Dear Members and Friends of the Alliance,

As this issue of Smart Card Talk went to press, the United States federal government was shut down due to a few hard line politicians who have calculated that by not funding the government, their actions will somehow make America a better place for everyone. The dysfunction in our federal government’s legislative institutions has now given the word “government” a bad name. As we prepare for this month’s 2013 Government Conference and inaugural User-Centric ID Live Conference being jointly held on October 15-16, the topic of my executive director letter is about government in the context of smart card adoption and leader­ship on security and identity credentialing. My thoughts may not inspire much confidence in the institution unless you look beyond the politicians and focus on the part of government I know and have the deepest respect for. I look forward to seeing you next week in Washington, DC.

Sincerely,
Randy Vanderhoof
Executive Director, Smart Card Alliance

View the October edition of Smart Card Talk.