The Goode Intelligence research analysis and consultancy organisation for the mobile security industry, has issued a new market forecast report revealing that the market for mobile biometric security products and services is set to grow significantly over the next six years.

Goode Intelligence reports that as a result of the combination of Apple’s positive move with Touch ID and the creation of a strong ecosystem to support biometrics on consumer mobile devices, by 2018, 3.4 billion users will be using biometrics on their mobile devices, generating almost US$8.3 billion worth of revenue for the biometrics industry.

The report details that fingerprint sensors will become standard in most high-end smart mobile devices by 2015 and become common in all mobile devices shipped during 2018.

The report, Mobile Biometric Security – Market Forecast Report 2013 – 2018, shows that the key drivers behind this market growth and the adoption of mobile biometric security include the consumerisation of biometrics. Apple has changed everything and has again disrupted a market and rebranded biometrics as a convenient method of communicating with consumer technology. Previously, Biometrics has largely been associated with high-end security; border control, national ID solutions and for providing access control for high-security buildings. This has all changed with the Apple iPhone 5s and Touch ID.

In addition biometrics provides convenient mobile device protection. Existing mobile device authentication is cumbersome and inconvenient. This means that many devices are left with no protection. Replacing a PIN or Passcode with an easy-to-use biometric can reduce this burden.

It is also fair to say that mobile devices have become the prime method of carrying out digital commerce yet identity verification and payment authorisation has not yet been updated to match this form factor. Biometrics can offer a convenient and secure method to prove identity and to authorise payments.

According to Goode, most of the major authentication vendors support, or have plans to support, biometrics in their authentication products. This will be supported by authentication standards initiatives such as the FIDO Alliance that will enable biometrics to be easily utilised, when available, on mobile devices.