What Are the Benefits of Multiple Biometric Systems?

A biometric system that utilizes more than one core technology for user authentication is referred to as multimodal (in contrast to monomodal). Many vendors suggest that multimodal systems can offer more security for the enterprise and convenience for the end user. There are three types of multimodality in the biometric world: synchronous, asynchronous, and either/or.

Either/or multimodality describes systems that offer multiple biometric technologies, but only require verification through a single technology. For example, an authentication infrastructure might support facial, voice, and fingerprint at each desktop and allow users to verify through any of these methods. A number of vendors have developed enabling middleware that allows for authentication by means of various biometrics. The benefit of this system is that biometrics, instead of passwords, can be used as a fallback. To have access to either/or multimodality, a user must enroll in each technology. To use finger, face, and voice, for example, one must become familiar with three devices and three submission processes. As a key performance indicator in biometrics is ease-of-use, requiring familiarity with multiple processes can be problematic.

IBG is at the forefront of multimodal biometrics (or multiple biometrics) research, and IBG maintains the industry's most up-to-date and authoritative report on Multimodal Biometrics.