This IDC study outlines Spain's plans to implement an electronic ID card program to more than 30 million Spanish citizens by the year 2012.

"Security and identity are becoming more closely aligned as business and governments worldwide look for better, faster, and more reliable ways to accurately identify individuals and secure sensitive information," says Sally Hudson, research director of Identity and Access Management Products at IDC. "To this end, we see biometric technologies emerging as a vital component of national security and identity initiatives."