Government ID aides strong smart card growth

The Goverment ID sector has contributed significantly to strong smart card shipments in 2007, according to smart card association EUROSMART. According to Eurosmart`s Jacques Seneca, speaking live at the Cqrtes show in Paris, 4.455 billion smart cards were shipped in 2007, and an incredible 5.045 billion will be shipped in 2008, despite the credit crunch. This should rise even further to 5.4 billion in 2009, with higher-cost microprocessor cards representing 4.66 billion of the total. Government and healthcare cards saw strong growth of 33.3% in 2007, with Eurosmart reporting that 54 countries were now issuing ePassports and 21 countries issuing eIDs. Meanwhile, 9 countries are issuing eHealth cards. More analysis to follow....