GlobalPlatform Releases Confidential Card Content Management

19 November 2007 - International smart card specifications body, GlobalPlatform, has released its Confidential Card Content Management Amendment, which enables application providers to confidentially and independently manage applications while using a third party’s infrastructure.

This amendment of the current Card Specification v2.2 has been developed in close collaboration with GlobalPlatform members operating within the mobile telecom sector, together with mobile industry associations including the European Telecommunications Standardisation Institute (ETSI) and the GSM Association (GSMA). It will significantly benefit application providers that offer end user services exclusive of a mobile infrastructure, and will enable mobile operators to establish a neutral infrastructure capable of allowing approved application providers to manage their applets Over-The-Air (OTA) on an end-user’s SIM.

The amendment is of particular importance for mobile telecom implementations that incorporate transit, entertainment or financial applications such as e-tickets, video and payments, as the application provider is unlikely to have its own network infrastructure, yet is accountable for sensitive information that it must be responsible for encrypting.

Gil Bernabeu, Technical Director at GlobalPlatform and Technical Advisor for the Standardization and Technology Department at Gemalto, comments: “Prior to the launch of this amendment to Card Specification v2.2, an application provider had only two choices: to invest in the network infrastructure or rely on the issuer’s infrastructure for application management.

• “Today, following a year-long initiative by GlobalPlatform’s Card Committee to develop the Confidential Card Content Management Amendment to Card Specification v2.2, an issuer is able to dynamically create new application provider ‘space’ in its secure element, i.e. a Security Domain, and authorizes the application provider to take control of this area. The application provider can use a third party network to load, install and personalize applications if authorized by the issuer’s management policy. From a technical perspective, this enhancement will facilitate the deployment of new services on SIM/contactless programs by using an OTA platform of a ‘ Trusted Service Manager’ as defined by GSMA.”

As a cross industry specifications body, GlobalPlatform has developed the technology to be transferable across any market where multiple application providers are operating without the necessary industry infrastructure, yet require control of their application. The Confidential Card Content Management Amendment can be downloaded at www.globalplatform.org, and is compatible with all existing GlobalPlatform technology.

www.globalplatform.org

-ENDS –

For further media information, please contact Lee’ann Kaufman / Sarah Jones at iseepr: leeann@iseepr.co.uk / sarah@iseepr.co.uk / +44 (0) 113 274 5252

About GlobalPlatform

GlobalPlatform is the leading, international association, focused on establishing and maintaining interoperable specifications for single and multi-application smart cards, acceptance devices and systems infrastructure that deliver benefits to issuers, service providers and technology suppliers.

These specifications are known as the standard for smart card infrastructure, thanks to their balance of technical superiority and business justification.

GlobalPlatform specifications are freely available and have been adopted worldwide by many public and private bodies. As of October 2007, there were an estimated 195 million GlobalPlatform smart cards in circulation across the world and an additional 1.4 billion GSM cards utilizing GlobalPlatform technology for Over-The-Air (OTA) application download. GSM cards applying the entire GlobalPlatform card framework for SIM applications are thought to number 70 million. By end of year 2008, the number of GlobalPlatform-based non-telco cards is estimated to rise to 276 million and the GSM card deployment figures are also expected to rise significantly.

GlobalPlatform is an independent, not-for-profit organization and its strategy is defined and prioritized by a Board of Directors. GlobalPlatform is currently chaired by Robert E. Beer, Vice President Business Development, Datacard Group, and vice-chaired by Marc Kekicheff, Vice President Product Technology, Visa International. Kevin Gillick serves the membership on a full-time basis as its Executive Director.
www.globalplatform.org