SIMalliance Publishes NFC Secure Element
Stepping Stones for Service and
Application Providers
Comprehensive interoperability support document addresses UICC, embedded SE and microSD form factors
29 July, 2013 – SIMalliance has today launched the latest installment of its acclaimed series of NFC Stepping Stones documents, which arm NFC service providers, mobile network operators (MNOs) and related industry stakeholders with the interoperability-focused technical considerations, recommendations and specification extracts they need in order to simplify the development, deployment and support of NFC services across the prevailing SE form factors of UICC and embedded SE (eSE).
In recognition of the growing traction that the eSE is achieving in the mobile services market, NFC Secure Element Stepping Stones is the first SIMalliance paper to extend its scope beyond the traditional UICC-based SE architecture to also encompass the alternative SE form factors.
“Achieving optimal NFC application interoperability across multiple types of SE will be important to the successful creation, deployment and management of NFC services around the world,” comments Amedeo Veneroso, Chair of the Interoperability Working Group, SIMalliance. “Through our Stepping Stones documents, SIMalliance aims to simplify SE implementation globally and support the development of an open and secure NFC support infrastructure, regardless of SE form factor.”
NFC Secure Element Stepping Stones draws on a wide variety of industry sources and technical specifications in order to identify key differences between SE architectures and highlight their relevance to NFC service and application providers. It explores a variety of topics including, among others, device and service development and deployment, remote Over-The-Air management, NFC mobile wallets and contactless security certifications.
“Even though we contend that the UICC remains the simplest and most accessible business model for deploying secure NFC services, the emerging embedded and microSD secure element form factors were nonetheless important to include in our latest collection of industry support materials,” adds Venoroso. “Interest in these alternative SEs is increasing and many NFC service providers, including MNOs, are keen to understand how they can be utilised to their fullest potential.”
NFC Secure Element Stepping Stones refers to relevant specifications and resources provided by GSMA, ETSI, 3GPP, Open Mobile Alliance, GlobalPlatform, EMVCo and the Smart Card Alliance, together with past iterations of the NFC Stepping Stones document. It is available for download at http://www.simalliance.org/en/resources/recommendations/.
About SIMalliance (Security, Identity, Mobility)
SIMalliance is the global, non-profit industry association which simplifies secure element (SE) implementation to drive the creation, deployment and management of secure mobile services. The organisation promotes the essential role of the secure element (SE) in delivering secure mobile applications and services across all devices that can access wireless networks. By identifying and addressing SE-related technical issues, and both clarifying and recommending existing technical standards relevant to SE implementation, the SIMalliance aims to promote an open SE ecosystem to facilitate and accelerate delivery of secure mobile applications globally.
SIMalliance members represent approx 90% of the global SIM card market and work with all global MNOs. As such, the SIMalliance’s membership is responsible for delivering the most widely distributed secure application delivery platform in the world (UICC/SIM/USIM).
SIMalliance members are Eastcompeace, Fundamenture, Gemalto, Giesecke & Devrient, Incard, Kona I, Morpho, Oberthur Technologies, VALID, Watchdata and Wuhan Tianyu.
SIMalliance Strategic Partners are Comprion, Linxens and Movenda.
For more information visit www.simalliance.org
