Thales P3 Chosen to Secure Hong Kong ID Smart Card Programme

Thales P3 solution for the smart card personalisation preparation process, is being used to prepare data for the Hong Kong Smart Identification Card system (SMARTICS). The Hong Kong Immigration Department is using smart card technology to develop a secure, multi-application Smart Identity (ID) Card for all citizens. The new ID card will replace the existing paper ID card over the next four years. As well as being a more secure identification document that can be used for immigration purposes, the smart ID card also offers a number of optional value- added functions such as access to public library services. Furthermore, citizens will have the option to include a digital certificate (e-Cert) in their smart cards that will enable them to conduct a number of e-business functions securely. It may be used for purposes such as secure e-mail communication, e-government services as well as e-commerce. The chip in the smart card also has capacity reserved for the introduction of other applications in the future. Thales is working with ACI Worldwide to provide the software needed to control the lifecycle of the smart cards and the applications that reside in them. The open architecture of P3 enables data to be prepared and loaded onto a variety of smart card technologies. SMARTICS is being rolled out with the MULTOS operating system, for which Thales is the world leader in data preparation. MULTOS has the highest levels of data security of all smart card technologies and Thales has prepared the data for approximately 50% of all MULTOS cards issued worldwide. SMARTICS is expected to lead the growth of e-commerce in Hong Kong, which will require support for additional applications or new smart card technologies. P3 will be able to meet the demands as it has a fully scaleable architecture that allows smart card applications to be sourced from any vendor.