Study of smart card technology and probe user awareness about it: A case study of Middle Eastern students

Right now, in most of the countries, inside the people´s wallet, they probably have a couple of credit cards, an identification card, automatic machine teller cards (ATM card), and maybe a few other plastic cards. Without realizing it, these plastic cards have become a very important part of their life. Although smart card technology improves security and convenient but it is not used in a wide range in Middle East countries. User acceptance is vital for further development of any fresh technology and smart card technology as well. One of the factors that can effect on the acceptance of smart card technology is users´ awareness. The goal of this study is to present a general overview of smart card technology and identify the smart card´s benefits, features and characteristics and moreover, the level of users´ knowledge and awareness about smart card technology will be evaluated. In order to achieve this goal, a survey was conducted among the international students of University Technology Malaysia to measure their awareness of smart card technology.