Gemplus, Oberthur Card Systems, Sagem Orga pass interoperability tests on the Multimedia SIM

Three of the leading smart card manufacturers-- Gemplus, Oberthur Card Systems and Sagem Orga--have teamed up to demonstrate interoperability of the Multimedia SIM with six different handsets, encompassing video, picture and music rendering.

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Prague--Gemplus, Oberthur Card Systems and Sagem Orga have launched a joint initiative to demonstrate interoperability of the Multimedia SIM to enable fast deployment in the market. First tests have already been successfully performed.

Mobile operators are asking for new SIM-based solutions to better serve their customers when entering into the Multimedia world. For the SIM, this requires the integration of advanced technologies in terms of communication protocols and large memory.

To move this forward, three of the leading smart card manufacturers - Gemplus, Oberthur Card Systems and Sagem Orga, have teamed up to demonstrate interoperability of the Multimedia SIM. Tests were carried out in close cooperation with major handset manufacturers and were based on the MMC 4.1 protocol, which offers significant advantages in terms of maturity and IP connectivity.

LG Electronics, a Mobile Handset Manufacturer that demonstrated prototypes supporting in parallel both the regular mini SD card and the Multimedia SIM card, comments: "The joint effort of SIM card leaders in this area should ensure a fast development of a common solution. This is the fundamental basis to take advantage of a large memory capacity."

Successful interoperability tests have been accomplished with SIM cards from all three companies and with six different handsets from five different vendors, including LG Electronics and Sagem Communications. The tests involved video, picture & music rendering. For all handsets supporting Multi Media SIMs, a first common integration guideline is available, and can be obtained immediately from the three companies

Gemplus, Oberthur Card Systems and Sagem Orga will now propose their common approach based on this guideline and its further versions to the appropriate standardization committees.

"We would like to invite other companies to join our project - the more we co-operate in driving ahead the process of standardization for interoperability, the faster the industry will benefit from the new perspectives the technology offers", says Heiko Kruse, Head of Technical Support - EMEA at Sagem Orga.

"2005 was the year of the first commercial pilot for the Multimedia SIM, and in 2006 we will now engage in mass deployment. Gemplus has always been dedicated to standardized and open products, as a means to fertilize the variety of SIM-based solutions. We want to apply this to MultiMedia SIMs, as they start to mature" says Jean-Francois Rubon, Director of Innovation & Strategy, Wireless, Gemplus.

"With this first step, we have validated the interoperability at the protocol/interface level. We can now benefit from the added security and connectivity to develop new enhanced services" says St