The Alliance is seeking current and new members interested in participating in the opportunities involving the SCA Latin America project described below to contact the Alliance main office at 1-800-556-6828 or via email to info@smartcardalliance.org.

The Smart Card Alliance Latin America project kicked off on October 19, 2005 with the presentation of the Department of Commerce Market Developer Cooperator Program (MDCP) award totaling $288,000 that forms a partnering effort between the International Trade Administration and SCA to develop international trade and support education, training, and resource development for smart cards in Mexico, Brazil, and the Caribbean Islands.

Recently, the Alliance staff has held organizing meetings with ITA field office personnel in Mexico and Brazil to discuss ways to bring smart card awareness and education to the government and commercial markets in those countries. The Alliance has also met with ITA personnel based in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and Miami who are in support roles and are prepared to assist the Alliance's Latin American project.

Next steps:
 
Latin American Conferences:
 
The Alliance has identified several industry conferences it will participate in during the first half of 2005. The first is Security Week Brazil in Sao Paulo, Brazil on March 29 - 31 (see event calendar).  This is the only information security event in Latin América, that offers a complete program with comprehensive executive conference tracks, workshops and tutorials, that are focused in, the strategic management and executive overview, for integrating technology, processes and people in order to protect businesses. SCA will have an information booth and participate on an industry panel discussion.
 
The following week we will be at Cards 2005 in San Paulo, Brazil on April 4-6, 2005. At this event, SCA will deliver a full day educational workshop for the conference attendees. This has been a successful banking industry and related card technology and services show for ten years.  The show is focused on technologies, applications, developments, solutions and trends involving credit, debit, pre-paid cards, vouchers, payment systems, private labels, security and standards, addressed to banks, retailers, transportation, healthcare, telecom and government. A group from SCA and the US Commercial Services will attend this conference and introduce SCA Latin America to the vendors and card issuers who attend. Commercial Services is also offering it Gold Key services to any organization who wishes to have high level meetings arranged in advance for executives from US companies to take advantage of.  Several high level meetings will be organized at the event to generate support for the SCA - LA program moving forward. 
 
The second international opportunity is Security Mexico in Mexico City on May 11-12, 2005. The conference includes a broad range of security-related topics from homeland security to physical access control. We will have an educational panel session on smart cards and an exhibit space at the conference.  Also, the US Commercial Services staff in Mexico City is organizing a USA pavilion for US companies to showcase their technology or have literature displayed in Mexico at this event.  Gold Key services are also being offered in conjunction with this conference.
 
Events in the U.S. for Latin America:
 
The CardTech SecurTech Conference on April 12 - 14, 2005 in Las Vegas will include a special event targeting Latin American business and government professionals who come to the event.  The Alliance will provide on Wednesday, April 13th a special "tech tour" event - a guided tour of the CTST exhibit hall floor with stops at selected SCA member booths for a personalized booth tour and presentation.  The US Commercial Services staff will be attending, serving as country guides and offering translations.  At the conclusion of the tour, everyone will be invited to a reception for a networking exchange with Alliance members and the Latin American attendees.
 
All of these will lead up to the SCA 2005 Fall Annual US-Latin America Conference in Miami on October 18 - 21 when the Alliance will host government and commercial leaders from Latin American countries for a special program and technology fair to bring the industry together in an open forum and information exchange.

How to get involved:
 
If you would like to get involved in any of the Latin American activities listed above or wish to be added to the contact list for future announcements, please send an email to info@smartcardalliance.org.

Secure Personal ID Task Force
The Secure Personal ID Task Force is currently working on a briefing document and FAQ on identity management systems, smart cards and privacy. The Task Force will have an in-person meeting during the Alliance Smart Cards in eGovernment Conference in March to discuss next projects. Meeting location and time will be sent to the Task Force in late February. If you are interested in participating in the Task Force, please email Cathy Medich, Task Force Chair.

Terminal and eTransaction Infrastructure Task Force
The Terminal and eTransaction Infrastructure Task Force is currently working on its new report on consumer payment with mobile devices. The report is expected to be published during the first week of April. If you are interested in participating in the Task Force, please email Cathy Medich, Task Force Chair.

FIPS 140 Smart Card Task Force
The FIPS 140 Smart Card Task Force is investigating and defining a common card platform allowing the establishment of a reference for applet developers to certify against and to developing recommendations to NIST on FIPS 140-2 and FIPS 140-3. If you are interested in participating in this new Task Force, please email Cathy Medich.

Council Report

• The Transportation Council held its initial Steering Committee meeting on Feb. 10-11 and defined specific Council objectives and priorities.   The Council is developing its action plan and will be launching projects in March.   Steering Committee members include: Martyn Cooper, MasterCard; Mike Dinning, U.S. Department of Transportation/Volpe Center; Willy Dommen, Booz Allen Hamilton; Greg Garback, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; Richard Johnson, Cubic; Michael Laezza, ERG; Paul Legacki, Infineon; Karen Loughlin, IBM; Martin Schroeder, APTA; Robert Wilberger, Northrop Grumman.
• The Physical Access Council held its first organizing call on Feb. 7 to discuss the council objectives and plans.   We had excellent response to the invitation to this call, with over 45 individuals responding.   The Council Steering Committee is meeting on Feb. 22 to discuss the scope and content of the first set of Council projects, with the first Council working meeting during the March Smart Cards in eGovernment Conference.   Members leading this effort are: Bob Merkert, SCM Microsystems; Steve Rogers, Integrated Engineering; Dwayne Pfeiffer, Northrop Grumman; LJ Neve, Maximus.
• Several members are developing a proposal to form a council focused on smart cards in health care.

If you are interested in forming or participating in an Alliance council, contact Cathy Medich. Click here to download a description of the council structure, proposal process and council interest feedback form.

New Members
 
Viisage, Inc - Billerica, MA  www.viisage.com
Membership Level: General
Contact: Ken Scheflen, Gen Mgr and Sr VP, Federal Government Solutions
Description: Viisage delivers advanced technology identity solutions
 
Aveso, Inc. - Frankenmuth, MI www.avesodisplays.com
Membership Level: General
Contact: Emily Selene de Rotstein, VP Marketing
Description: Printed electronic displays for smart cards
 
Atsec Information Security Corp. - Austin, TX  www.atsec.com
Membership Level: General
Contact: Fiona Pattinson, FIPS Lab Manager
Description: Information security company providing consulting and laboratory services for smart cards

Alliance in the News

The Alliance has an active communications program to promote industry messages in business, vertical market, and technology publications. Coverage results from both Alliance press releases and interviews with publications writing articles about smart cards. Selected recent coverage is shown below with links to online articles.

• Arkansas Democrat Gazette , 1/31/05, "Military IDs keep sensitive data close" [ link to article ]
• ATM Marketplace , 1/24/05, "Back to the future: Biometrics revisited" [ link to article ]
• Billings Gazette , 2/1/05, "Digital dog tags" [ link to article ]
• Card Technology , 2/1/05, "From The Editor - The Lessons of 9/11" (print)
• CBS MarketWatch , 2/14/05, "Viisage to Exhibit at RSA Security Tradeshow as Part of Smart Card Alliance Exhibition; Smart Card Alliance Pavilion Showcases Leading Solution for Identity Verification" [ link to article ]
• Contactless News , 1/24/05, "Alliance conference is best opportunity to keep up with government smart card usage" [ link to article ]
• Datamation , 1/11/05, "Eliminate Passwords With OATH" [ link to article ]
• EE Times , 2/10/05, "HSPD-12, ePassports Headline Smart Card Alliance 4th Annual Smart Cards in eGovernment Conference" [ link to article ]
• Forbes.com , 2/11/05, "Integrating Biometrics And Smart Cards" [ link to article ]
• IT Security.com , 2/10/05, "HSPD-12, ePassports Headline Smart Card Alliance 4th Annual Smart Cards in eGovernment Conference" [ link to article ]
• Kiosk Marketplace , 2/10/05, "No need to fear, the smart card is here" [ link to article ]
• San Jose Mercury News , 1/17/05, "Code of the Soldier: With high-cost 'smart cards,' military targets tighter security" [ link to article ]
• SecureID News , 2/11/05, "Smart Cards in eGovernment conference agenda released" [ link to article ]
• SecureID News , 1/30/05, "Registered Traveler program expedites airport screening with biometrics & smart cards" [ link to article ]
• Security Distributing & Marketing , 2/1/05, "Get Smart About Smart Cards" [ link to article ]
• Security Management , 1/1/05, "The smart cards are coming... really" [ link to article ]
• Wireless News (10Meters.com), 2/12/05, "Smart Card Conference to Cover Federal Mandates, ePassports"

Web Site News

NEW additions to the Smart Card Alliance web site

• The FIPS 140 Smart Card Task Force now has a password-protected members-only page that contains Task Force review documents and background material
• New information on 4th Annual Smart Cards in eGovernment 2005 Conference and Exhibition
• Online registration for members, non-members and government employees
• Renaissance Hotel conference rate information - $239.00 per night
• 23 newly published smart card implementation profiles by industry
• The new positioning document, "RFID Tags and Contactless Smart Card Technology: Comparing and Contrasting Applications and Capabilities," and accompanying FAQ have been posted on the Alliance web site
• Presentations from the Smart Card Alliance 2004 Fall Annual Conference, "Evolution through Innovation," are now available from the members-only web site

January 2005 web statistics

•  42,065 visitor sessions for the month
•  1,356 visitor sessions per day
•  88,651 total page views for the month
•  25.011 Industry News items viewed
•  2,283 Card Reader Catalog items displayed

If you have any suggestions on content that you'd like to see on the Alliance web site, please send them to info@smartcardalliance.org .

Copyright 2004-2005 · Smart Card Alliance · 191 Clarksville Rd. · Princeton Junction, NJ 08550
Phone: (800) 556-6828 info@smartcardalliance.org · www.smartcardalliance.org