The security feature is provided by a cryptography controller with a Near Field Communication (NFC)-compatible interface integrated in the microSD card along with the flash memory. G&D’s micro SD card can be used in mobile phones, smart phones, netbooks and other mobile devices, and even in USB tokens.
The card can work with any Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot and supports smart card applications such as banking transactions, e-government, and the storage of digital certificates for public key infrastructure (PKI) applications. It can also be used for authentication when using single sign-on procedures to access enterprise networks, or for attaching digital signatures to documents or workflows. In order to use the card in contactless mode, the device in which it is inserted must be equipped with an antenna for the contactless communication link. The contactless interface included in the smart card is based on the international standards ISO 14443 and NXP’s MIFARE technology.
G&D’s product announcement comes on the heels of Tyfone’s completion of the beta testing phase for a similar card, u4ia Secure Memory Card (SMC), which is also equipped with technology for contactless mobile payments. Both G&D’s and Tyfone’s micro SD cards have an integrated Near Field Communication (NFC) chipset (secure element or SE) that stores the payment data. On top of the flash card form, such as Tyfone’s and G&D’s micro SD cards, the SE can have other form factors, namely, the SIM card and an embedded security controller.
At the end of 2008, the global trade association representing over 850 mobile operators GSMA announced it is supporting the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)-endorsed Single Wire Protocol to standardise the physical interface between the Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC, or SIM card) and embedded NFC chips within handsets. The GSMA recommended mobile manufacturers to integrate SWP-based NFC-function into commercially available mobile phones from mid-2009 in order to accelerate adoption and deployment of mobile payment services.
Every day we send out a free e-mail with the most important headlines of the last 24 hours.
Subscribe now