E-document giants 3M, Gemalto, Safran/Morpho, Oberthur create Secure Identity Alliance

Leading secure eDocuments companies 3M, Gemalto, Morpho (Safran) and Oberthur Technologies announced the formation of the Secure Identity Alliance (SIA), a grouping dedicated to developing the usage of government-issued eDocuments (identity, health cards, driving licenses and ePassports in particular) for increased security, and to encourage deployment of secure convenient online services strengthening the privacy of the end-users.

The SIA's major objectives are to accelerate the transition to smart eDocuments and enable an open, interoperable and efficient roll-out of trusted eGovernment online services by:

• Describing and promoting use cases of convenient value-added eGovernment services,
• Sharing experiences and best practices between industry and governments modernizing their services, in particular towards ensuring the privacy of the end-users' personal information,
• Promoting standardization 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 eDocument 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 eServices that can be trusted by citizens,
• Providing consistent reference information on security, identity and privacy challenges in a transparent manner.

The alliance positions itself as a trusted partner for governmental agencies and public entities defining their eDocument approach and implementing associated eGovernment services. Aiming at establishing interoperable systems, and defining and promoting best practices that can be adopted across the world, the members will be involved in focused workgroups. The open alliance welcomes new members from the eDocument industry willing to contribute to the success and roll out of secure eDocuments and associated online services, said Jacques Van Zijp, Senior VP, Business Identity Documents, Morpho.

Frederic Trojani, Senior VP of Government Programs at Gemalto, underlines what is at stake: "Electronic identification has become a real catalyst for the rapid adoption of online service. 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".