There are two clear business models for
incorporating near-field communication technologies into mobile
phones, according to a report released by industry body
GlobalPlatform.
The document, GlobalPlatform’s
Requirements for NFC Mobile: Management of Multiple Secure
Elements, details the challenges of managing multiple secure
chips in a single mobile handset to deliver (NFC) services.
It says there are two clear paths for
businesses operating in this area:
- ‘Architecture without aggregation’, in which only one secure
element is active and able to perform a contactless transactions.
This means the end user is responsible for using the handset to
select the correct secure elemebt - ‘Architecture with aggregation’, where any application on any
secure element can perform a transaction at any time. The device
communicates directly with the secure element to activate the
required application.
Marc Kekicheff, vice chair of GlobalPlatform
and senior business leader at Visa, said: “The GlobalPlatform
Mobile Task Force acknowledged that mobile devices can host
multiple secure elements. It was eager to share its insight
on how NFC services could be deployed using this model and provide
a rational for which technical architecture should be
supported.”
Kekicheff added: “GlobalPlatform’s
Specifications have laid a firm foundation, and we plan to continue
our role by enhancing our existing technology portfolio and
creating new specifications to support this progressive
infrastructure.”
