NXP, the company spun off from Philips Semiconductors, has announced that it is supplying its SmartMX chips for use in the the Indonesian Overseas Worker´s Identification Card. NXP is supplying Pura Smart Technology, whose smart cards were chosen by the Republic of Indonesia ´s newly formed National Board for Placement and Protection of Indonesian Overseas Workers (BNP2TKI).

With an increasing number of Indonesians traveling overseas for employment, the ID card promises a secure means of verifying identity when requesting a variety of government services.

The Indonesian government had expected to issue 370,000 of these ID cards in 2007, with each card containing a secure contactless chip with an onboard memory of 36K and JCOP (Java Card Open Platform) card operating system.

The card can contain information such as biographic data, biometric data such as face image and fingerprint templates, employment information, medical records, insurance status and bank account data. As the ID card becomes more widely used, it may also be used for debit and credit bank transactions.

As the agency responsible for its citizen´s welfare while working overseas, BNP2TKI has two objectives for this new ID card. First, it hopes the card will streamline embarkation, disembarkation and work permit extension services, in addition to enabling banking, medical and insurance services in the near future. Second, the agency aims to offer workers a tamper-proof card that complements the holder´s passport, allowing them to carry an alternative form of ID at all times while overseas.

Commenting on the rollout of the Worker´s ID Card in Indonesia , Mr. Jumhur Hidayat, chairman of BNP2TKI, said: "We are pleased to offer our citizens a highly secure and effective form of identification. With this ID card we will be able to provide better and more convenient services to our people working overseas without compromising their security."