Top 10 Benefits of Contactless Biometric Authentication Technologies in the COVID-19 Era

With COVID-19 still at large, established business practices are changing. Lots of businesses utilize biometric authentication technology to verify the identities of clients and customers. Biometric authentication is a security process that uses the unique biological characteristics of an individual to verify their identity. These businesses are now in search of contactless methods of authentication.

This technology can serve many purposes. It can be used for security, employee clock-in and clock-out procedures, verifying visitors, and more. We’ve put together a list of the top 10 benefits of contactless biometric authentication technologies in the COVID-19 era.

1) Minimizes Exposure

Fingerprint identification is the most common means of authentication at the moment. Many businesses depend on this technology; however, requiring a fingerprint scan on a common surface could deter customers from using your services.

Using contactless technology lessens the chance of people spreading the virus to one another in your office by touching a common surface.

2) Speed and Efficiency

If you have employees, clients, and visitors signing in on a touchscreen surface, that likely means you’ll need to have someone clean and disinfect that surface between every single use. This leads to a lack of productivity for the person assigned to clean the screen and line buildup if several people are signing in at once. It’s just an inefficient system.

Contactless technology requires no touching, therefore, minimal cleaning. The system identifies the user’s face, then they’re done. It’s quick, simple, and highly efficient.

3) Allows Employees to Clock In and Out Quickly

Rather than technology that requires card swiping or fingerprint scanning, a contactless facial recognition system can be placed at the employee entrance so workers can clock in and out as they arrive and leave. No touching required.

4) Users Can Maintain Distance

As we mentioned earlier, a sign-in process that requires contact can lead to line buildup. Many workspaces don’t have space for a line of people all maintaining a 6-foot distance from one another.

A system that allows for speedier sign-in reduces the chance of a line forming with contactless technology.

5) Temperature Scanning

Our Fidentity Visitor Management System uses contactless biometric authentication technology. Along with its contactless facial recognition capabilities, Fidentity can take users’ temperatures and deny access to anyone who has a fever. This is a valuable feature as cases continue to rise.

6) Can Be Used For Security

Your building’s security guards can get contactless technology on their mobile devices. This would allow them to hold up their device, scan the person’s face, and verify their identity based on a stored image. This ensures that no unauthorized person enters the building.

7) Failsafe Technology

These systems can enable the use of deduplication and background cleanup to ensure accurate verification. 

• Deduplication is when the system receives a new image and scans through all stored images for duplicate data. Duplicate data can cause false authorization, so it’s important to have a system that recognizes duplicate data.
• Background Cleanup allows the system to ignore a cluttered background in an image so it can correctly recognize any face.

8) Store Up To 100,000 Images

Fidentity’s ZenScan can store up to 100,000 images for verification. This means that frequent visitors don’t have to restart the verification process each time they come to the office. The image of their face stays in the system and can be found the next time they come.

9) Store Health Check Information

If your business requires health checks before gaining access to the facility, that check can be put into the individual’s profile with their image. You can send visitors or clients a health survey before they arrive, channel their responses back into the system, and ensure that no one who has recently been exposed to someone with COVID-19 is authorized to enter the building.

10) Can Identify Users Wearing Masks

The CDC recommends wearing a face mask in public to protect others from exposure. This can be an issue with facial recognition, but Fidentity has been modified to recognize faces even when the person has a mask on. This means the user can sign in without taking their mask off.

As you can see, contactless technology is extremely valuable, and Fidentity is constantly being modified to make your job easier during this time. Not only does Fidentity physically keep people safe in your office, but it makes them feel safe. When we get to a point where we don’t need to worry about exposure in our workplaces, this technology will still be valid because it is an efficient alternative to other methods of authentication.