In the United States, government has been the main driver behind the increased adoption of smartcard technology to enhance security and identity management. In the 1990’s, the Department of Defense was the first to implement the technology in a widespread manner, and since then every civilian and military DoD employee, as well as all DoD contractors, have been issued a “CAC” (Common Access Card).

In 2004, President Bush signed HSPD12, which mandated secure ID cards for all federal government employees. This led to the “PIV” (Personal Identity and Verification) initiative, and today nearly every federal employee has a secure, multi-function smart ID card. The federal government has also implemented other large-scale smart card programs, such as the TWIC (Transport Worker Identity Card) card for all port and airport personnel, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as Food Stamps.

At the State and Local level, hundreds of parallel initiatives have taken place over the past 15 years, too numerous to mention.

As a result, private industry can benefit from a wide range of hardware, software, and service available off-the-shelf to support the implementation of a secure identification program based on smart card technology. The wide range services which can be protected by smart-card access include: physical access controls (doors); network access; shared printers; vending machines; meal services; etc. A large number of systems integrators are available with expertise to help in implementing the exact levels of security your company requires.