enabling them to ensure the integrity andc o n f i d e n t i a l i t y w h e n a c c e s s i n g a n dcommunicating confidential (privacy-sensitive)patient information. The development will makeuse of public key infrastructure (PKI) technology,based on the Dutch Government’s PKI standard.

PinkRoccade’s role will be to integrate thesystems upon which the operation of theregistration and issue processes for the UZI Cardwill depend, with PinkRoccade being responsiblefor developing the architecture, supplying smartcards (up to a maximum of 400,000) and theentire infrastructure.

The contract is for three years with an optionto extend the contract by a maximum of threeyears. The contract was awarded through aEuropean invitation to tender.

Sdu Identification will also supply UZI cards,while the PKI (digital certificates) will make useRSA Security technology and AET Europe willsupply the necessary middleware software. Smartcard management will be provided by theRotterdam-based company Bell Identification.

corporate

New boards all roundGlobalPlatform, an industry group involved inthe development of smart card infrastructure,and the Smart Card Alliance, a not-for-profitindustry association in the USA, have bothannounced new boards for 2005.

A list of board members now includes:

• Bob Beer, Datacard Group;• Jim Lee, Visa International;• Shoji Miyamoto, Hitachi;• Didier Bégay, France Telecom;• Justin D’Angelo, Gemplus; • Christian Jûttner, Giesecke & Devrient;• Toshiaki Kuzuki, JCB;• Richard Fletcher, MasterCard International;• Shoichi Senda, NTT Corporation;• Carmen Carnero-Silvo, SERMEPA; • Yves Moulart, STMicroelectronics.

Meanwhile, the Smart Card Alliance (SCA)announced its new board of directors and seven-member 2005 executive committee. includingthe following board members:• Chair – Kevin Gillick, Datacard Group;• Vice chair – Linda Brown, Inf ineon

Technologies;• Treasurer – Robert Wilberger, Northrop

Grumman;• Secretary – Mark McGovern, Lockheed

Martin Information Systems;• Assistant treasurer – Alison Colquhoun, First

Data Corporation;• Assistant secretary Alex Giakoumis, Atmel

Corporation;

• Technology vice chair – Gilles Lisimaque,Gemplus.

Other members of the board include:

• Patrick Gauthier, Visa USA;• Julie Krueger, JCB International;• Ken Moy, MasterCard International;• Chuck Wilson, Hitachi Smart Solutions

Division;• Ralph Billeri, BearingPoint;• Paul Beverly, Axalto Americas;• Bryan Ichikawa, Unisys;• Robert Merkert, SCM Microsystems;• Michael Weekes, IBM Global Smart Card

Solutions;• Gregory Garback, WMATA;• John Moore, GSA.

SCA said its board’s priorities for 2005include: addressing how smart cards resolvegrowing public security and privacy concerns;continued cross-industry discussions oncommon business applications and technologystandards; and industry discussions on issues thatinfluence the accelerated adoption of smart cardsin North America.

Contact: SCA at www.smartcardalliance.org,GlobalPlatform at www.globalplatform.org

memory

Contactless and flashmemory cards combineAs smart cards become more widespread, manymarket commentators believe that there willeventually be a convergence between smartcards and removable flash memory cards. Mostrecently, evidence of this trend came asMatsushita Electric Industrial, best known forits Panasonic brand products, announced thedevelopment of an SD Memory Card withcontactless smart card capabilities.

Called smartSD Card, the goal of the new SDMemory Card is to produce a portable storagedevice that can also be used as a smart card. Thecompany said sample shipments of the smartSDCards will commence in December 2004, whilecommercial shipments are expected to follow inthe third quarter of 2005.

The SD Memory Card was introduced in July2 0 0 0 a n d , t o d a t e , i t i s b e l i e v e d t h a tapproximate ly 220 manufacturer s haveannounced more than 2,600 SD Memory Card-compatible products. Approximately 41 millionSD Memory Cards were sold in 2003.

The smart card in the smartSD Card uses non-volatile FeRAM (ferroelectric RAM), whichenables high-speed data writing, claimed to befive times faster than conventional EEPROM-

6Card Technology Today November/December 2004

news

• Drexler Technology Corporation haschanged its name to LaserCard Corp. Thechange took effect from 1 October this year.The company’s biggest customer, to date, is theUS government, which has issued more than22 million optical memory cards to permanentUS residents and Mexican citizens who havebeen admitted to a border-crossingprogramme. Italy has also issued cards withboth a smart card chip and optical stripe as partof its new national identity document roll out.

• Almost half of local stores (59%) in the UKhave taken no action to install technologycapable of handling chip and PIN cardpayments in time for the end-of-yearswitchover, according to a poll of 500independent retailers by trade magazineIndependent Retail News. From 1 January, anystores without Chip and PIN are personallyliable for any subsequent fraudulent paymentsat the point-of-sale, but 47% said they do notexpect to meet the deadline.

• Belgian Transport Authorities has placedan order with German smart cardmanufacturer Giesecke & Devrient (G&D)for the supply of smart cards for use withdigital tachographs. According to an EUregulation, all newly-registered buses andtrucks in Europe must be equipped with sucha digital tachograph from August 2005onwards. The idea behind the switch from amechanically operating tachograph to anelectronic device is to allow drivers’ drivingand rest times as well as compliance withspeed limits to be monitored more effectively– so enhancing road safety. Over the next tenyears, G&D will produce, personalize anddeliver all Tachosmart cards for the BelgianTransport Authorities. G&D’s projectpartners are the Belgian companies Unisysand Ubizen.

• JJB Stadium, home to Wigan AthleticFootball Club and Wigan Rugby League, isthe latest stadium to join the Smart FCScheme from Fortress. The smart cardtechnology allows for quick and safe stadiumaccess, while also offering fans the ability touse their smart RF cards for in-stadiumpurchases, loyalty point collection andparking payment – so helping to drive uprevenues. The multi-application smart cardscheme went live at the JJB at the start ofOctober with Fortress’ contactless card readershaving been fitted to the stadium’s turnstiles.Implementation of the system took less than amonth and the system is also interoperable, soallowing a Wigan smart card to work at allother Fortress stadiums.

in brief