News and insight into biometric identification and authentication

Hong Kong’s mandatory citizen smart card expedites travel, secures financial transactions

Friday, December 8, 2006


Even though the Hong Kong ‘territory-wide’ Smart Identity Card project went live three years ago and even though it is issuing some 8,000 cards a day, it’s still going to take until April next year for every eligible citizen to receive the upgraded smart cards.

About five million smart cards have been issued so far to citizens 11 and above, out of a population of nearly seven million, according to Pieter Hoogendoorn, business manager for ACI (Applied Communications, Inc.) Worldwide, a UK company that provides card management solutions the program.

There are 976 words in the rest of this article …

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Slovenia has recently launched a new multi-function contactless smart card for tourists and residents, according to squidcard.com.

The “Urbana” card allows visitors to the capital city Ljubljana to pay for a wide variety of goods and services, such as public transportation, admission to the city’s castle and zoo, as well as gain free internet access.

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Three Auburn University students aren’t thrilled with the school’s mandatory meal plan. They’re so “not thrilled” that they’ve filed suit against the university, claiming the plan violates restraint of trade and Alabama law.

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