IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Many experts in biometrics have suggested that the aims for the ID card scheme outlined last week by Home Secretary David Blunkett have already raised doubts over whether the system can be delivered in the form proposed.

The government estimates that each card will cost £35. A further £4 has been factored in to avoid "accusations of underestimating the cost", admitted David Blunkett this week.

A co-ordinated approach to smartcards used in London must be established to realise their full potential, says a local authority egovernment group.

There are already multiple council-led schemes in place across the capital, as well as the Oyster system run by Transport for London, according to a report published last week by London Connects.

Introduced by Newcastle City Council and Your Homes Newcastle (YHN), new payment cards will hold a individual's details safely and securely. This means people can pay their Council tax and rent in over 130 outlets across the city, in cash at their own convenience. They can in fact pay at any PayPoint outlet or Post Office across the country – giving them even more freedom of choice.

The timing wasn't deliberate, of course. HP was just following the tried and tested IT strategy of standardising and packaging its experience in introducing eID cards in countries such as Bulgaria, Italy and Switzerland and, in particular, developing Schengen Information System 2 for the European commission.

Scottish minister for finance and public service reform Tom McCabe are to be handed out the first professional certificates in smartcard development on 11 April 2005, ahead of a national roll out of the cards for elderly and disabled people.

The DVLA is inviting views on the future of the counterpart to the photocard driving licence and on the possible alternative ways of providing the information it contains.

Announcing the transfer today (20 July 2005), minister for local e-government, Jim Fitzpatrick, said, "The National Projects have been instrumental in delivering improvements so that local authorities can make further progress towards the December 2005 e-government target.

Produced by Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council, the toolkit provides a step-by-step guide to setting up a smart card scheme to enable councils to improve access to services for citizens.

The federal government has stepped up plans to use the Federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) system to verify employee and contractor credentials to access federal facilities and IT networks and systems, according to a memo from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued Thursday.

The move to the system is mandated by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD 12), a federal cybersecurity initiative the government said is aimed at increasing security and efficiency, reducing identity fraud, cutting costs and protecting personal privacy. Cybersecurity is a chief concern of the federal government, and the system is one of many it's taking to provide more security both internally and externally.

The warning, in a Feb. 2 memo from Office of Management and Budget Director Jack Lew, comes seven years after President Bush first directed agencies to roll out smart ID cards to federal employees and contractors who work at federal facilities and use federal networks. The directive, called Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), provided no additional money for agencies to perform required background checks, purchase the cards, or purchase and install systems to read the cards' enhanced security features.

The specifications are included in Federal Information Processing Standard 201, and NIST has released a second draft of proposed revisions for public comment.