The ID Talk Podcast

FaceTec's Jay Meier returns to the ID Talk podcast to delve deeper into his company's important new solution for identity verification—the UR Code. Officially announced at September's Identity Week America event in Washington, D.C., the UR Code is essentially a QR code that operates as a biometric ID. An issuing authority – such as a Department of Motor Vehicles – encodes the biometric and biographic data of an individual into the code, which can then be scanned and matched to the person's face, confirming that they are who the issuing authority believes them to be.

It's a highly conceptual, well-thought-out system of identity assurance, and one that provokes a lot of follow-up questions, which Jay is here to answer. And Jay has thought carefully about this technology, and about identity assurance more broadly; besides his role as FaceTec's SVP of North American Operations, Jay holds important advisory roles with the Identity Theft Resource Center Biometrics Working Group and the Kantara Deep Fake IDV Working Group, and his expertise rings through whenever he speaks with the ID Talk team.

Listen to the full conversation to get a thorough explanation of what UR Codes are, how they work, and why they're poised to solve some of the trickiest problems in identity verification.

Show Notes:
ID Talk interview with Jonathan Drape-Comyn: https://idtalk.transistor.fm/episodes/id-talk-identity-weeks-jonathan-drape-comyn-on-putting-15-months-into-a-week
Identity Week Asia 2024: https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/identity-week-asia/
Shanghai University Researchers Claim Success in Quantum Hack of RSA Encryption: https://idtechwire.com/shanghai-university-researchers-claim-success-in-quantum-hack-of-rsa-encryption/

This week, the ID Talk podcast is very fortunate to welcome Javier Galbally, a Capability Building Officer in Research and Development for eu-LISA, the European Union agency overseeing some of the most important IT systems across the bloc, including border management systems like the Schengen Information System (SIS), the Visa Information System (VIS), and Eurodac, which are essential for the secure flow of information among EU member states.

The European Union is one of the most complex political and state-building enterprises in history, and its modern IT infrastructure is supporting some very ambitious technological projects, including the often-delayed Entry-Exit System, which will apply biometric border control to the perimeter of the EU's Schengen zone of free travel. In his conversation with ID Talk hosts Tony Bitzionis and Alex Perala, Galbally offers both a big-picture view of his agency and an insider's perspective on what it's like working on such large-scale, complex, and sometimes politically sensitive projects.

It also helps that Galbally is a bona fide biometrics expert, with direct subject matter expertise. With his skill set and position within eu-LISA, Galbally offers tremendous insights on EU infrastructure, eu-LISA itself, and one of the most important identity technology projects underway in the 21st century.

On this week's episode of the ID Talk podcast, co-hosts Tony Bitzionis and Alex Perala talk with Jonathan Drape-Comyn, Head of Sales for Identity Week. With a very successful Identity Week America having wrapped in Washington, D.C. a few weeks ago, and Identity Week Asia quickly coming up in Singapore, ID Talk takes the opportunity to get a peek behind the curtain of one of the biggest event organizers in the identity technology industry.

Part of a highly organized, professional, and friendly team, Jonny offers candid thoughts and observations about Identity Week's events and how they fit into the bigger picture of the biometrics and identity tech industry. Among other things, he details the complexities of planning these major events, discusses some distinctions between the different conferences, and provides insights into how Identity Week manages to attract a diverse and respected lineup of attendees across the private and public sectors.

The discussion crystallizes the importance of interconnection and networking in the identity tech space. As Jonny notes, face-to-face interaction is essential to an industry built on trust. Listen to the full conversation to get the big picture about one of the identity industry's most important conference circuits.

Show Notes:Identity Week Asia runs October 22-23
https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/identity-week-asia/

China Extends Blockchain Beyond Borders with New Malaysian IDV Service
https://idtechwire.com/china-extends-blockchain-beyond-borders-with-new-malaysian-idv-service/

Prism Project Government Report Preview:
https://www.the-prism-project.com/gs-report-download-form

On the latest episode of ID Talk, Frost & Sullivan's Danielle VanZandt returns to the pod to discuss the identity technology industry's biggest M&A story of the moment. Danielle dives into IN Group's exclusive talks to acquire Idemia's identity division from Advent International, a deal thought to be valued at over $1 billion and expected to close in early 2025. The conversation explores what this acquisition means for the industry, the potential impacts on major players like Thales and NEC, and how the French government's involvement might raise regulatory questions. Danielle also shares insights into Idemia's business history and speculates on the long-term implications for the brand. It's an insightful discussion about one of the most potentially impactful business deals in the industry.

News stories referenced in this week's show:

Amid Stabilizing Market Conditions, Advent Looks to Seal a Deal for Idemia’s Identity Business
https://idtechwire.com/amid-stabilizing-market-conditions-advent-looks-to-seal-a-deal-for-idemias-identity-business/

Gartner Forecasts 500 Million Mobile ID Users by 2026
https://idtechwire.com/gartner-forecasts-500-million-mobile-id-users-by-2026/

Identity Industry Shrugs Off the Politics in Cautiously Optimistic SIA Survey
https://idtechwire.com/identity-industry-shrugs-off-the-politics-in-cautiously-optimistic-sia-survey/

On this week's episode of ID Talk, co-hosts Tony Bitzionis and Alex Perala are joined by Anand Acharya and Pallavi Sharma, who discuss their work on Bhutan NDI, a pioneering national digital ID program that incorporates blockchain and biometric technologies. Among other things, the conversation delves into the historical and geographic factors that led to the digital ID project, the system's architecture and its rationale, and the project's ambitious plans for the future—and it illustrates how a relatively small country can technologically leapfrog larger states in implementing new technologies.

Show notes:

IN Groupe's proposed acquisition of Idemia:
https://idtechwire.com/amid-stabilizing-market-conditions-advent-looks-to-seal-a-deal-for-idemias-identity-business/

ID Talk's new homepage:
https://idtalk.transistor.fm/

The Bredemarket blog:
https://bredemarket.com/2024/09/19/in-groupe-idemia/