Could your smartphone store your ID, passport and licence?

24th June 2016

By: Schalk Burger

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

  

Font size: - +

Identity documents (IDs) can be securely stored and carried on smartphones, which also allows for the provision of IDs for citizens through mobile networks, says identity systems multinational HiD Global Government ID (GoID) Solutions sales director Joby Mathew.

The HiD GoID platform for mobile IDs also allows for the provision of driver’s licences, passports and other forms of identification and permits on smartphones, and is a core element of the company’s mobility initiative.

The system uses HiD’s Seos technology, and mobile IDs are used in concert with secure physical ID cards to provide citizens and the police with ease of use, security and real-time access to information, which includes vehicle or vehicle-owner information using the relevant
credentials and mobile readers.

The GoID platform is based on secure over-the-air provision of credentials and access to cloud-based government information services. All transactions related to issuing, managing and presenting mobile IDs using smartphones are secured, as all transactions are conducted in a closed-circuit environment protected by end-to-end encryption, including connections to and from the phones for the purposes of provision and verification.

The platform has been designed so that, even in areas of restricted or no network coverage, the police can verify the identity of the owner and vehicle offline. It also protects privacy by enabling users to present credentials with Bluetooth or near-field communication connections, rather than physically relinquishing their smartphones.

The Seos encrypted, closed-circuit system is in use in the enterprise, healthcare, hospitality, and banking industries, as well as at universities.

The company deployed a pilot Biometric Central Motor Registry (BCMR) vehicle registration card programme in Lagos, Nigeria, in partnership with Lagos-based Media Concepts. It is moving from pilot phase to full implementation, with the expectation to register all motor vehicles as the project rolls out nationwide.

Further, the GoID system will enable people to conduct transactions that are not possible using normal ID cards, mainly to access online and electronic government services and documents. This process is also a natural step towards government-issued mobile IDs, including vehicle registration documentation and additional uses, says HID Global Government ID Solutions VP and MD Rob Haslam.

“The Nigerian police BCMR is a biometric-enabled, real-time information system designed to enhance the reliability and effectiveness of policing. The BCMR programme marks the beginning of a major deployment of vehicle registration cards and mobile readers using Seos technology.

“Simultaneously, the Nigerian police is launching the programme to offer citizens a secure and convenient mobile ID option. Citizens can apply for a mobile ID when they apply for vehicle registration. Once registration is complete, issuance of the mobile ID to a citizen’s smartphone is almost instant, which bridges the gap between registration and receipt of the physical card,” he notes.

HID Global and Media Concepts designed the programme so that this new offering will be integrated into Nigeria’s current enrolment process and allow for a seamless migration to mobile IDs, Haslam concludes.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION