Disclaimer: this page represents a selective collection of links to SmartCard Technology related materials. It was compiled over extended period of time and some links might became obsolete. If you notice so or find other links worth adding here, please contact me.

Fundamentals:

A Smart Card is an electronic data storage system, possible with additional computing capacity (microprocessor card), which is incorporated into a plastic card the size of a credit card. The first smart cards (phone cards) were launched in 1984. There were about 200 million smart cards issued in 1992, by 1995 this number had risen to 600 million and to about 3.8 billion in 2001. Presently there are many systems and applications that make use of smart cards: public services, financial applications, security clearance, smart offices etc.

• There are a lot of good books written on the subject, the one, which I liked as a starting point to get comprehensive coverage, including extensive technical and programming details is: "Smart Cards. The Developer's Toolkit" by Timothy M. Jurgensen and Scott B. Guthery. It covers card physical structure, international standards, card code development, card management system. Both authors have extensive hands-on experience in the field.
• Java Card[tm] Technology - Developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. The Java Card specifications enable Java technology to run on smart cards and other devices with limited memory. The Java Card API allows applications written for one smart card platform enabled with Java Card technology to run on any other such platform. There you can download Java Card 2.2 Development Kit.
• SmartCard101 - introduction to smart cards, benefits, costs, privacy & security.
• www.smartcardbasics.com - provides smart cards and security overview, types of chip cards, standards, system planning and deployment.
• CardLogix - has simple, but very helpful "Product selection and design guide" for download;

Major organizations:

• ACT Canada - The Advanced Card Technology Association of Canada. ACT Canada is an international association for the advancement of card technologies; reaching out through seminars, conferences, information exchange work groups, research and many other programs.
• The International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA) is a global non-profit association of nearly 250 plastic card manufacturers, personalizers, suppliers and other industry participants in more than 30 countries. 
• Java Card Forum - The primary activity of the Java Card Forum is the development and recommendation of specifications to the Smart Card division of Sun Microsystems, Inc., owner of the Java Card API specification. The Forum's activities are intended to promote the Java Card API specification as the industry standard, reflecting the needs of smart card manufacturers and their customers. At their site you can download Java Card Management Specifications.
• Smart Card Alliance - The Smart Card Alliance is a not-for profit, multi-industry association of over 185 member firms working to accelerate the widespread acceptance of multiple application smart card technology.
• CardEurope - The Association For Smart Card And Related Industries. It was created in 1994 as a not-for-profit organization to promote the wide-spread use of smart cards. Card Europe is independent of manufacturers, suppliers and national organizations.
• Eurosmart - Through various meetings, events, exhibitions and conferences, members promote smart cards applications, work on security and quality items and try to create and develop dialogue with their partners.

Major magazines/news sources:

• CardTechnology Magazine - good source for news about smart cards and such related payment and identification technologies as biometrics, PKI, mobile commerce, physical access control and computer network security.
• CardTech SecurTech - information about related Conferences and Exhibitions.
• ComputerWorld - contains many online smart card related articles.
• ITBusiness - offers daily news on the IT industry, including smart card subject.
• Wireless - very often publishes interesting articles and interviews on RFID subject, closely related to the smart card technology.