A provider of eGovernment solutions, NXP Semiconductors N.V. shares with us three distinct trends in electronic passports (ePassports or biometric passports): increasing functionality, stronger security and the emergence of “virtual mobile identity.”
Out of 900 million passports issued, 730 are ePassports, which now represent the majority of passports in circulation. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations agency that oversees international air travel and defines ePassport standards, 120 states claim that they are currently issuing ePassports. The infrastructure supporting ePassports has expanded as well.