SCNF Identity & Library Event

SCNF members will be joining RFID Europe on 30th Sept in Cambridge for an important networking event and the first to hear from:

• Project Manager - Hillingdon First Card launched in June 2009
• Department for Work & Pensions - sharing best practice in supporting an ageing society
• West Yorkshire PTE - results from DfT sponsored research into Multi-application cards
• Lord Erroll - views on protecting personal identity in a networked world

There are only a limited number of places available.

Public Sector employees are invited to register and attend the event free of charge. For more information about the event see the SCNF website (www.scnf.org.uk) and RFID Europe (http://www.idtechex.com/rfideurope09/en/). The venue is on the edge of town and has sufficient parking for delegates.

To register for your free place, you need to become a member of the SCNF (go to www.scnf.org.uk/join.html) and email events@scnf.org.uk requesting your place. We will send confirmation and answer any queries by return.

Kevin Farquharson
Co-Chair
Smart Card Networking Forum

t: +44 (0) 1483 772241
e: chair@scnf.org.uk
w: www.scnf.org.uk

Please follow our blog at http://scnfchairman.blogspot.com

We also Twitter at http://twitter.com/SCNF

DfT Ticketing Strategy Consultation

Yesterday, DfT issued its consultation on Ticketing Strategy which is due to conclude at the end of October. This is a very important exercise for all organisations involved in public transport, concessionary travel and service improvement initiatives. The SCNF already has a sub-group focussed on Transport and will be considering the questions raised and arrange a SCNF meeting before the consultation closes.

I have extracted a few lines from the DfT press release which can be found at:
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/Detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=406006&SubjectId=2

Paper travel tickets could become a thing of the past under proposals announced by the Government today. New technology, enabling mobile phones to double up as "swipe and go" cards and bank cards to be used to pay directly for journeys could revolutionise how travellers purchase and use tickets according to the new consultation. The Government estimates that the benefits of universal 'integrated smart' ticketing could be as much as £2 billion per year through improved journey times and faster, more convenient and reliable purchasing and use of tickets, with benefits for local government and operators too.

Central to the vision is the implementation of smart ticketing infrastructure using the Government backed ITSO specification to allow seamless travel between, and within, cities and regions; and different modes of transport. We could see the end to waiting in line at ticket machines, while buses could spend half the amount of time sitting at the bus stop waiting for people to board and looking for the right change.

DfT consultation also refers to joining up services through using smartcards for other products such as library membership, leisure centre entry, benefit entitlement, parking, bike and car hire, and even lift share arrangements.

Jonathan Bray, Director of the Passenger Transport Executive Group Support Unit said:
"We fully share the Government's ambition to see smart ticketing introduced across Britain's largest urban areas as soon as possible. Oystercard has become intrinsic to London life - passengers have a right to expect a similar deal in the next tier of major urban areas.
"We look forward to continuing to work with Government on the reform of bus subsidies that's currently underway to help make this happen."


Please let us know the points SCNF should discuss and look out for arrangements to discuss a response from SCNF.

Kevin Farquharson
Co-Chair SCNF
www.scnf.org.uk

Hillingdon First at RFID Europe Event

The recently launched Hillingdon First scheme has been rolled out to 150,000 residents and is already used as a library card, to obtain discounted parking rates and local business loyalty card.

Darryl Wallace, Project Manager for the Hillingdon scheme will be speaking at the SCNF stream of the RFID Europe event about the introduction of the card and particularly its use as the new libary card for new and existing borrowers.

For more information about the event, see the website or email enquiries@scnf.org.uk.

Kevin Farquharson
Co-Chair SCNF
www.scnf.org.uk

SCNF & CRM Integration

Local Authorities are continuing to invest in Customer Relationship Management to improve customer service delivery and some are on a second round of replacement and upgrade.

SCNF is planning to run an event during November which will focus on the synergy and integration between CRM and resident card schemes. This will particularly interesting for Local Authorities considering introducing a resident card scheme.

We are currently speaking to potential sponsors and case studies for the event.

For further information and contributions to the event, please contact the Core Group or email enquiries@scnf.org.uk.

Kevin Farquharson
Co-Chair SCNF
www.scnf.org.,uk

Building a society for all ages including Active 60 Package

The following is taken from the Building Britain's Future website...

As a country we are living through an enormous demographic change. This has now reached a tipping point with pensioners outnumbering children for the first time. A quarter of all children born today are expected to live to reach 100 years old. This is a challenge, but also an opportunity. Building a Society for All Ages is the Government's strategy for how we as a society make the most of this change. It develops the Government's 2005 strategy, Opportunity Age [DWP website] which has now largely been delivered. It builds on a solid foundation of recent reforms to the pensions and health systems for older people.

The strategy is available online in PDF from the BBF website. This strategy already draws upon extensive debate and discussion over the last year. It's publication now marks the next stage in the process towards our goal as we start a national debate about how we can make it a reality. If you would like to be involved in this debate then visit our consultation page.

Posted by SCNF.

Kevin Farquharson
Co-Chair

http://www.scnf.org.uk/

SCNF at RFID Europe - Libraries and ID Management

The Smart Card Networking Forum is running a public sector stream at the RFID Europe conference on 30th Sept in Cambridge. This year we will focus on libraries and personal identity.

SCNF members are invited to register and attend the event free of charge. For more information see the SCNF website (www.scnf.org.uk), RFID Europe (http://www.idtechex.com/rfideurope09/en/) and email events@scnf.org.uk. The venue is on the edge of town and has sufficient parking for delegates.

Aside from the whole programme on RFID technology, there will be a presentation by Dudley Council on their use of RFID and the event is sponsored by Axiell (formerly known for the DS Galaxy library management system). This is an excellent event to find out about the use of RFID technology for loan items, smart memberships cards and cashless payment.

The public sector stream will also include a speaker from DWP about meeting the needs of an ageing society, an update on technology which makes it easier for partially sighted to use library computers and Lord Erroll talking about the requirements and risks of identity management in society.

I am confident you will find this a very interesting programme which will be complemented by the opportunity to network with other forum members and sponsors of the Forum.

Spaces are limited, so please let us know if you are interested in joining the event. You are also invited to register on the SCNF website so you can access all of the forum information and keep up to date with news and developments.

Kevin Farquharson
Co-Chair
Smart Card Networking Forum

t: +44 (0) 1483 772241
m: +44 (0) 7785 361551
e: chair@scnf.org.uk
w: www.scnf.org.uk

Please follow our blog at http://scnfchairman.blogspot.com

We also Twitter at http://twitter.com/SCNF

SCNF Website - Case Studies & Searchable

We have now completed the final stage of the new website which includes an area for case studies and ability to search the whole site. You will also see more current news and links to events on the front page. Follow this blog for the latest news.

For the first time you can see links to all the case studies covered in past SCNF events at www.scnf.org.uk/case.html. Case studies include transport, payment applications,

These case studies and the other outputs on the website are also searchable, so you can enter a theme, technology or application and find relevant information and examples. Why not give it a try and tell members what you find.

The programme for the SCNF stream at RFID Europe is taking shape with speakers from DWP, House of Lords and a Library Service. To register for the event email chair@scnf.org.uk. More details to follow.

Kevin Farquharson
Co-Chair SCNF
www.scnf.org.uk