Everyone knows the importance of security in crowded public spaces, but that doesn’t stop them from bemoaning every minute they stand in line at the airport.

“Up until now, any time you want to increase security, it diminishes the consumer experience,” said Ken Cornick, co-founder, president and chief financial officer of Clear (by Alclear LLC).

Clear began trying to change this with its biometric identity platform that securely stores users’ personal information, Cornick explained to Jeff Frick (@JeffFrick), co-host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile live streaming studio, during the recent Zuora Subscribed event in San Francisco, California. (* Disclosure below.) 

“We can increase security while making better consumer experiences,” he said. With an annual subscription to Clear, users can get through airport security in under five minutes, the company claims. Users who verify identity with a fingerprint or iris scan at Clear kiosks can bypass some lines.

Over the past few years, use of Clear has spread to 22 airports across the USA; the latest is Los Angeles International Airport in California.

Stadiums, also known for sluggish lines, are now picking up Clear. Eight venues, including New York’s Yankee Stadium, are now connected.

“Our view is, we want to remove friction wherever identity is important,” Cornick said, citing healthcare applications as a current area of interest.

Cutting lines, saving time

The airport scenario provides a general example of Clear’s value to users. Planning ahead for traffic and weather cannot guarantee travelers won’t hit unexpected delays at security checkpoints, Cornick explained.

“It could be five minutes. It could be 30 minutes. And that uncertainty causes you to carve out a bunch of your time ahead of getting to the airport,” he stated. Clear gives that time back to subscribers, Cornick concluded.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s overage of Zuora Subscribed 2017. (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for Zuora Subscribed 2017. Neither Zuora Inc., the event sponsor, nor other sponsors have editorial influence on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE