It is no secret that smart cards have enjoyed explosive growth. Shipments are more than 1.5 billion globally, according to research firm Frost & Sullivan. There are scores of security applications such as payment systems, mobile phones, physical/logical access control, secure ID, public transit and pay TV, just to name a few. Value-added includes secure storage for personalized information such as ID keys or biometric data. In addition, costs for deploying customized smart cards have dropped significantly in recent years. When combining these factors it is no wonder many enterprises and their security operations have enthusiastically embraced smart cards.
The business bottom line: The primary reason for smart card success in the marketplace is simple – security. Smart cards are self-contained security units, which can provide unparalleled barriers to fraud and piracy.