The opportunity to monetize consumer identity applications is on the data side, says Sebastien Taveau, chief evangelist for Synaptics’ biometric product division.
“The big thing isn’t going to be the Internet of Things. The big thing is going to be the Internet of Me.”
Speaking yesterday at Cartes Secure Connexions Asia in Hong Kong, he said the Internet of Me is about getting a better experience that fits your specific needs. Telcos need access to consumer data to deliver a more customized and personalized experience, so they have to encourage and incentivize people to share their info. This is the only way they can have more effective marketing programs, since a mass-marketing approach no longer works.
The next step is the “Data of Me”, he said. “Everyone is over sharing today.
Now the consumer doesn’t get anything for sharing. But consumers are taking control of everything and want a business model that is going to address that.”
He said people are making more educated decisions on brands because they have access to more information and they want to be rewarded when they share their data.
The reward doesn’t necessarily have to be monetary – discounts, free offers, etc. - it can be a positive experience or recognition.
Taveau said it’s not just a battle around identity and authentication but around convenience and simplifying things.
He said identity is the new money -- people can now pay with their “faces”. In the US he now pays at Starbucks using facial recognition. He argues that password-based security mechanisms no longer suffice in the era of cloud computing.