We all know that technology is evolving faster than we can keep track of; for example, web 2.0 solutions are just being implemented across the economy on a wider scale, but ‘techies’ are already developing and debating web 4.0. No doubt the future will enable us to do so much more with the help of technology. However, part of this future depends upon reliable and tested identity management processes. I, for one, do not want four other “Jon’s” running around using my identity and money simply because technology enables them to.

Last Thursday Intellect hosted a session that witnessed some of the latest strides in identity management. Two experts from Germany addressed the Intellect Identity Management Group on their work in PrimeLife, the EU funded research project on secure and sustainable identity management.

The essence of PrimeLife is to enable ways in which individuals can protect their autonomy and retain control over personal information, irrespective of their activities. And as mentioned by a colleague in this blog forum earlier, ‘wave and pay’ solutions are taking off across the world already, and voice recongnised banking is also on the move. However, what PrimeLife wants to achieve is mSolutions, where mobile devices are used as the hub wherein peoples multiple identities are managed, irrespective of their activities.

With a mSolution you ‘wave and pay’ on pretty much everything, from Oyster card to debit card to gym card with one mobile device. this allows one to combine and layer multiple identities, such as bank accounts, personal information, job accounts, personal accounts and so on, through a secure management process.

An analogy used to simplify this process was to think about a container ship. The ship is the mobile device filled with a variety of individual containers (your multiple identities accounts). Now, you could access whatever container you wanted and lift it out for use through your mobile device for a specific purpose (pay bill or enter gym).

Obviously there has to be tight security around who has access to your banking details etc, and who hasn’t lost a phone! To get around security concerns, there are a myriad of solutions that can ensure identity assurance. It is easy enough (apparently) to put a lock on sensitive containers and access to the ship itself (biometric solutions, voice or print). And if one were to “loose” the ship it would be fairly easy and quick to “sink” (i.e. kill) the device, rendering it useless for any other user than the intended identity holder.

Now with a future like that, life might become rosier and simpler, something we all need in dark times like these.

Tags: Biometrics, identity managemnt, the future

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 17th, 2009 at 9:25 pm and is filed under Convergence, Private Sector, Technology and Financial Services, Transformational Government, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.