HID has announced the availability of its HID Amico™ biometric facial recognition readers in North America. These readers aim to provide fast, secure, and user-friendly biometric access, making the technology accessible to a wider array of organisations. The introduction of Amico expands HID's biometric technologies into new use cases and price ranges, providing facial recognition solutions suitable for small to medium-sized businesses.
Facial biometrics, traditionally used in high-security sectors, are becoming popular for everyday access control. Recent technological advancements in edge processing, artificial intelligence, and sensor technology have enhanced performance and reduced the complexity and cost of deployment. This evolution offers smaller businesses a chance to improve security and user experience through reliable biometric authentication, significantly diminishing issues related to lost credentials or forgotten passwords.
Existing credential strategies
The HID Amico is designed specifically for physical access control, offering rapid and precise facial recognition. It is available in two touchscreen sizes—3.5-inch and 7-inch—and is intended to integrate seamlessly with current credential strategies. According to Sally Reitan, Director of Product Marketing, PACS NAM at HID, "facial biometrics have reached a point where they're practical for a much wider range of organisations," thus making HID Amico an affordable option for enhancing access control experiences.
Stronger identity verification
The HID Amico is designed specifically for physical access control, offering rapid and precise facial recognition
HID Amico is built to secure access in environments such as offices, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and commercial buildings. It enables authorised personnel to enter without presenting a credential, thus facilitating quicker access, greater convenience, and robust identity verification. The device supports five authentication methods: facial recognition, physical credentials, PIN, QR code, and HID® Mobile Access®, ensuring a gradual and flexible adoption of biometrics.
Key features of the HID Amico include fast facial recognition, reduced wait times, and flexible authentication options. The product employs a privacy-first architecture, including Template-on-Card technology for storing biometric templates on the user's credential. Two models are offered—a compact 3.5-inch model and a larger 7-inch model—functioning in a variety of access control scenarios.
Intelligent building touchpoints
The 7-inch model offers additional capabilities such as visitor guidance, organisational messaging, and custom user experiences, transforming access points into advanced building touchpoints.
Rather than replacing current systems, HID Amico complements existing access control investments, providing a cohesive approach to identity management. As needs grow, organisations can start with selected entrances and progressively expand biometric authentication. HID Amico is distributed across North America via authorised HID partners.
HID, a global pioneer in trusted identity solutions, announces the North American availability of its HID Amico™ biometric facial recognition readers, making fast, secure and friction-free biometric access practical for a much broader range of organisations. Amico expands HID's biometric portfolio across a wider spectrum of use cases, deployment sizes and price points, bringing facial recognition within reach for small and medium-sized businesses.
Long associated with high-security government facilities and critical infrastructure, facial biometrics are becoming increasingly attractive for everyday access control. Advances in edge processing, artificial intelligence and sensor technology have significantly improved performance while reducing deployment complexity and cost, making the technology accessible to small and medium-sized businesses seeking stronger security and a better user experience. Easy-to-use, hard-to-cheat biometric authentication reduces the risk that comes with lost credentials and forgotten passwords, helping these organisations protect what matters most.
Existing credential strategies
Purpose-built for physical access control, HID Amico brings fast, accurate facial recognition to the door. Available in both 3.5-inch and 7-inch touchscreen models, it combines multiple options to help organisations modernise access control without disrupting existing credential strategies.
"Organisations no longer have to choose between stronger security and a seamless user experience," said Sally Reitan, Director of Product Marketing, PACS NAM at HID. "Facial biometrics have reached a point where they're practical for a much wider range of organisations. HID Amico gives customers an affordable way to deploy friction-free access while maintaining the flexibility to support cards, mobile credentials, PINs and QR codes as their identity strategies evolve, so they can adopt biometrics on their own terms."
Stronger identity verification
Designed for offices, healthcare facilities, educational campuses, commercial buildings and other busy environments, HID Amico secures entrances by letting authorised users move through the door naturally without stopping to present a credential. The result is faster throughput, improved convenience and stronger identity verification at the point of entry.
HID Amico offers five authentication methods including facial recognition, physical credentials, PIN, QR code and HID® Mobile Access®, allowing organisations to adopt biometrics at their own pace while supporting mixed credential environments.
Building experience applications
Additional benefits include:
- Fast, accurate facial recognition for seamless access and reduced wait times at busy entrances.
- Flexible authentication supporting face, card, PIN, QR code and mobile credentials.
- Privacy-first architecture, including optional Template-on-Card technology that stores biometric templates securely on the user's credential rather than in a centralised database.
- Two deployment options, with compact 3.5-inch and larger 7-inch touchscreen models supporting a broad range of access control and building experience applications.
Intelligent building touchpoints
The larger 7-inch model extends the reader beyond authentication by supporting richer on-screen interactions such as visitor guidance, organisational messaging and branded user experiences, allowing organisations to transform access points into intelligent building touchpoints.
Rather than replacing existing access control investments, HID Amico complements broader identity strategies by working alongside physical cards, mobile credentials and multi-factor authentication workflows. Organisations can begin with selected entrances and expand biometric authentication as operational requirements evolve. HID Amico is now available throughout North America through authorised HID partners.
