Federal government use of storage and processor cards for identification and other business purposes are growing at an impressive pace. The number of cards in use is growing into the tens of millions. Accompanying the growing use of storage and processor cards is a growing need for interoperability in the hardware and software associated with those cards necessary to support efficient procurement, maintenance, training, and operations.
The General Accounting Office (GAO) issued a report in January 2003 that evaluated the progress in promoting the use of smart cards across the Federal government. The “Progress in Promoting Adoption of Smart Card Technology”(GAO-03-144 report) sets forth recommendations regarding the role of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States Government Smart Card (GSC) program. As an initial response to the recommendations, NIST hosted the Storage and Processor Card-Based Technology Workshop. This workshop was organized to identify requirements for card based storage and processor technologies, card industry capabilities and trends, interoperability requirements and issues, and requirements and capabilities for single platform integration of multiple technologies. NIST not only developed and distributed card technology capabilities and requirements questionnaires and conducted interviews with Federal government agencies to further identify the state of current and planned technologies.
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Self-interest is commonly assumed to enhance prosperity because, like an invisible hand, competition leads suppliers to best serve those who demand their products and ensures that these products reach those who most value it. But this type of invisible hand may not exist when private actors deal with the government, request publicly controlled goods or supply products to the state. Quite the contrary, instead of a force that transforms self-interest into efficient outcomes, there may exist an invisible tripwire that topples all parties deeper into distress. Brock and Magee [1984] have introduced the term “invisible foot” for this effect of competition among self-seeking actors. Corruption is the most prominent reason why the exchange between government and its citizens may be a source of inefficiency — one which has been extensively studied of late.
