Airports to Deploy 18,000 ABC eGates and Kiosks by 2018, Spending $2.2 Billion Globally

Topics relating to this post: Airport ? Biometric ? Border ? Security
March 5, 2014 – by Peter B. Counter

      “Airports across the globe are struggling with a universal challenge; maintaining security vigilance while accommodating ever increasing numbers of international passengers,” says Acuity Market Intelligence Principal, Maxine Most.
      It’s a challenge that anyone who’s flown internationally can sympathize with. Going through airport security is regarded as a special kind of shoe-less hell that is passed through whenever business or pleasure calls from across national borders. Thankfully, according to the newest comprehensive report from Acuity Market Intelligence titled “The Global Automated Border Control Industry Report: Airport eGates & Kiosks” there will be a marked improvement in the experience by 2018 as airports across the globe deploy automated immigration kiosks and eGates at an encouraging rate.
      “Airport operators and border control authorities are embracing ABC eGates and kiosks as a means to reduce congestion and immigration wait times while providing secure, fast, and user-friendly border crossings,” continues Most. “This improves both the passenger experience and the bottom line.”
Airports are expected to spend more than $2.2 billion globally on ABC eGates and kiosks between 2014 and 2018. The market is projected to grow exceptionally at a CAGR of 19.5 percent during that period as the biometric eGate numbers triple, replacing border agents and easing the security process while offering increased security.

      As the projected dominant force during the period, raking in 40 percent of the market revenue in the vertical by the end of the decade, Europe will also be leading in ABC eGate and kiosk spending. The region will account for 43 percent of the total spent, with $954 million expected to be dropped on the solutions over the forecast period. Asia will follow, accounting for 21.4 percent of the global spending.

      The Middle East and North America are not without deployments either, each projected to spend approximately $300 million during the period, with the former deploying 2,101 ABC eGates and kiosks and the latter rolling out almost 4,000.
      The boom in deployments is a testament to the big picture of identity management: that the amount of friction currently placed on the end user, as well as the inefficiency of having manned processes is unreasonable for the amount of security being currently provided. These solutions make some of the most high-friction situations in everyday life more efficient, easy to pass through and don’t compromise the very necessary level security.
      The full Acuity report is available for preview and purchase on the firm’s website. Recently, Acuity principal presented a webinar on the subject, which gives an excellent overview of the projected period, while going in depth into some intriguing questions, such as how mobility is expected to fit into this marketplace.