GlobalPlatform and STIP Consortium Plan Merger

02 February 2004 – GlobalPlatform and the Small Terminal Interoperability Platform (STIP) Consortium have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which expresses a joint intention to explore an acceptable means by which GlobalPlatform can integrate with STIP and continue its current work.

The intention is to merge the operations, administration and membership of the two bodies, which have worked together closely since 2001, in order to improve communication and avoid any legal complications which may arise in the future due to joint intellectual property ownership.

While at this stage, the bodies have only committed to exploring a merger as a possible course of action, Jean-Paul Billon, from Axalto, who chairs both the STIP Consortium and the GlobalPlatform Device Committee, is fully supportive of the idea:

“The GlobalPlatform Device Committee and the STIP Consortium have essentially merged their technical activities already and have been operating as one unit for the past year. In my opinion, it is more logical and more practical for the common work of the two organizations to be undertaken under the auspices of one organization. In addition, the promotion of GPD/STIP technology, which is currently undertaken by both organizations, will be centralized and therefore strengthened.

“While the proposed integration of the STIP Consortium and GlobalPlatform has my obvious backing, I consider it important that STIP technology continues to maintain its integrity within the GlobalPlatform organization. Whatever decision is made regarding the merger, it will be the result of a considered decision making process, which will ensure that the interests and investments of all parties involved, including the current membership of both organizations, are respected.

“Regardless of the final outcome of the MoU, the common technical work on GPD/STIP technology will continue in accordance with a plan agreed upon last year by both organizations. The next important step for 2004, in terms of common technical work, will be the delivery of a comprehensive platform compliance test-plan for the new GPD/STIP 2.2 release published this week by the STIP Consortium.”

Bob Beer from Datacard Group and Chair of GlobalPlatform, comments; “This MoU has been considered very carefully by the GlobalPlatform Board and it has been decided that there is an appropriate strategic fit between the operations of GlobalPlatform and STIP.

“If the decision to integrate the two bodies meets with full approval - based on the best interests of everyone involved - the membership of STIP will dissolve their organization and join GlobalPlatform. This will widen our membership base in the mobile telecoms industry and among EFT POS manufacturers.”

The GlobalPlatform Device Committee and the STIP Consortium have worked together since 2001 and during that time the organizations have jointly developed a comprehensive specification for smart card accepting devices – GPD/STIP. This has resulted in the convergence to a single Application Programming Interface (API) providing a new standard that simplifies deployment of multi-application smart card devices.

As a result of these collaborative efforts, STIP technology is the basis of the GlobalPlatform Device (GPD) Framework. This technology is currently implemented on a number of EFT-POS terminals from various global manufacturers.

For further information on GlobalPlatform, please visit www.globalplatform.org

-ENDS-

For media information or to arrange an interview with Jean Paul Billon please contact Lee’ann Connell or Sarah Bayne at Sinclair Mason on Tel: + 44 (0) 113 237 0777 or e-mail: leeannc@sinclairmason.com or sarahb@sinclairmason.com

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About GlobalPlatform

GlobalPlatform is the global leader in smart card infrastructure development and its proven, technical specifications for cards, devices and systems are known as the standard for smart card infrastructure. GlobalPlatform has over 50 cross-industry members with representation from all world continents. www.globalplatform.org

About the STIP Consortium The STIP Consortium was incorporated in March 2000 to develop an interoperable software platform specification for secure transaction devices, including, but not limited to, card accepting devices. The Consortium originated from the Java Card Forum. The members of the STIP Consortium are key players within the global EFT-POS industry and in the mobile telecoms industry. The STIP Consortium has developed two specific profiles for each of these industries based on the common GPD/STIP technology. www.stip.org