GLOBALPLATFORM & MAOSCO UNVEIL COMMON FRAMEWORK TO SIMPLIFY SMART CARD OPERATIONS
GlobalPlatform and MAOSCO today announced a single technical approach for Issuers who need to manage multiple application smart cards, regardless of the card operating platform. This solution will help to streamline critical processes in smart card lifecycle management including personalisation and post-issuance maintenance. This eliminates another barrier to global, cross industry adoption and implementation of smart card technology.
GlobalPlatform, the cross industry organisation promoting a standardised technical framework for multiple application smart cards, and MAOSCO, the smart-card industry consortium managing the MULTOS platform, have worked together to produce a common identification process that will enable smart card systems to identify the on-card technology, whether it is MULTOS or Open Platform, before completing the platform-specific command.
The solution is backward compatible with existing MULTOS and Open Platform cards and can be implemented today. It consists of two standard system commands using the International Standards Organisation (ISO) construction to send and receive data from a card. The solution is scheduled to be part of the next release of both MAOSCO and GlobalPlatform card specifications.
Vendors can now build card management and back-end systems equipment that can seamlessly manage, personalise and issue both Open Platform and MULTOS cards. The solution allows vendors and providers to extend their products and systems to meet specific client needs.
Steve Brown, Chairman of GlobalPlatform comments, “This solution will have a huge impact on the smart card industry. It will help remove technological uncertainty that has generally hampered the growth of smart cards worldwide. The resulting clarity is a welcome sign to issuers in many industries that have been investigating the benefits of multiple application smart cards.”
Tim France –Massey, Business Development Director at MAOSCO says, “MAOSCO is pleased to work with GlobalPlatform to help foster the expansion of the smart card industry. With this development, smart card issuers can select the card platform that best meets their requirements, without needing to be concerned with the implications for their card management infrastructure.”
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For further information, please contact:
Laura White or James hedges at Sinclair Mason
Tel: +44 207 7470 8737
E-mail: lauraw@sinclairmason.com
Deborah Lightfoot at Sinclair Mason
Tel: +44 113 237 0777
E-mail: deborahl@sinclairmason.com
