Standards

To claim that a lack of standards for smartcards has impeded their deployment misses the point. There are plenty of standards, most notably the International Standards Organization's 7816 series, which specifies everything from physical dimensions to block transmission protocols and interindustry data elements. Unfortunately, as in other areas of technology, manufacturers have found it hard to stick to the standards, if some competitive advantage in performance and functionality can be gained by deviating from them.

Ho wever, interoperability has been steadily improving in key areas. For example, several major players, including IBM, Netscape, Network Computers Inc., and Sun Microsystems, recently announced the OpenCard Framework, a set of guidelines for integrating smartcards with network computers. The OpenCard Framework provides an architectur e and a set of APIs that enable application developers and service providers to build and deploy smartcard-aware solutions on any OpenCard-compliant network computer.

The key components of the OpenCard Framework Architecture include the CardTerminal, which encapsulates all card terminal-related classes so that access to a card terminal can take place only through classes of the card terminal component. The CardAgent provides the necessary infrastructure to interact with a multitude of card operating systems. The CardAgent is the only component not directly accessible to the applications. The CardIO provides access to the file system functionalit y of a smartcard; for example, an application can open, read, and update an existing elementary file on a smartcard or create new files.

The CardAgentExtensions component handles non-file-related smartcard functions. For example, interfaces to cryptographic functions or other application-specific commands (ASCs) are handled by CardAgent extensions.

Another area in which standards are being forged is Java. The Java Card API enables any card manufacturer to build smartcards that can interoperate, not only with each other but also with existing cards and card-reading terminals. Support for the Java Card API among smartcard manufacturers is driving partnerships such as the one between Visa and Sun Microsystems.

Visa, along with other key industry players, is now contributing to the development and joint promotion of a Java-based smartcard microprocessor core. Dhaval Ajmera, director of product marketing at Sun's microelectronics division, says he sees a microprocessor designed specifically to support Java Card as a boost to Java Card's momentum in the marketplace: "This is a great way for us to leverage our experience in Java microprocessors to develop an optimized processor core that meets the cost and increased functionality requirements sought by smartcard vendors."