EUDI Wallet standardization is key to needed versatility, analysts say

European institutions are currently working on bringing to life the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet. Its users should be able to use it for many different purposes, from private to public services.

However, the true potential lies not in enabling these technologies to fit specific use cases but in embracing their capacity to simplify different interactions, writes Alejandro Leal, research analyst at KuppingerCole, a digital identity-focused advisory.

Solutions should be flexible to provide adjustable levels of assurance to each use case or flow, and extensible to accommodate increasingly complex interoperability needs and security considerations, he adds.

“Emphasizing the versatility of the EUDI Wallet in various economic facets is critical for user adoption, which ultimately leads to a more efficient and connected economy,” he says. “User education will therefore be an important part of success, as will an iterative approach.”

Ensuring security and interoperability, however, will be challenging, especially at the massive scale of users and versatile use cases the EU is targeting, according to observers.

Ignacio Alamillo Domingo, partner at Digital Credentials for Europe (DC4EU) consortium, recently introduced efforts to standardize the identification and information exchange of students and staff amongst educational institutions worldwide. The consortium aims to apply the EU’s European Electronic Identification and Trust Services Initiative, known as the eIDAS 2.0 trust framework, to the education and social security sectors.

The European Parliament and the Council reached an agreement on the eIDAS legal framework in November. EU bodies will still have to deliver Implementing Acts that set out technical specifications connected to the wallet.

“This document was very interesting,” Domingo says.” It contains the description of all the actors that need to participate in this wallet ecosystem. Of course, universities are to be included.”

Last year in April, the bloc kicked off four large-scale pilots testing the wallet in April, including for applications such as Mobile Driving Licenses, eHealth, digital payments, and education and professional qualifications. The European Commission has earmarked €46 million (roughly US$49 million) for the programs, involving more than 250 private and public organizations across Europe.

The EUDI wallet has even larger ambitions as standardization organizations are working on making the EUDI accepted even outside of the European Union.

Article Topics

Digital Credentials for Europe (DC4EU)  |  digital ID  |  digital payments  |  digital wallets  |  eIDAS  |  EU Digital Identity Wallet  |  interoperability  |  KuppingerCole  |  standards