Information technologies increasingly constitute the backbone of the federal government. But technology trends burn hot and flame out quickly — often faster than the pace of government procurement and policy changes.

We have consulted experts to identify five hot technologies and concepts that federal managers should know. And the experts think these won’t just be a flash in the pan.

1. Authentication/identity management
You know who you are, but does anyone else know? Managing identities is an IT discipline that overlaps with safeguarding information online, which is one of government officials’ biggest IT concerns.

The most prominent identity-related policy affecting feds is Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12, which requires agencies to issue interoperable personal identity verification cards to federal employees and contractors.

Eric Longo, federal business development manager at RSA Security, said electronic authentication is simply a process of exchanging access for “something you are, something you know, something you have.” The something you are could be biometric data, such as a fingerprint. The something you know could be a password, and the something you have could be a token, such as an ID card with a chip containing personal data.

“For identity and access management, it’s really about incorporating security into what you’re trying to accomplish,” Longo said. “If you don’t authenticate, you basically have a situation where everyone can be whoever the heck they want to be.”

E-authentication applies identity management technologies. Users must be able to prove they are who they say they are before they can gain online access to federal databases. Many experts expect telework to become an option for a growing number of federal employees in this decade, and it depends on e-authentication technologies. If you’re a teleworker and can’t log in to government systems from home, you can’t do your work.

2. Radio frequency identification
Radio frequency identification tags made this list because of their acceptance in government and industry. Wal-Mart is a leader in marking products with RFID tags to track shipments and reduce losses. The Defense Department has followed suit, mandating RFID use on supplies and containers worldwide. Other federal departments use RFID tags to keep tabs on everything from hazardous materials to animals.

“It’s providing innovation in areas we hadn’t seen before,” said Jennifer Kerber, homeland security director at the IT Association of America. “There’s a potential for great savings.” But RFID has bred controversy. The State Department’s new passports contain RFID tags, which has prompted complaints from privacy groups.