20 minutes.
“Everything is all right on our end here”
The security service, the video surveillance system or the new ACS terminals — all this, of course, gives the company a certain confidence in security. But practice shows that in fact this sense of security turns out to be an illusion. Traditional security systems have a lot of flaws. Biometric identification is much more reliable and on the scale of an individual enterprise does not actually leave “loopholes” that can be used by attackers.
“We are a small company, why do we need this”
Of course, the larger the enterprise and the more numerous its staff, the more acute the need for using biometric solutions will be. However, the experience of RecFaces suggests that small companies can also benefit a lot from implementing projects with facial recognition technology. After all, key business tasks, such as increasing the level of safety and comfort or obtaining reliable information, are equally relevant for enterprises of any scale.
“Employees will not understand”
The negative attitude of the staff to the introduction of biometric identification is another common concern of the business. In reality, the stage of rejection is quite short. No need to constantly carry a pass with you or memorize new complex computer passwords every month — all this quickly transforms an irrational fear of a certain “Big Brother” into the pleasure of interacting with modern technologies.
You can get acquainted with the capabilities of biometric products and learn more about their applications at the free online RecFaces’ courses.