The Security Industry Association (SIA) and the Identification Technology Association (IdTA) announced today that IdTA members will become members of SIA and guide a new SIA Identity and Biometric Technology Advisory Board. IdTA will dissolve its operations and work with SIA’s leadership to recruit additional biometric and identity solution businesses as SIA members. Effective January 1, 2021, CLEAR, Leido and SAIC will become SIA members while other current IdTA members IDEMIA and NEC will continue their active membership within SIA.

“SIA is proud to welcome members of the IdTA into the SIA community,” said Don Erickson, CEO of SIA.  “Business leaders’ confidence in SIA reflects our vision to serve as a strong platform for companies to elevate the value of innovative identification technologies before government officials, media, and channel partners. SIA has a successful record of providing education and advocacy to the identification sector over many years. However, through the involvement of these notable global businesses on the Identity and Biometric Technology Advisory Board, we are excited to increase SIA’s value proposition for participating companies.”

As part of its robust government relations program, SIA has successfully advocated for the benefits and effective use of biometrics and other advanced identification technologies before federal and state government officials. Specific examples of advocacy activities have included testimony about implementation of Personal Identity Verification (PIV) and other secure credentials, public opinion research into facial recognition technology, collaboration with agencies responsible for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program and promoting funding for key government biometrics programs, homeland security grants and supporting policies.

The IdTA Executive Committee expressed its enthusiasm to work within SIA to advance the priorities identified by the new advisory board, saying, “We are convinced that the mission of SIA strongly aligns with the goals and objectives of IdTA. By becoming founding members of the SIA Identity and Biometric Technology Advisory Board, our members have access to greater capabilities of SIA. As the biometric industry continues to mature, the technology is driving innovation in sectors beyond the federal public sector. We see the need to expand our engagement into other private sector markets including critical infrastructure, commercial security and consumer electronics.”

With today’s announcement, SIA extends its exclusive advisory board structure beyond its current Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Advisory Boards. It is envisioned that the Identity and Biometric Technology Advisory Board will guide the development of several initiatives, including but not limited to a series of virtual and/or in-person networking roundtables with government officials, periodic SIA-led official meetings with policymakers and key agency procurement officials, input into educational content developed by SIA such as identity management tracks and sessions at SIA events and SIA’s Security Megatrends and involvement with SIA standards activities. The Identity and Biometric Technology Advisory Board staff liaison is Joe Hoellerer, senior government relations manager for SIA.