JISC

This project created the following deliverables, this report, detailing the requirements, costs and benefits of a smart card infrastructure fully documented Windows PC software allowing for IT registration of students, cash transfer between Mondex smart cards over Internet distances, the storage of personal data, including records of achievement, on a smart card establishment of a web site detailing the project's output.

Executive Summary

The JTAP 586 project produced the following deliverables during the twelve months of its existence:

• this report, detailing the requirements, costs and benefits of a smart card infrastructure
• fully documented Windows PC software allowing for IT registration of students, cash transfer between Mondex smart cards over Internet distances, the storage of personal data, including records of achievement, on a smart card
• establishment of a web site detailing the project's output 

The JTAP 586 remit included a workshop to disseminate the conclusions of the project.  Under the title of 'SmartCards, the Way Ahead', featuring presentations from Mondex International, ICL, GIS and NatWest, the workshop was scheduled for the 2nd and 3rd of September 1999, and advertised to over 150 IT heads and other individuals in HE institutions.

The response to the workshop invitations was disappointingly low, and the decision was taken in early August that the workshop be cancelled.  This may signify nothing more than poor scheduling of the workshop, and targeting of the invitations to attend - alternatively it may indicate that many HE institutions have decided on their smart card strategy, at least in terms of the workshops which they attend for advice and updates, and feel they need no more input.

Although the project was unable to provide its own workshop, members of the team have attended and given presentations at a number of external conferences and workshops, including:

• Cards Australia 1999, September 7th - 9th, Sydney    - Dave Cannon
• IQPC Conference, "SmartCards and the Internet", September 30th, London    - Laurie Burbridge
• University of Aston Smartcard Workshop, November 23rd 1998, November 25th 1999, Aston    - Laurie Burbridge
• LUPC Seminar, September 27th 1998    - Laurie Burbridge
• Mondex University User Forum, January, March, May, September, November    - Roger Wooderson/Dave Cannon
  

Over the year of the JTAP project, the University of Exeter has entertained a number of visitors interested in smart card developments - especially those developed as part of JTAP 586.  The visitors have included personnel from:

• Sony, Japan
• Posten SDS, Norway, and Mondex International
• Nokia and Mondex, Finland

This report's main conclusions are:

• smart cards from different card issuers are at present interoperable only at a very fundamental level, and that the choice of a smart card dictates the range and choice of the card infrastructure to a lesser or greater extent.  The infrastructure then serves to limit the options of changing to other smart card offerings at a future date
• there are initiatives - driven by IT and smart card providers - to improve smart card interoperability, but these have so far had limited success
• smart cards are moving towards support for multiple applications on the card, but this is severely limited by the memory capacity of present cards
• Institutions should note Microsoft's intention to lever 'Smartcard for Windows' on to every desktop, initially as a PC and Internet security device.  This will have major implications for the availability of a specific smart card infrastructure, and will influence the range of smart cards which are compatible with that infrastructure
• Most Smartcard schemes currently in operation in UK Universities are the result of a partnership between the Institution and one or more suppliers.  This is indicative of the fact that these schemes are still seen as development projects, rather than as fully-developed commercial systems.  Because of the developmental nature of Smartcard projects, all the collaborating parties usually contribute to the overall cost of implementation.  These contributions vary greatly and for this reason it is not possible to obtain definitive information on overall costs and the resulting value for money.  In many instances, particularly those that involved the early implementation of Smartcards, it is clear that suppliers provided substantial subsidies to the HE Institutions.  In effect, suppliers were using the HE Institutions as test beds for their products, with consequent advantages to all parties.  This phase of Smartcard development may be drawing to a close and it is becoming more difficult for Institutions to conclude heavily-subsidised deals with suppliers.  Any institution seeking to implement a Smartcard system should attempt to find a commercial partner and establish a relationship with that partner that will provide a cost-effective solution to the Institution's needs
• It should be noted that, because of the nature of HE Institutions, large numbers of cards are required each year; the unit cost of the Smartcard is therefore a key parameter when assessing the cost-effectiveness and total cost of ownership of any Smartcard project
  

All the indications are that the cost of multi-function smart cards will fall dramatically, and that the cards will become ubiquitous and all-pervasive.  The problem is that we don't know when this will happen.  There is a need for the HE community to be fully informed and ready to seize the opportunities presented by the increased functionality and lower costs of future cards.  This report will go some way towards ensuring that this need is met.

Report available electronically only. Read the final report below.