eGovernment will save the public purse in excess of $50 bn per year by 2020, according to new global research from the Secure Identity Alliance.

Highlighting the continued importance of cost and citizen experience drivers, the report highlights the role of trusted digital identity in enabling effective and secure eService deployment.

According to Frédéric Trojani, Chairman of the Board of the Alliance, “Whether we’re logging into eServices to perform healthcare claims, to vote or sign a digital transaction, pay taxes, book or buy goods or services, our digital identity will be absolutely central in the years to come. Convenience, privacy protection and security are therefore of paramount importance for trust in modern and efficient electronic government services. And as we move further towards 2020 the role of digital identity intensifies as the cost savings mount up.”

The forthcoming explosion of government eServices as identified by the research is wholly dependent on the development of a trust framework – combining governance, standards, business processes and technical capabilities.

Trojani adds: “While it’s true we’ll see multiple identities from multiple providers, the root identity – the one trusted digital identity upon which all are based – starts with Government. Strategies must be put in place now to assure those processes are robust and trusted by the citizens. The Secure Identity Alliance shall be the reference partner for Governments looking to offer cutting-edge technology in e-documents and e-services to their citizens”.

The report also identifies:

•Potential eGovernment savings by region to 2020, with savings in Europe and Asia growing at the highest rate

•Breakdown of savings for digital transactions, public administration and citizen time saving benefits

•Tracking by industry sector to eServices, showing pent-up demand for eGovernment services

•High profile eGovernment implementations across the world and crucial steps Governments can take to unlock better, more harmonised service delivery across agencies (and beyond)