Systems and methods for improving the speed of authenticating a user are provided, which employ intelligent caching of biometric information and secondary information based upon learned user patterns. Also, in a biometric authentication system, biometric data of users is processed according to a plurality of device-dependent processes and stored in a repository. When performing an authentication, the biometric authentication system determines a capture device type and uses that determination to select among the plurality of device-dependent versions of biometric data. The device-dependent processes might be specific to particular manufacturers, device classes or other partitioning scheme.