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Do you fit the profile of the American who is ready, willing and anxious to start using smart cards? According to a recent study conducted for the Smart Card Forum, those who have been the first to accept cell phones, PCs and other high-tech devices are looking forward to the convenience of using smart cards.
The study, consisting of focus groups and separate telephone surveys, defined the smart card as a “card-sized unit with a memory that can hold just about any kind of information, but requires some sort of reader to input or output data.”
The smart card industry is currently determining which applications would be most appealing to North American consumers. A significant number of those polled indicated that they would want to use smart cards for functions including bank access and ATM service, to carry a record of driver and health insurance information, and as credit cards. They also said that they would be willing to pay up to $50 for the card itself, plus a $25 annual fee. Some of the other potential functions of the smart card include:
*prescriptions
*money for small purchases
*medical records
*other ID
*discount shopping
*money for larger purchases
*frequent flyer information
*other membership cards
The survey revealed that potential smart card users tended to be in their 30’s, had higher incomes, already carried an average of more than six cards in their pockets, and were heavily focused on convenience and security. Many envisioned a card that would put multiple uses on a single device with the look and feel of a credit card, perhaps with a photo of the bearer on it. They thought the security of the card could be heightened through electronic fingerprinting.
There’s a wealth of information about smart cards that you can access through links on the Smart Card Forum Web site, www.smartcardforum.org. The Smart Card Forum, based in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit, multi-industry organization of 200 members working to accelerate the widespread acceptance of multiple-application smart card technology.
