SD Association Hosts smartSD Workshop At CARTES

PARIS, Nov. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- CARTES & IDENTIFICATION BOOTH 3F091 – November 19, 2013 – The SD Association today announced it will conduct a workshop on smartSD memory cards during CARTES and that it has published a new white paper detailing how smartSD memory cards offer service providers and card issuers a superior approach to deploying secure Near Field Communication (NFC) services at lower costs. The smartSD memory card specification powers a wide range of mobile services and reinforces the value of microSD slotted smartphones, tablets, computers and other consumer electronic devices.

The smartSD memory card provides authentication services, moving control of consumers' service applications from the service provider to the consumer. It relies upon a Single Wire Protocol (SWP) to support NFC features and facilitate the introduction of new business models that allow for a Secure Element on the popular microSD memory card. Thanks to its universal appeal, portability and convenience, SD is the dominant memory card standard, with SD slots found in 78 percent of all mobile phones today.

The CARTES workshop, titled "smartSD: Connect, Store and Transact Securely," will occur on Wednesday, November 20, from 12:30-13:30 in Room 2. The workshop will educate attendees on how smartSD memory cards support a consumer-centric business model envisioned by GlobalPlatform that sets in motion a virtuous ecosystem and ultimately creates value for all parties. Speakers at the workshop include representatives from Certgate, DeviceFidelity, GlobalPlatform, NXP and the SD Association. 

"Activating New Mobile Services and Business Models Through smartSD Memory Cards," is a new, free white paper from the Association. The white paper outlines the compelling benefits of smartSD memory cards as not only the best, but also the easiest solution to emulate NFC or contactless cards to deploy mobile security tokens for mobile services. With smartSD memory cards, new opportunities are created for mobile commerce, advertising, location-based services, access control, rewards programs and transportation.

"The smartSD specification remains a strong focus for the SD Association due to its unique capabilities and growing interest by the marketplace as it looks for new, non-proprietary, low-cost smartcard solutions," said Brian Kumagai, president of the SD Association. "Our new white paper provides numerous examples of opportunities where smartSD memory cards serve as the Secure Element for mobile payment and identity and enable value-added services supported by the robust SD ecosystem."

About smartSD Technology
smartSD memory cards leverage the world-leading SD architecture and Advanced Security SD (ASSD) standard, allowing transfer ISO 7816 Application Protocol Data Unit commands to, for example, JavaCard™ applets and responses through the SD bus. The standard adds mechanical contact pads and electrical interface for the SWP between microSD memory cards and NFC RF device on the host. smartSD can be personalized, alleviating the need for a trusted service manager (TSM) at launch, while allowing for more services to be added later. The standard was released to SDA members in June 2013. Watch a video and download a presentation and our new white paper to learn more about smartSD at www.sdcard.org/developers/overview/ASSD/smartsd/.

SD Association
The SD Association is a global ecosystem of more than 1,000 technology companies charged with setting interoperable SD standards. The Association encourages the development of consumer electronic, wireless communication, digital imaging and networking products that utilize market-leading SD technology. The SD standard is the number one choice for consumers and has earned more than 80 percent of the memory card market with its reliable interoperability and its easy-to-use format. Today, mobile phones, Blu-ray players, HDTVs, audio players, automotive multimedia systems, handheld PCs, digital cameras and digital video cameras feature SD interoperability. For more information about SDA or to join, please visit the Association's web site, www.sdcard.org.

SOURCE SD Association