A smartcard for smart users
I don’t mind leaving an option for the old-fashioned dinosaurs that responded to my letter (Called to account; One card fits all, Letters blog, letters.computing.co.uk). You can still have different PINs for every account or even separate cards.
For us modern-thinking people, a highly-secured, centrally-managed biometric multicard would really help to make day-to-day life simpler and easier.
With the option of adding and removing applications to and from our card using a dedicated government-managed web site, we wouldn’t have to keep all our cards in separate places or struggle
to remember five or six different PINs. I have the same PIN on every card and have all of them in my wallet all the time.
If I had a million pounds, I would keep it on a separate account which would not be included on my multicard. Also, I don’t mind including my travelcard (such as Oyster), company ID card, gym, library and various store loyalty cards.
With centrally-managed security, giving access just for defined and verified organisations for information needed for connection with this particular organisation it would be identity secured and a safe solution.
Waldek Hiero
It will never, ever happen.
It's not a technology problem. Multi-application cards exist today. It's a business problem.
First, there are the obvious security and liability issues around the issuance process. Secondly, the cards themselves are crucial marketing devices--hence the fancy graphics and novelty shapes. How will issuers compete for the coveted 'front of wallet' position as co-hosted applications on a single card?
Posted by: Jonathan Tuliani | Monday, 06 August 2007 at 11:01 AM
There WILL never, ever again be any dinosaurs on earth, no matter if they like it or not. Once they thought that earth is flat and they tried to fight for it, and even burn in fire for this idea. But as then they were extinct, they will in the near future as well.
First, as I explained in my previous post, there is no security issue for me and billions of other people like me. Also liability is not a problem as we already have lots of worldwide organizations responsible for international standards and protocols.
Secondly, from marketing point of view it’s not a problem as well. We’d be able to choose the design from many available options categorized by providers, colours, shapes and so on. For me it makes not a big difference if I have 20 cards with different designs. I think it would if I had just one card with my favourite, chosen design.
Posted by: Waldek Hiero | Thursday, 16 August 2007 at 11:12 AM