The Photo ID Card: Like Old Soldiers Will They Just Fade Away

The world around us changes almost with every breath we take. Information technology is on a continuous evolutionary cycle that may never really draw to a close. It is hard to imagine that there was a time in our great nation when identification was as simple as recognizing somebody you knew. Of course populations were smaller back then. These days a piece of paper with a written description will simply not suffice. Yes, it is a different world now and the veteran photo ID card may even find itself replaced in the not so far off future.

You heard me correctly. The photo ID card, the old soldier of identification cards who has yet to even surpass the century mark in age; may find itself put out to pasture to simply fade away. Naturally, I am not talking about tomorrow, next week, and next year or even in the next decade but the advent of new technology have been so profound that the photo ID cannot stand its ground forever. There will come a day when the common everyday identification process will look entirely different. The identification that you will use will not be a card at all; it will be administered through your body parts.

As we know finger printing has been around for many years. It is a very effective form of identification since we have discovered long ago no set of finger prints are the same. Technology has already provided us with opportunities to utilize our finger prints for identification and access control with specific software. By simply placing our finger or thumb upon a small reader ID can be made and access can be granted or denied. Will the day soon arrive when finger print readers are mounted every where we go. Perhaps even police officers will carry portable readers to immediately identify drivers when they have been pulled.

Beyond the finger print possibilities you will find the utilization of the retina. The human eyeball may become a commonly used method for access control and identification. This is not science fiction it is already being tested as we speak. By looking into an eyeball reader the computer will identify the retina and will immediately identify the individual and grant or deny access. They are even testing the use of micro chip implants in the hand or wrist that when swiped by a reader will produce identification. You have to love modern technology.

Although these identification processes will eventually go main stream; for now the photo ID card still lives to serve another day. When it comes to the daily process of identification the good old photo card still serves its mission well. As long as they are in use fine printing software like the Zebra card printer will be around to produce them. Perhaps the Zebra card printer will evolve with technological advances to enter the new market when it comes to pass. Until then the old photo ID has served us well. Between our driver's license and state ID cards they have carried a heavy load. Unfortunately, like old soldiers they will eventually fade away.