IBM and CSC were awarded the contract by the U.K. Identity and Passport Service for creating biometric enhanced IDs. The goal is to provide a safe and secure ID which contains built in verification of identity.
Biometric enhanced IDs are the future. This could take the form of finger printing, retinal scans, or perhaps DNA.
There are a number of people especially in the U.S. who are opposed to a national ID card. The fear of Big Brother is even more overwhelming than in Britain where 1984 was a predicted future.
The national ID card, if combined with other identification, could simplify the lives of Americans. Imagine having an ID which was also your driver’s license. Perhaps we could include Social Security in an enhanced secure form. I can envision insurance information, medical records, banking, and credit cards.