Series 7 Episode 6 – Getting Biometrics Right

Henrik discusses the functionality and overall user experience (UX) of biometrics, as well as the cyber security and UX considerations that come with using such technology as a means of authentication. "Biometrics is all about convenience and security," the product manager explains, "and convenience is how we simplify things for everyday work."

Henrik goes on to explain that Fingerprints estimates people spend an average of 40 minutes a week on authentication, particularly when it comes to entering their usernames and passwords. "This takes up a lot of time ... We can simplify [this] with just a touch of a fingerprint on a sensor, which takes maybe a second or so to authenticate."

Fingerprints has focused on multiple biometrics technologies, such as those in smartphones, laptops, PCs – and even contactless bank cards. Card users, simply using their fingerprint on their card, "can authenticate [their] payment without having to enter the PIN code", Henrik explains. "And that's very convenient, especially now, when we are seeing more and more payments that are done with contactless."

Naturally, along with the importance of security and convenience, the reliability of Fingerprints' biometrics systems is also a must. "Of course, the user experience is key here. It should work fast, smooth – and you should be able to put your finger in whatever angle you want."

As biometrics has proved to be a staple part of authentication over recent years, particularly in smartphones, the dependability of fingerprint readers is indeed crucial. As Henrik puts it: users "should not have to think about how to use it. They should just use it and it should work".

To learn more about how Fingerprints' biometrics authentication systems achieve security, convenience, ease of use, and more, you can listen to the podcast on the below audio player, on Spotify, or on Apple Podcasts.