Ali pointed out that computer original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are not biometrics experts, but that HP, and other commercial vendors, are increasingly incorporating biometrics capabilities into their products. Many HP computers, for example, are now supplied with a fingerprint reader that can be used for log in purposes.

He said one of the problems HP has faced, is that its fingerprint reader does not work for all customers, for example, and said this is one of the issues the biometrics industry must look at if it hopes for mass rollout.

Ali warned the biometrics industry that there are far too many standards out there, and that for non experts, it is very hard to know what to look for and how to make decisions on what technologies to include in products meant for mass rollout.

Finally, he also raised a security issue, namely what when people lose their laptop, “and people will lose their laptops”, and that laptop is full of their biometric data – could that pose a security risk to people’s identity?