Why Smart Cards

Smart cards greatly the convenience and security of any transaction. They provide tamper-proof storage of user and account identity. Smart card systems have proven to be more reliable than other machine-readable cards, such as magnetic-stripe and bar-code, with many studies showing card read life and reader life improvements demonstrating much lower cost of system maintenance. Smart cards also provide vital components of system security for the exchange of data throughout virtually any type of network. They protect against a full range of security threats, from careless storage of user passwords to sophisticated system hacks. The costs to manage password resets for an organization or enterprise are very high, thus making smart cards a cost-effective solution in these environments. Multifunction cards can also serve as network system access and store value and other data. Worldwide, people are now using smart cards for a wide variety of daily tasks. These include:

SIM Cards and Telecommunication 
The largest use application of smart card technology is in Subscriber Identity Modules (SIM) as required by the standard for all Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) phone systems; each phone utilizes the unique identity as presented in the SIM to manage the rights and privileges on that network and all other networks that are tied by agreement to roam. This use case represents over half of all smart cards consumed each year. The Universal Subscriber Identification Modules (USIM) is also being used to bridge the identity gap as phones transition between a GSM and a UTMS or 3G network operator.

Loyalty and Stored Value

Another use of smart cards is stored value, particularly loyalty programs that track and incentivize repeat customers. Stored value is more convenient and safer than cash. For issuers, float is realized on unspent balances and residuals on balances that are never used. For multi-chain retailers that administer loyalty programs across many different businesses and POS systems, smart cards can centrally locate and track all data. The applications are numerous, from transportation systems, including parking and laundry, to gaming, as well as all retail and many entertainment uses.