Government Emerges As the Biggest Spender on Biometrics in the SEA... -- KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The governments of Southeast Asia (SEA) and Australia-New Zealand (ANZ) are investing heavily in security projects and infrastructure, such as border control systems and national ID programs, which bodes well for the biometrics market in the two regions. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regulation mandating all the countries to implement biometric passports by 2015 is further accelerating the growth of the market. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.autoid.frost.com), Analysis of the Southeast Asia and Australia-New Zealand Biometrics Market, finds that the market revenue is expected to reach around US$600.0 million in 2016. Participants are investing heavily in R&D to make continuous improvements to their product lines and to enhance their competitiveness. Once the government vertical reaches saturation, biometrics market participants will shift their focus to verticals such as banking, consumer electronics, and healthcare where competition is not yet intense. The consumer electronics vertical will be particularly attractive due to the rise in near field communication (NFC) payment. "Smart phones that provide the NFC features are expected to adopt biometrics to provide authentic access to users," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Vivek K Reghu. This will generate significant revenues for the market. In the healthcare vertical, the passing of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ensuring confidentiality of patients' information compel hospitals to tighten security. This prompts investments in biometric systems. However, the financial downturn in Europe, the United States and Japan has pegged back the market in spite of its capabilities and importance. Tightening of government budgets too has delayed the implementation of projects in infrastructure and security. The market has also slowed down to some extent due to concerns over privacy. Key projects such as the civil ID program were halted in ANZ due to strong opposition from the public as well as the opposition parties. "Biometrics vendors need to increase awareness through marketing and convince people that their private credentials are stored securely," noted Reghu. Such proactive efforts and robust R&D can go a long way in optimally tapping the market's potential. Analysis of the Southeast Asia and Australia-New Zealand Biometrics Market is part of the Automatic Identification & Security Growth Partnership Services program, which also includes research in the following markets: ANZ Biometrics Market, Global Civil and Military Biometrics Market Assessment, Indian Biometrics Market, and World Biometrics Market. Analysis of the Southeast Asia and Australia-New Zealand Biometrics P6DA-11