Homeland security efforts to clamp down on fraudulent activities and illegal immigration along United States border areas have included a large increase in the use of biometrics applications, according to new research by Frost & Sullivan.

Titled “North American Biometrics in Border Control Applications Markets,” the report states the convenience and user friendliness of biometric solutions such as e-passports have made biometrics the security solution of choice to monitor cross-border activities. It also says the market earned revenues of $130 million in 2007 and estimates it could reach $730 million in 2014.

Although the government initially was reluctant to lend support to biometrics, a few major successful deployments at the air, land, and seaports won market vendors the support of the federal government, says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Neelima Sagar.

“Regulatory standards like the Visa Waver program mandated by the United States has opened up significant revenue that generates opportunities for biometric vendors,” Sagar says. “Collaborating and marketing the right technology for a specific application and educating people regarding privacy concerns through more trade shows and conferences will help vendors achieve significant profit margins.”

Fingerprint recognition has long been the most economical and well-suited technology for documents issuance and physical access control, says Sagar. “However, a shift in dynamics is expected as the price of face recognition and iris recognition systems declines,” he says.

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