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The future of identity: physical and digital credentials converge into one harmonious identity ecosystem

Jun

21

2021

Time to read

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Written by: 

Tony Ball

Time to read

Written by: 

iidi-industry-trends

There was a time when your ID was just a card with your name and picture on it. Today, we ask IDs to do a whole lot more work. If you’re in school, that same ID might get you into your dorm, access the gym, and track meal swipes. IDs for your office might get you past the security guard, open doors to your department, or let you access the printer. In fact, your ID credential might not be a card at all but a digital image backed by a digital certificate that opens access to a host of online and physical world locations and services.

Today’s user expects easy access to what they need, security against those who shouldn’t have access, and instant issuance of new IDs and replacements, with a seamless experience across their digital and physical lives. As solutions providers, that’s what we need to produce.

The changing landscape

  • Choosing simple, self-serve experiences: Today’s customers and their end-users expect less interpersonal interaction and more automated, self-service experiences that are simple and seamless for the end-user to navigate.
  • Access to services instantly on mobile: As more people have become comfortable with conducting all or most of life’s transactions on smart phones, they expect that most, if not all, self-serve experiences will be available via their smart phones.
  • Convergence of digital and physical credentials: More identities and credentials are being offered digitally in order to provide greater access to public services like healthcare, education, and government benefit programs in a convenient, seamless, and secure way. However, there will always be the need for a physical identification method and physical credentials must be considered a part of the identity ecosystem to ensure a wide range of use cases and smooth interactions.
  • Seamless security: As business and personal travel begins to pick up again, border agencies, governments, and the travel industry are looking to incorporate more advanced and seamless security technology to bring more convenience and fewer interactions to crossing borders, accessing facilities, and the entirety of the travel experience. ID verification can potentially be automated to a degree where verified travelers only need to interact with agents when necessary.

A seamless identity ecosystem rooted in trust

So, what does an intelligent identity solution look like when considering all these dynamics? The key to building a successfully seamless identity ecosystem is to ensure it’s built with flexibility and scalability in mind and is offered all in one platform – from issuing credentials physically or digitally to being able to do so on-premises or in the cloud, and doing so from either a desktop or central issuance system. This all starts with the establishment of the root of trust through identify verification, with strong security features embedded in each step to maintain that trust all along the way while managing the lifecycle of issuance for each identity.

Digital Credentials powering new generation of services and customer experiences

This has never been more important when you consider how we’ve had to exist over the past 18 months. As the world gets back to in-person interactions, organizations are looking for solutions to their more complex identity needs whether it’s deploying credentials for government and enterprise employees who may be working both in the office and remotely, deploying credentials to university students returning in the fall, or organizations simply looking to move their credential solutions from an on-premises platform to the cloud.

We at Entrust understand identity matters, so we provide issuance your way. It’s not either/or, we give you the confidence to issue IDs wherever you are and in whatever form factor you choose. For more than 50 years, Entrust has built a strong foundation in physical identities with a trusted security posture. And through significant investments made over the course of the past several years, we are well positioned to serve as both your physical and digital identity partner of choice.

To learn more about the Entrust identity portfolio of solutions.

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Tony Ball
President, Payments & Identity
Tony Ball is President of the Payments & Identity portfolio at Entrust. Mr. Ball joined the company in 2016 to provide leadership, global strategy and innovation for the access control and authentication solution segments.
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