GlobalPlatform Device Compliance Program Will Enhance Secure Mobile Application Deployments

23 September 2014 – Standardization body, GlobalPlatform, has expanded its support for the mobile services community with the advancement of its device compliance program. The latest updates will allow mobile handset manufacturers to confirm that products align with SIMalliance's Open Mobile API (OMAPI) Specification and the GlobalPlatform Secure Element (SE) Access Control (AC) Specification, contributing to seamless NFC deployments for application developers and service providers. GlobalPlatform test materials are available on its website.

High value mobile applications, such as banking and ticketing, rely on communication between two applications; the mobile wallet on the device and its counterpart application on the SE, which stores sensitive information and performs the secure transaction. To successfully and efficiently deliver services to the end-users the wallet requires immediate connection to the SE. SIMalliance's OMAPI and GlobalPlatform's SEAC Specifications provide this underlying SE access technology.

Gil Bernabeu, GlobalPlatform's Technical Director, explains: "SIMalliance's OMAPI standardizes the controlled link between the mobile device application and a SE application located on any type of SE, such as embedded SE, smart micro SD or UICC. It creates a common API, which delivers a single, consistent specification and interfaces across multiple operating systems. This communication link, however, needs to be restricted to ensure only authorized and approved parties can connect to the SE, which is the role of GlobalPlatform's SE AC Specification."

Gil highlights that there was a strong expectation from the market to standardize and test this functionality to support mobile network operators (MNOs) and service providers in launching their NFC services, by streamlining NFC handset testing.

Frédéric Vasnier, Chairman of SIMalliance, comments: "The correct implementation of SIMalliance's OMAPI Specification and GlobalPlatform's SE AC Specification across handsets is vital to ensure both the interoperability of SE-based mobile applications across different devices and the integrity of secure mobile application communication channels.

"With GlobalPlatform's integration of the SIMalliance OMAPI Test Application into its updated device compliance program, the industry is now fully equipped to ensure the smooth development and integration of these specifications and to certify their implementation on devices. This represents an advancement for the standardization and security of mobile services."

"It is vital that industry bodies share expertise and work collectively to deliver clear, consistent and verifiable guidelines, to allow service providers to deploy consistent services to the end user," concludes Gil. "This will not only reduce product time to market without compromising security or functionality, but also provides the market with confidence that products will perform as advertised. We are pleased at the level of recognition the GlobalPlatform Compliance Program is receiving and that respected bodies, such as SIMalliance, are keen to incorporate their test suites. "

GlobalPlatform members FIME, Galitt, Gemalto, LG, Qualcomm, Samsung and UL Transaction Security have contributed to the advancement of this compliance program.

To find out more about the GlobalPlatform Compliance Programs, which also includes tools to test SE products and TEE solutions, visit: https://globalplatform.wpengine.com/compliance.asp.