3M, Gemalto, Morpho (Safran) and Oberthur Technologies create the 'Secure Identity Alliance'

Leading secure e-documents companies, 3M, Gemalto, Morpho (a division of Safran) and Oberthur Technologies, announced the formation of the Secure Identity Alliance, a grouping dedicated to developing the usage of government-issued e-documents (identity, healthcards, driving licences and e-passports, in particular) for increased security, and to encourage deployment of secure, convenient online services, strengthening the privacy of end-users.

The Secure Identity Alliance's major objectives are to accelerate the transition to smart e-documents and enable an open, interoperable and efficient roll-out of trusted e-government online services by:

* Describing and promoting use cases of convenient value-added e-government services,
* Sharing experiences and best practices between industry and governments modernising their services, in particular towards ensuring the privacy of the end-users' personal information,
* Promoting standardisation of relevant and appropriate industry specifications,
* Making recommendations on the most up-to-date means to properly address the governments' identity and privacy challenges, including e-document hardware, software and secure printing technologies, materials and physical security expertise, in order to deliver the level of confidence and assurance needed for the rapid adoption of e-services that can be trusted by citizens, and
* Providing consistent reference information on security, identity and privacy challenges in a transparent manner.

Secure Identity Alliance positions itself as a trusted partner for governmental agencies and public entities defining their e-document approaches and implementing associated e-government services. Aiming at establishing interoperable systems, and defining and promoting best practices that can be adopted across the world, the Alliance members will be involved in focused work groups.

Benefits for governments

"The Secure Identity Alliance will help us better serve government entities," says Gareth Thomas, International Business Development Manager, 3M Identity Management. "Together, we will highlight the advantages and encourage the adoption of microprocessor-based e-documents, and develop added-value online applications that meet citizens' needs today and tomorrow."

Convenience, privacy and security

Frederic Trojani, Senior Vice-President of Government Programmes at Gemalto, underlines what is at stake: "Electronic identification has become a real catalyst for the rapid adoption of online services. Convenience, privacy protection and security are the three pillars of trust in modern, efficient electronic government services. When properly deployed, these powerful drivers lead to rapid citizen adoption, transforming the agencies' services along the citizens' expectations and providing for measurable effectiveness gains. The Secure Identity Alliance shall be the reference partner for governments looking to offer cutting-edge technology in e-documents and e-services to their citizens."

Openness

Jacques Van Zijp, Senior Vice-President, Business Identity Documents at Morpho (Safran), emphasises that broad industry coverage through the Alliance's membership base is crucial for success. "Of course, the association is open to additional members from the e-document industry willing to contribute to the success and rollout of secure e-documents and associated online services."

Competition

Olivier Prestel, Managing Director of the Identity Business Unit at Oberthur Technologies, commenting on the competitive situation among the members, says: "The different companies will support overall industry growth while continuing to compete, to ensure the highest quality and diversity of solutions with differentiated products and services for the benefit of governments and their citizens."

For more information, visit the Secure Identity Alliance Web site: www.secureidentityalliance.org, or contact the Alliance by e-mail: info@secureidentityalliance.org.