Alliance Activities : Overview

Secure Technology Alliance Activities

The Secure Technology Alliance was established to accelerate the widespread adoption, usage, and application of smart card technology by bringing together leading users and technologists from both the public and private sectors in an open forum to address industry issues and create new opportunities for all. Alliance membership includes over 200 U.S.-based and international organizations covering the full spectrum industry suppliers, integrators, and end user groups.

Activities include events, educational programs, industry reports and white papers, member-driven industry and technology councils, and industry outreach.

Events

The Alliance hosts important industry conferences and events each year focusing on different markets and topics, as well as periodic web seminars.  The annual Payments Summit is the premier industry event covering all things payments, including FinTech, EMV chip technology, mobile wallets, NFC, contactless, open transit systems and more.  The Secure Technology Alliance government events showcase the implementation of smart card technology in government programs worldwide.  The new “Security of Things Conference” will premier in Fall 2016 and cover security, authentication and the Internet of Things (IoT). These popular events attract a broad audience to learn about new smart card initiatives, applications and technology.

The Alliance also sponsors periodic web seminars on topics of interest to the industry and participates in a wide array of industry conferences.

Industry and Technology Councils

The Alliance member-driven Industry and Technology Councils focus on topics in specific industries or market segments to accelerate smart card adoption and industry growth.

Industry Reports and White Papers

The Alliance publishes a wide variety of reports, case studies and white papers, covering both business and technology issues in all industry segments using smart cards. All Secure Technology Alliance-written reports are available to the public at no charge as part of the Alliance educational outreach programs.

Education

The Secure Technology Alliance also offers the Leadership, Education and Advancement Program (LEAP) to advance education and professional development for individuals working in the smart card industry.

The Secure Technology Alliance Certified Smart Card Industry Professional (CSCIP) program is the smart card industry’s only standardized certification program that recognizes professionals that have advanced levels of smart card industry knowledge and experience, and have passed a multi-part exam developed by leading smart card industry experts with the support of international industry associations. The CSCIP program offers a full-day training workshop for those individuals are preparing for the CSCIP exam.

The Secure Technology Alliance “Certified System Engineer ICAM PACS” training and certification program will provide advanced training for systems engineers on how to set-up and test ePACS to align with government-wide specifications.

Member Recognition Program – Center of Excellence

The Secure Technology Alliance Center of Excellence (COE) was created to recognize an elite mix of member companies who, each year, reach the highest level of active participation in the Alliance by having made outstanding contributions in the form of providing valuable time, talent and resources across a wide mix of Alliance activities.

Alliance Web Site and Online Resources

The Secure Technology Alliance web site is the “go to” resource for news and information on the smart card industry. Providing both public resources – smart card market, technology and application information, publications, smart card reader catalog, industry event calendar – and member resources, the Alliance web site is used by individuals in organizations throughout the world.

The Secure Technology Alliance is also active in online communities. Join our communities at:

Government Outreach

The Secure Technology Alliance maintains a highly active role in supporting government adoption and use of smart cards. Key activities include:

  • Annual Smart Cards in Government events
  • Collaboration with GSA on the Certified System Engineer ICAM PACS training and certification program
  • Collaboration with NIST and other government organizations to provide industry comments on draft specifications

Industry Vertical Outreach

The Alliance maintains outreach programs to all industries that use smart card technology, including contributing to industry publications and participating in industry events. Outreach activities include:

  • Government: GSA (training and certification), NIST (standards review), Federal CIO Council, NSTIC (cybersecurity strategy program)
  • Mobile: NFC Forum, GSMA, CTIA Wireless, Mobey Forum, Federal Reserve Bank Mobile Payments Industry Workgroup
  • Security: ISC West, Kantara Initiative, International Biometrics Industry Association, Security Industry Association, FIDO Alliance, Open Identity ExchangeFinancial Payments: Electronics Transactions Association (ETA), BITS Financial Services Roundtable, NACHA, GlobalPlatform, EMV Migration Forum, EMVCo, Federal Reserve Secure Payments Task Force
  • Transportation: APTA, Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT)
  • Retail: Merchant Advisory Group, National Retail Federation, International Retail Users Group (IRUG)

International Outreach

The Secure Technology Alliance also has active international programs, including:

Participating in Cartes, the world’s largest smart card technology conference and exposition