The quest for a coherent approach to smart cards in the UK has finally begun, with the Office of the e-Envoy (OeE) issuing a draft policy on the subject on 31 July 2003. The policy, which has been in the planning stages for months, is an attempt to confront the multitude of different smart card initiatives going on around the country pulling them together in a single framework.
It has also had to contend with the Home Office's ID card plans, which when first proposed also covered the issue of access to public services.
The policy is careful not to tread on the Home Office's toes over ID, but concedes that smart cards will have to contain some kind of identity function if they are to serve any purpose in authenticating the users of e-services.
"The majority of smart card initiatives abroad use the 'ID card' function as the central plank on which the scheme is based," says the document.
"As no decision has been made on the entitlement card issue, smart card schemes in the UK may wish to look beyond ID as a core function in order to explore the potential they have to offer."
One key issue, according to the document, is the need to prove a "business case" for smart cards. So far there has been little success in proving that the benefits of smart cards justify the considerable infrastructure costs involved. The OeE says it will publish business cases when they become available.
In devising a policy, the OeE is to use existing standards, in particular the e-government interoperability framework to ensure that different smart card schemes are compatible. It will also consider partnerships with the private sector with the possibility of incorporating access to commercial e-services.
It also confronts privacy concerns recommending that there is a system of "informed consent" in place before using personal data.
Quelle: Kablenet
