Briefing on the upcoming Smart Cards in Government Conference

The 7th Annual Smart Cards in Government Conference (October 22 – 24, 2008)will look at the industry challenged with meeting a new administration’s timetable and market demands, as well as what lies ahead for government issuers, accreditation and testing authorities, and procurement programs.
 
Eight hundred attendees will join leaders from the federal government and industry in an interactive, instructive forum on the business issues, implementation best practices, and technology advances happening in the government identity and security market.  The three-day conference features more than 75 speakers in keynotes, plenary sessions, and concurrent track sessions focusing on technical, business and implementation issues, and include:

• Karen Evans, administrator of e-government and IT, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), on “Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 – Four Years Later”
• Kathleen Kraninger, director, Office of Screening Coordination, Department of Homeland Security, on “Developing a Comprehensive Border and Travel Security Policy”
• Craig Wilson, H.R. 1 coordinator, National Preparedness Directorate/National Capital Region Coordination, FEMA, on “Why State First Responders Need Standard Credentials”
• Bob Gilson, program management analyst, Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), on “Defining Future Interoperability and Federation for CAC”
• Paul Hunter, Department of Homeland Security, on “Passport Card at Land and Sea Border Crossings”
• William MacGregor, Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card program manager, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), on “Strategic Direction for NIST ID Card Standards and Special Publications”
• Judith Spencer, chair, federal identity credentialing, Office of Governmentwide Policy, General Services Administration, on “Crossing the Identity Divide: Trusting Commercial Credentials in the Federal Enterprise”

The conference program includes further discussion on all of the major government identity initiatives underway, including the HSPD 12 implementation of PIV cards for federal and contract employee, electronic passports, REAL ID Act driver’s license reform, Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) passport cards, the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program involving the U.S. Coast Guard, registered traveler cards coming to dozens of airports, and the first responder authentication credential pilots that involve federal, state, and local agencies throughout the country.
 
The event also features a technology exhibition involving up to 55 companies, moderated birds-of-a-feather sessions, and networking lunches and receptions.  Pre-conference workshops will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on October 21st.  The Smart Card Alliance Educational Institute will host a full-day workshop aimed at government agencies attempting to meet its HSPD 12 directive deadlines, covering the nuts and bolts of PIV cards, from the physical makeup of the cards, to issuance options, to use of the cards, and procurement of hardware and software.  OATH will also host a full-day workshop on open standards for strong authentication.
 
The Federal Smart Card Interagency Advisory Board (IAB) will hold its regular open meeting prior to the start of the conference, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Wednesday morning, October 22nd.  This is a bi-monthly gathering of government and private industry leaders to discuss smart card adoption and implementation; no fee is required to attend this portion of the event, and lunch will be served in the exhibit hall. 
 
The conference is open to all individuals and organizations that wish to learn about the role of smart cards in government.  Smart Card Alliance member organizations and government employees receive complimentary or discounted pricing for single day or full conference registrations.  Early registration discounts are available through September 23rd.  Conference sponsors include Gemalto, L-1 Identity Solutions, HID Global, Oberthur Technologies, BearingPoint and Intercede.Â