Smartcard Leaders Join Forces For Contact-Less Card Development
ST.GENIS-POUILLY, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 30, 1996-- SGS-THOMSON Microelectronic (NYSE:STM), one of the world's leading suppliers of smartcard integrated circuits, and INNOVATRON INDUSTRIES, founded by Roland Moreno, inventor of the smartcard, have signed an agreement to cooperate in the definition, design and development of high security smartcard products with interfaces that allow contact-less transaction.
Typically, contact-less cards communicate with a remote card reader via radio signals. However, existing contact-less cards do not offer the level of security and flexibility that many potential applications require.
Working in collaboration with the R gie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP), the main transport company operating in Paris, and building on its own extensive knowledge of smartcard electronic transaction systems, Innovatron Industries has developed considerable expertise and technology in the domain of secure contact-less automatic transaction systems, which can be used in many areas. SGS-THOMSON, for its part, is the recognized worldwide leader in manufacturing integrated circuits for secure contact smartcard applications -- with over 1 billion units shipped to date -- and now plans to develop devices for use in high security, radio frequency non-contact systems.
Contact-based smartcards have already met the highest standards of security required in financial applications, as shown by SGS-THOMSON's recent achievement in gaining the first ever ITSEC(a) approval for a smartcard chip. Commenting on the agreement, Maurizio Felici, General Manager of SGS-THOMSON's smartcard unit, said "The cooperation of two of the industry's leading experts in smartcard technology will accelerate the development of contact-less technology with equivalent security to current contact solutions, to the benefit of smartcard issuers and users throughout the world," said Felici.
Bruno Moreau, Director of Innovatron Industries, said, "The interest we received from public transport operators and financial operators proves we were right to focus on a truly secure, contact-less range of products. In a market requiring multi service and multi operator schemes, we are providing the appropriate tools."
Smartcards are similar to conventional credit cards but they contain an embedded silicon chip that provides secure storage of data that can range from unused telephone units to medical records or highly confidential financial information. Smartcards enable data protection and permanent data retention. Applications include GSM mobile phones, pay TV, ID cards, banking, electronic purses, health cards, access control and mass transport.
The great majority of smartcards in use today require the card to be inserted into a card reader. In many applications such as bank cards or telephone cards this is not a disadvantage, but in applications such as highway tolls, parking, access control and public transport, a contact-less card offers significant benefits such as faster customer throughput and reduced maintenance costs thanks to the absence of mechanical wear.
Innovatron Industries has implemented an extensive open policy of technology transfer to the benefit of industrial companies wishing to manufacture contact-less smartcards or terminals.
SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics is a global independent semiconductor company listed on the New York Stock Exchange and on the Bourse de Paris. It designs, manufactures and markets a broad range of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) and discrete devices used in a wide variety of microelectronic applications, including telecommunication systems, computer systems, consumer products, automotive products and industrial automation and control systems.
(a) ITSEC (Information Technology Security Evaluation Criteria) is
Europe's official method of evaluating security in computer-based
products and systems. Currently, SGS-THOMSON is the only smartcard
chip manufacturer in the world to have gained an ITSEC certification
for a smartcard chip.
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