Ecuador launches new eID card with NXP
30 May, 2017
category: Contactless, Digital ID, Government
Ecuador will launch its new contactless citizen eID card program with the help of NXP Semiconductors. The program will be among the largest eID card offerings in Latin America and will rely on NXP’s SmartMX2 secure microcontroller and the JCOP Operating System.
In addition to the identification function, the new multi-purpose eID cards will enable citizens to use them as travel documents, perform electronic signature operations and access social welfare services provided by the Ecuadorian government.
The new eID cards rely on the same microcontroller used for the country’s electronic passports. This is expected to help ensure secure and interoperable ID and border crossings using both documents.
While these identity solutions are typically manufactured abroad and imported to the issuing country, Ecuador’s aim is to be autonomous in production of the credentials. It will be one of a very few countries globally capable of manufacturing and issuing complex identity documents domestically.
“Smart governance is the future of public service,” says William Aragón, director of the Instituto Geográfico Militar del Ecuador. “It provides more efficiency and transforms the way government services are delivered by creating stronger links between the administration and the citizens.”
With more than 6 billion ICs sold, the SmartMX microcontrollers are proven solutions for contact, contactless and dual interface applications. They secure one-third of the chip-based payment cards in circulation and are deployed by 120 of 145 countries implementing e-Government and eID card programs.
“Our SmartMX microcontroller family continues to gain traction with over 120 countries using it for their eGovernment solutions,” says Stefan Barbu, head of Americas secure identification business at NXP. “SmartMX features more than 100 security mechanisms combined with the highest level of performance to securely store personal data.”