Standards Collaboration Leads to New Smart Card Features
15 November 2004 – The European Telecoms Standards Institute (ETSI) and GlobalPlatform, both leading contributors to the standardization of smart cards and smart card solutions, have taken a major step towards establishing complimentary standards for downloading applications and management commands to smart cards over-the-air.
ETSI's Smart Card Platform (SCP) Committee and GlobalPlatform have fully aligned the latest versions of their smart card specifications - ETSI's UMTS Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) Specifications (TS 102 225 & 226) and the GlobalPlatform Card (2.1.1) Specification.
The result of combining the ETSI SCP smart card solution with GlobalPlatform's multi-application infrastructure is that they will now provide one end-to-end solution for secure, flexible and remote smart card application life cycle and file management.
Both ETSI SCP and GlobalPlatform Specifications define card management commands and security mechanisms to download over-the-air applications and exchange data securely between the smart card and a remote server. The aligned specifications will benefit the industry by allowing smart cards which have already been distributed in the field, to be updated dynamically and cost effectively over-the-air, whilst ensuring the highest possible security schemes are retained.
Marc Kekicheff, GlobalPlatform's Technical Director and Chair of the GlobalPlatform Card Committee, commented:
"This efficient and strategic partnership produces substantial benefits for our respective members and for the industry at large. Duplication of specifications has been avoided, thanks to ETSI and GlobalPlatform working together to build common technical solutions and bring to market standardized products that are significant to multiple sectors and applications."
Dr. Klaus Vedder, Chairman of ETSI SCP, observed:
"Working together with leading standardization bodies and here in particular with GlobalPlatform on specific areas, further advances and opens up the usage of smart cards to new applications and market segments."
-ENDS-
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
For further media information contact Lee'ann Connell at Sinclair Mason on Tel: + 44 (0) 113 237 0777 or e-mail: leeannc@sinclairmason.com
The respective technical specifications are:
- ETSI specifications TS 102 225 "Secured packet structure for UICC based applications" and TS 102 226 "Remote APDU structure for UICC based applications"
- GlobalPlatform Card Specification 2.1.1 and Amendment A to GlobalPlatform Card Specification 2.1.1
For further information about the specifications, please visit www.globalplatform.org.
About ETSI and the ETSI committee SCP
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) plays a major role in global standardization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), including telecommunications and broadcasting. ETSI unites around 700 member companies from nearly 60 countries, including manufacturers, network operators, administrations, service providers, research bodies and users - in fact, all the key players in the ICT arena.
For more information: www.etsi.org/
The main responsibilities of ETSI SCP are:
- development and maintenance of a common Integrated Circuit (IC) Card platform for all mobile telecommunication systems;
- development and maintenance of application independent specifications for the IC Card/Terminal Equipment interface of those telecommunication systems under the responsibility of ETSI; (4)
- development and maintenance of application independent IC Card standards for general telecommunication purposes;
- development and maintenance of IC Card standards employing advanced security methods for telecommunications applications such as financial transactions over Mobile Telecommunication Networks ("mobile commerce").
For more information: https://portal.etsi.org/scp
Contact for ETSI Kevin Flynn Tel: +33 (0)4 9294 4258 E-mail: kevin.flynn@etsi.org
