For years we have been talking about the increasing use of multiple technologies in major government identity programs, focused on citizenship, to address a growing variety of functions and applications, which have grown in sophistication due to the advancement of technology.
By Rob Haslam*
Looking ahead to 2015 we foresee a number of trends that will impact the use of application ID cards and multiple technologies. According to analysts at Gartner, Inc. innovation in the public sector is being driven by four powerful forces: social, mobile, cloud and information. In this article we will focus on the trend towards mobility and innovations related to government identity programs that are focused on citizens.
While mobile phones and readers are increasingly present in commercial transactional environments, such as car rentals, retail stores, and ticketing, large-scale mobile apps have been much more limited in government identification programs. However, the trend is changing. The first signs of a paradigm shift are here.
Innovations in mobile identification technologies are beginning to emerge, enabling secure identification and authentication, as well as immediate access to critical information. The strategic adoption of secure mobile electronic identification applications can be found, for the first time, in less mature markets where mobile phone usage is extremely high. For example, the government identity program sector has recently experienced this transition.
Historical perspective: The Evolution of Multiple Application and Technology Identity Credentials
Over the past five years, governments around the world have made a dramatic shift toward electronic identity credentials (eID's). Two imperatives have led to this shift from paper, static identity credentials to new ones based on multiple applications and technologies:
1. the need to provide an effective defence against large-scale counterfeiting attempts; and
2. the opportunity to take a holistic approach to solving national ownership challenges.
According to Acuity Market Intelligence analysts, in 2018, 127 countries will issue 740 million national eID's annually. Approximately 3.5 million people, nearly half of the world's population, will have a national electronic ID card.
The success of these programmes will be measured by the extent to which they are adopted and used in the context of country-specific objectives. While some programs are as basic as creating a secure, counterfeit-proof voter ID card, others can be more complex, taking advantage of the latest technological innovations and offering the highest return on investment.
Heightened security concerns, high-traffic border crossings, and growing government needs in streamlined service delivery are just some of the factors influencing this shift. Governments and national organizations are now taking advantage of national e-identity programs, as an opportunity to increase efficiency, as well as protect and guarantee the identity of the holder.
This has resulted in projects calling for powerful multi-use identification credentials operating at many levels, maintaining the highest levels of security by addressing additional goals, such as entry to secure facilities, faster border crossing, or access to health, education, and other social services.
Mobility: driving innovation in government identification programs focused on the citizen
Mobile phones are literally everywhere. At the same time, we are seeing new identification technologies that enable the protection – including software – of credentials based on chips and mobile devices.
Government organizations will eventually be able to reap the fruits of mobility (flexibility, real-time access to information, secure interaction with citizens) and multifunctionality of identification, while obtaining the required levels in security and up-to-date capability in identity authentication.
These innovations are particularly useful for government agencies with fieldwork, such as police and border control.
Next steps
Beyond the four forces identified by Gartner as driving innovation – mobility, social, cloud and information – advances in materials, manufacturing processes and emission systems, the way is also being paved for greater adoption of multi-application eIDs around the world. In addition to providing the highest levels of security and functionality, these more sophisticated systems also offer a higher return on investment for governments. At the same time, these advances allow the provision of more efficient and convenient services for cardholders. We are convinced that technology trends in general, including the increasing use of mobile devices, software as a service and access to the "cloud" will continue to drive "citizen-centric" programs and, increasingly, innovation.
*Rob Haslam is Vice President of Identity Solutions for Government Programs at HID Global, where he is responsible for market penetration and strategic expansion of government identity programs. Rob has over 20 years of worldwide experience in changing national identity programs including managing international business development teams at L-1 Identity Solutions. Previously, Rob held different positions within the company De La Rue, focused on the development of security printers, specialized in identity.
