英國公司研发贵宾人脸识别技术一托福阅读机经背景.docxVIP

智课网TOEFL备考资料英国公司研发贵宾人脸识别技术一托福阅读机经背景 Facial recognition: Retailers are trying new technology that will allow them to identify VIP shoppers, celebrities and big spenders in order to offer a more personalized service The technology ensures that staff members can offer a more personalized service - and dont unwittingly miss out on potentially lucrative sales - by flagging up famous or wealthy big spenders. The Sunday Times reports that the system, created by Cambridge-based company NEC IT Solutions, works by scanning the faces of customers as they enter a store and checking them against a database. The staff can then be alerted via computer, iPad or smartphone - along with details such as clothes size, favorite buys and spending history. The system is currently being tried out in unnamed designer boutiques and hotels in the UK, the US and the Far East. Previously, the company has designed software to help identify terrorists and criminals for security services. Were trialling the system in general retail, which would include hotels and anything where the public are walking in, NEC IT Solutions vice president explained to the paper. The luxury end of the market is quite interested in it - theyre interested in VIPs. De Silva also added that theyve addressed privacy concerns and found that most high-profile customers would be quite happy to have their information available because they want a quicker service, a better-tailored service or a more personally tailored service. But some shoppers are fighting back against unwanted surveillance. The New York Times reports that Nordstrom had been testing technology that would allow them to track customers Wi-Fi signals from their smartphones. This allowed the company to analyse how long a shopper spent in a particular area and to track shopper movements, as well as how many people that walked past the store decided to enter. But the retailer reportedly stopped the pilot in May after customer compla