Smartcard implementation in Bahrain: public acceptance and readiness
by Adel Ismail Al-Alawi, Mohammed Ahmed Al-Amer
Electronic Government, an International Journal (EG), Vol. 4, No. 2, 2007

Abstract: The Smartcard is one of the most promising technological innovations in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Its ability to store relatively large amounts of data in a credit card-sized card has enabled and enhanced the development of many beneficial applications for both society and businesses. The ability to store and process large amounts of data and the portability of this small card makes it a state-of-the-art authentication device. This paper discusses the Smartcard technology in the light of the Kingdom of Bahrain National Personal Smartcard (KOBNPS) Project. This project is part of the Bahraini overall IT strategy and e-government initiative. The KOBNPS project has many objectives, but perhaps the most important one is to improve the efficiency, security and integrity of government data and processes. The Smartcard will have an early implementation phase comprising the Central Population Register (personal data); Traffic (driving licence); Immigration (visa and travel); a Public Key Infrastructure identification and authentication application (authentication and digital signature); Health (health data); and e-purse. Later on, extra applications of a business nature will be added to expand and improve the project. This paper will present a brief introduction of Smartcard technology as an effective user-authentication tool and will explore the KOBNPS project: its objectives, pros and cons, and applications. Finally, it will present results of a survey conducted on the Bahraini environment to study the feasibility in terms of public acceptance and understanding of the KOBNPS project.

Online publication date: Thu, 07-Jun-2007

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