"It’s a small world." It’s no more just a saying -- it is a reality today. The ways people communicate and transact business have changed drastically from what it used to be. The advancements in the digital communication and the embedded industry have a great impact on this. The way business is done has also evolved from the pay-n-take transaction model to the online transaction model where one can complete a sale or any similar transaction just a few mouse clicks.

In such a world enterprises can provide value-added services and enhance their customer base as most banking and retail chains have done by giving out free services such as online banking, the option to buy and sell stocks online, etc. This applies to large corporations and small businesses like a coffee shop that provides its customers Wi-Fi access to the Internet while they enjoy their coffee. The success of such transactions and the business using them relies on the level of security and service competence offered by the vendor.

Smart Cards have been here for quite sometime now. Although the development initiated 35 years ago in 1968, it was ten years later that they were made available to mass use. Apart from the security features and ease of use, Smart Cards also provide the user with a safe and effective way to conduct e-business and enjoy the luxury of the value-added services provided by vendors. This has enabled Smart Cards to make their way into millions of lives.