Hong Kong has reached a new milestone in the development of electronic ID cards and card-related functionality. On 23 June 2003, the immigration authorities launched a new generation of ID cards. In its present guise, the card allows inhabitants of Hong Kong to benefit from e- government, PKI and library functionality. And there`s more in the pipeline, including the incorporation of an electronic driving licence and functionality that will facilitate automated entry to Hong Kong. Stephan Hofstetter is Consultant and Product Manager Governmental Solutions at Trüb AG in Switzerland. He obtained a degree in Electrical Engineering, Business Studies and Manufacturing Sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and studied Printing and Packaging Technologies at ESIG+ in Lausanne. Trüb develops cards for banks, retail organisations and government institutions. In addition to offering a comprehensive range of services from offices in Switzerland, Germany and Estonia, Trüb supplies turnkey manufacturing solutions to selected clients.