Scandit, a specialist in smart data capture, has unveiled its latest product, ID Bolt, which promises to transform the way identity information is autofilled on websites. ID Bolt enables users to upload their personal details simply by capturing a photograph of their passport or ID with their device’s camera. This innovative tool instantly populates required forms with accurate information, potentially saving users and businesses valuable time.
The technology behind ID Bolt resembles the systems already in place for uploading credit card information. It aims to simplify administrative processes for both businesses and consumers while maintaining precision to meet compliance standards. ID Bolt allows travellers to quickly upload passport information, streamlines the process of completing entry or visa documents, facilitates age verification for online grocery shoppers purchasing restricted items, and aids in the easy sharing of driver’s licence details for car rentals.
Scandit assures that the new tool is straightforward to integrate into existing workflows, requiring minimal developer input. The on-device processing ensures that no identity data is relayed to third-party servers, which reduces latency and bolsters privacy. This feature is part of a unified solution compatible with both desktop and mobile platforms, providing users the flexibility they need.
ID Bolt addresses a growing trend where many tasks are being delegated to consumers to enhance efficiency and decrease operational costs. While this shift can potentially improve business efficiency, it can also compromise the customer experience if the process is marred by complications or lack of automation. Manual data entry errors pose significant compliance risks for businesses. However, Scandit's latest offering seeks to mitigate these concerns by enabling fast and accurate scanning.
The tool is designed with ease of use in mind, especially for occasional and first-time users such as travellers. Scandit leverages its extensive experience in ID scanning to ensure a frictionless user experience (UX), thereby encouraging greater adoption among end-users. One innovative feature of ID Bolt is its device handover capability, which allows users to temporarily convert their smartphones into ID scanners. This can be particularly useful for tasks performed on desktop devices, such as checking into flights or booking car rentals.
Data privacy remains a critical focus for Scandit. The company confirms that it does not store or share personally identifiable information (PII). The on-device processing allows ID Bolt to operate without involving third parties, thus providing quick response times for scanning. Even when utilising the device handover feature, communication between devices is end-to-end encrypted, ensuring no PII is accessible during transfer.
Christian Floerkemeier, CTO and co-founder of Scandit, emphasised the dual benefits of ID Bolt for businesses and consumers. "By giving consumers the ability to securely scan IDs themselves, businesses will benefit from increased operational efficiency and, crucially, an enhanced customer experience for these essential tasks. ID Bolt offers a solution where just a few lines of code can give any website or booking tool an accurate and intuitive ID scanning capability without needing to invest in significant development time," Floerkemeier stated.
With its high accuracy rates - up to 100% for PDF417 barcodes found on US and Canadian driver’s licences, 98% for machine-readable zones on passports and EU IDs, and over 95% for visual inspection zones on ID cards - ID Bolt has set a new standard in ID scanning technology. The swift and efficient autofill process aims to reduce user friction, enhancing consumer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
