0:00 All right, we're going to see if I get to keep my geek card here.
0:16 Yes. Okay. Today, I want to talk about the evolution of technology and how backward
0:22 compatibility is essential for growth. Technologies are in a constant state of
0:27 change and they're always adding new features and and enhanced functionality to
0:31 meet growing demands. The three phones that you see here are a perfect
0:35 illustration of this. They represent the dramatic evolution of the simple telephone
0:39 over just the last 30 years from a device tethered to a wall, to a portable gadget
0:46 for calls and eventually text messages, to the powerful computer we all carry in our
0:51 pockets now. The infrastructure to support the corded and the corded and smartphones
0:57 are still in place today, but the first generation of mobile devices no longer
1:01 function. This progression is a familiar story, but it holds important lessons for
1:05 the future of other technologies, including digital identity. And the
1:09 progress shown here is not always guaranteed. So I want to talk about two
1:15 ubiquitous internet technologies that we all use every day but don't think about.
1:19 Some of you may not even know these exist. But they were both introduced around 30
1:24 years ago and their paths to adoption have been significantly different. The first is
1:29 IPv6 and was introduced in December of 1995 and it's so foundational to the
1:35 internet that it's literally called the internet protocol. IPv6 is the successor
1:41 to the original internet protocol and it has struggled to gain traction only
1:46 reaching about 50% market share today despite decades of effort and superior
1:51 capabilities. Second technology is 802.11 also known as Wi-Fi. It was first
1:58 introduced and standardized in 1997. And then Wi-Fi has been a massive success.
2:04 It's seen seven major releases, each one faster and more capable than the last and
2:09 has become an indispensable part of our daily lives. So why the difference in
2:14 adoption? Backward compatibility. Wi-Fi was designed from the ground up to be
2:20 backward compatible. Each new generation of Wi-Fi routers and devices could still
2:25 communicate with the older ones. This created a smooth seamless upgrade path for
2:31 everyone. IPv6 however was not backward compatible with its predecessor. This
2:36 meant that the transition required a complete and often costly overhaul of
2:42 network infrastructure. This major difference is the primary reason why Wi
2:47 -Fi's adoption has progressed so smoothly while IPv6's adoption has been a long slow
2:52 struggle. Another way to allow for continuous improvement of technologies is
2:58 to ensure compatibility with alternative standards. To illustrate this, think of
3:02 the audio codecs that power our digital music and podcasts. Many different
3:07 standards like FLAC, MPEG, and OPUS coexist today. For the vast majority of
3:12 us, the complex process of encoding and decoding audio is completely transparent.
3:17 We just push play. Each codec is optimized for a specific situation, whether it's
3:22 streaming high fidelity music or ensuring a clear voice call over a weak connection.
3:26 While this isn't ideal, the ecosystem works because applications have the
3:30 ability to handle the different types of audio files, seamlessly switching codecs
3:35 as needed. New codecs can be added to the ecosystem while old ones are eventually
3:40 retired.
3:43 So just like these other technologies, digital identity is at a crossroads. We
3:48 have a mix of established legacy systems and emerging innovative solutions. The
3:53 challenge is figuring out how to move forward without immediately abandoning the
3:57 significant investments we've already made and without destroying the user experience
4:02 or preventing progress. A core principle of the SEDI framework is to support
4:07 backward compatibility. We believe the only viable path forward is one that
4:11 embraces interoperability with existing options without being confined by them.
4:17 This approach will allow organizations to continue using their existing investments
4:21 and infrastructure while providing a clear path to upgrade to newer, more secure and
4:27 more capable technologies over time. It ensures that progress doesn't require
4:31 starting from scratch or forcing adoption of a single solution across the ecosystem.
4:39 To show you what this looks like in practice, we're going to do live demos. We
4:44 realize the risk in that. So, I'm pleased to introduce the participants for our
4:49 technical demonstrations today and I'll invite them to start coming up on the
4:53 stage here. In the upcoming demos for this session and later this afternoon, they'll
4:58 showcase how several of the currently available identity technologies can be
5:01 used together in a cohesive and interoperable ecosystem. While no
5:06 technologies for SEDI have been chosen, they will present possible scenarios
5:10 utilizing several different technologies working together for the first time.
5:15 You'll notice how the user experience is similar despite differences in the
5:18 underlying technologies. So if you could start making your way to the stage as I as
5:25 I introduce you. First we have Spruce ID. They're a US-based company whose mission
5:34 is to give people control over their identity and data across all digital
5:37 interactions. Here you go, Wayne. Wayne Chang is here and their software powers
5:43 secure standards-based credentials such as mobile drivers licenses and verifiable
5:47 digital credentials that can be used both online and in person across government and
5:52 enterprise services. As a leader in the decentralized identity and credential
5:56 interoperability space Spruce's technology supports selective disclosure
6:01 unlinkability and no phone home verification. Their work with states,
6:04 federal agencies and standards bodies demonstrates how digital identity can
6:08 enhance access to services, strengthen security and preserve user autonomy in a
6:12 connected world. GET Group North America is a US-based company specializing in
6:20 identity management solutions with over 40 years of experience supporting governments
6:24 worldwide and has been a leader in digital identity since 2017. GET was selected to
6:30 deploy the technology for Utah's mobile driver's license in 2021, helping Utah
6:35 citizens securely share their MDL details, prove their age, and maintain their
6:38 privacy. The company has worked with government agencies and businesses to
6:42 accept and verify MDLs, including the TSA, Utah Highway Patrol, UCCU, and AFCU credit
6:49 unions. And then last, they'll be presenting later, but their technology is
6:53 used in the demonstrations. The Cardano Foundation is a not-for-profit
6:57 organization based in Switzerland which promotes the education development and
7:02 adoption of decentralized technologies to build future-proof industry solutions.
7:07 Veridian is an open source digital identity platform developed by the
7:11 foundation that delivers secure enterprise -ready verification services which protect
7:15 user data and prevent fraud. Veridian's credential management platform led by
7:21 Thomas Mayfield implements self-sovereign identity for individuals and
7:25 organizations. And Veridian's core objective is to ensure authentic
7:28 communications and verifiable identity protocols are easily accessible to all. So
7:33 I want to personally thank all of the presenters for our technical
7:38 demonstrations today. They put this together in a matter of weeks and we're
7:44 really excited to see these technologies working together for the first time. So
7:47 I'll turn the time over to them.