NEC’s NeoFace product has proven to be among the most robust biometric facial recognition algorithms in the marketplace, according to market analysts Frost & Sullivan.
Based on a recent analysis of the strong authentication market, Frost & Sullivan has recognised NEC with its 2014 Award for Customer Value Leadership. F&S said that NEC had done the most to introduce facial recognition biometrics into mainstream commercial applications.
NEC’s NeoFace product offering includes NEC’s core facial recognition capabilities, such as image processing, face detection, quality assessment, template encoding, and matching. It is available as either a “SDK” or “Appliance” for integration in facial recognition solutions. NEC will demonstrate the technology at the upcoming Intersec 2014 (International Trade Fair for Security and Safety) conference at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from 19–21 January 2014 on stand #SA-518C.
The proliferation of mobile devices with front-facing cameras and powerful processors, along with organizations’ open standards approach, has given a boost to the adoption of NEC’s facial recognition authentication solutions. NEC has leveraged its 40 years of accrued expertise and proven facial recognition core technology to develop solutions for a number of investigation, mobility, and surveillance applications.
“NEC’s NeoFace suite of products offers a high degree of irrefutability and the flexibility to be applied to a number of compelling use cases, making it ideal to address the need for strong authentication, as well as identification,” said Frost & Sullivan Industry Principal Frank Dickson. “Demonstrated by NeoFace Reveal’s success in identification, NEC’s face-matching algorithms ensure accuracy and selectivity, regardless of database size and image quality. Additionally, the use of facial recognition biometrics removes the need for one-time password (OTP) devices that are often required for strong authentication.”
NeoFace has been validated by comprehensive testing conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), with tests ranging from one-to-one verification to large-scale, high-volume identification matching. NEC’s facial recognition technology was ranked number one in the Biometric Grand Challenge’s (MBGC) “Still Face Challenge,” carried out by NIST and commissioned by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2009.
Apart from providing a high degree of irrefutability, authentication also needs to be flexible, cost-effective and convenient. As facial recognition biometrics can be offered on almost all of the mobile devices in the market today, it saves companies the cost of supplying specialty devices such as OTP tokens. Not only does it do away with multiple steps for authentications, facial recognition is easy for administrators to implement and has high adoption rates among the users.
“Overall, with a pragmatic product roadmap, Frost & Sullivan expects NEC to make facial recognition biometrics a market reality in mainstream commercial applications for authentication and in government applications for identification,” noted Dickson.
Frost & Sullivan’s customer value leadership award aims to recognise companies which focus on enhancing value to customers, not simply by providing good customer service but in providing products that ultimately meet customer need and help retain existing customers while winning new ones.
NEC Corporation is a multinational company based in Japan. It provides information technology services and products and has over 100,000 employees worldwide. It is a biometrics pioneer, holding a leadership position in biometrics-matching technology for more than 30 years. NEC provides multi-modal biometric identification technology with facial recognition and fingerprint recognition. Many of the applications target government and law enforcement applications.
Frost & Sullivan, which bills itself as the growth partnership company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants.
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NEC to exhibit at Intersec Dubai 2014
