P1350

MASMO – Multi-Application Smartcard Market Opportunities
closed

What is this Project about?

The new generation of multi-application Java Smart Cards have possibilities of aggregating multiple applications and services on a single card and providing custom security and authentication that would be hard to forge. Biometrics is used to “lock” the user with the card and then open the door to various personalised services accessible from the card. Therefore the platform that would provide trusted third party service for unlocking the access and providing communication with the add-on services is crucial for the successful roll out of this technology.

On the other side telecoms are often considered as trusted and respectful provider for such service with a good relationship with most public and private service providers.

So far, no one has looked upon the value chains where smart cards are involved and where telecoms could seek for additional revenue streams. Also the communication services that are smart card connected have never been studied from the economic perspective in order to address the ways for telecoms to pursue these opportunities and develop a strategy for the roll out of such services.

To make smart cards a success there is a need for close collaboration between operators – seen as smart card platform and communications service providers across Europe –, because of the need to standardise the required platforms and security approach within a European framework. This is especially important for providing public services, passport / identity and communications services.

Operators need to adapt existing and develop new platforms for smart card services if they want to utilise the benefits of the coming smart card tide. Best practices need to be identified regarding how the costs of smart card rollouts can be recovered.

There has not been a study addressing these issues on a European level that could foster the interoperability of platforms across multiple providers. Our study is speculative in nature as implications of smart card based provision of public/private services on a single card weren’t studied before.

What are the main objectives of this Project?

• Provide an overview of current smart card technology and an analysis of typical smart card life cycle, platform components and standards.

• Identify and explore deployed smart card solutions. Analyse their business models. Present opinions on the pros and cons of each solution.

• Identify current global smart card industry drivers and barriers. Provide an overview of services by vertical market segments and expected growth in the near future. Study different smart card enabled user scenarios aimed at improving the way various services are delivered to the consumers. This would cover radical cases that will provide a case for multi-application enabled smart cards.

• Present opportunities for telecom operators in the smart card marketplace. Identify potential roles for telecom operators in the smart card marketplace, give recommendations how they can position themselves in the smart card value chain and point out possible revenue streams. A SWOT analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of operators approaching this market will be provided.

• Give overview of the benefits that multi-application cards are offering towards the service providers and cardholders.

What are the key results for this Project?

As a key result the study is expected to support a common understanding of the issues implicated, a convergence towards a standardised, open platform enabling the emergence of a sizeable market and cross country/operator usability of cards. Furthermore, there is a broad range of considerations especially with regard to social aspects that are of common interest to any operator, including identity fraud and liberty rights groups, etc.

What relationship exists to other organisations or bodies?

None.