NXP, Sony drive mobile smart card uptake

NXP Semiconductors, formerly Philips Semiconductors, and Sony have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint venture (JV) that will drive global adoption of contactless smart card applications in mobile phones.

The anticipated JV will plan, develop, produce and market a secure chip that will include both MIFARE and FeliCa operating systems and applications, as well as other contactless card operating systems and applications, reports Cellular News.

By combining this secure chip with an NFC chip a universal contactless IC platform can be created for mobile phones. As a result, mobile device manufacturers and service providers around the world will be able to design products and services which are compatible with the different contactless IC protocols and operating systems.

Vasco Data Security International reinforces its reader family with the Digipass 905, a USB connected PC/SC smart card reader/writer.

Digipass 905 is fully interoperable with all PC/SC enabled applications and all smart cards and is therefore especially suited to be used in the e-government, corporate e-banking and enterprise security sectors.

Typical users are CFOs of companies who transact substantial amounts of money every day, employees of financial institutions, public servants and citizens.

Contactless smart cards based on RFID chips are soon to supplement metro magnetic tickets in Moscow. The first supplies of smart cards are planned for December 2006 and January 2007.

The new generation of contactless tickets will improve the efficiency of Moscow's metro in rush hours. Representatives of Moscow's metro system think it is possible the new technology will gradually force traditional tickets out of practice.

In recent years, Moscow's metro has been implementing IT, for instance, this year, video monitoring systems were installed in metro carriages.