Friday, August 20, 2010

4 smartcard

14. Smart Card Advantages

Compared to conventional data transmission devices such as magnetic-stripe cards, smart cards offer enhanced security, convenience and economic benefits. In addition, smart card-based systems are highly configurable to suit individual needs. Finally, the multifunctionality as payment, application and networking devices renders a smart card as a perfect user interface in a mobile, networked economy.

14.1. Customer Benefits

14.1.1 Full Portability of Services
The smart card effectively breaks the link between the subscriber and the terminal, allowing the use of any properly equipped terminal and helping to realize the wireless promise of any-time, anywhere communications. In fact, subscribers need not be constrained to using voice terminals only. A variety of other mobile communications devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and personal intelligent communicators (PICs) are available that may have voice communications added as an integral part of their capabilities. If these other devices are equipped for smart cards, the potential for communications is increased. Similarly, data communications applications could benefit from the security features inherent in smart cards.

14.1.2 International Roaming
Wireless customers often require the ability to place and receive calls when traveling abroad. For these customers, international roaming enabled by smart cards is quite valuable. For example, Ameritech, AT&T, and GTE have all instituted international roaming programs using GSM phones and smart cards. The program uses co-branded smart cards, which corporate customers bring with them when they travel abroad. Customers are given a telephone number from a GSM carrier, which allows them to be contacted in any of the countries that have international roaming agreements.

14.1.3 Intersystem Roaming
The incompatibility of different communications radio interfaces and authentication protocols (time division multiple access [TDMA], code division multiple access [CDMA], GSM, personal digital cellular [PDC], mobile satellite systems, etc.) requires subscribers to make choices that constrain them to use only one particular type of handset that works with only one radio interface. With a smart card, it becomes possible for subscribers to use one handset for different interfaces and protocols. This feature is already implemented among the three frequencies used by the GSM platform (900, 1800, and 1900 MHz). American National Standards Institute (ANSI) telephone industry price index (T1P1).3 has recommended standards for a user identity module, a smart card that can be used with the major radio access methods. Thus, it becomes conceivable to have current GSM smart cards modified so that they can work with a CDMA handset. For example, North American GSM operators have designed a process to which the SIM holds both the GSM and advanced mobile phone service (AMPS) authentication algorithm and data to provide authentication on both networks in interroaming situations.

14.1.4 Multiple Services on a Single Card
As mentioned earlier, maximum value is realized by the subscriber when multiple applications are stored on a single card (see Figure). A multiapplication smart card could provide access to airline reservation and ticketing systems and information networks, as well as a mobile telephone service. Considering the many cards that the average person carries these days (i.e., numerous credit cards, debit cards, employee ID cards), integrating more applications into a single card (or at least fewer cards) has obvious appeal and benefits. It is important to note that there is clear interest on the part other industries to package their services with mobile telephony. For example, research by Citibank indicates clearly that a substantial percentage of the company's customers would like to be able to conduct its banking on a variety of platforms, including wireless. Such services are already available using a standardized toolbox for smart-card application creation.


14.1.5 Separation of Business and Personal Calls
The smart card allows customers to be billed separately for personal and business calls made on a single phone. For example, Airtel, a Spanish GSM operator, uses a SIM card with two sets of subscription information—one for corporate and the other for personal use. Airtel’s dual SIM cards have been well received in the corporate market.

14.2 Enhanced Security Benefits
SIM cards have several features that enhance security for wireless communications networks. Smart-card supporters point to the potential of limiting or eliminating fraud as one of their strongest selling points.
SIM cards provide a secure authentication key transport container from the carrier’s authentication center to the end-user’s terminal. Their superior fraud protection is enabled by hosting the cryptographic authentication algorithm and data on the card’s microprocessor chip. SIM cards can be personal identification number (PIN) protected and include additional protection against logical attacks. With added PIN code security, SIM cards offer the same level of security used by banks for securing off-line payments.
Because the home network–authentication algorithm also resides in the card, SIM cards make secure roaming possible. They can also include various authentication mechanisms for internetwork roaming of different types.
Complete fraud protection (with the exclusion of subscription fraud) can only be provided in the context of a complete security framework that includes terminal authentication, an authentication center, and authentication key management. Smart cards are an essential piece of this environment, but only the complete architecture can allow fraud reduction and secure roaming.
Finally, it should be noted that biometric smart-card applications such as voice or fingerprint recognition could be added to provide maximum fraud prevention. Smart cards could then combine the three basic security blocks of possession, knowledge, and characteristics (see Figure ).


14.3 Convenience
One use of the old fashioned memory cards is to replace various identification cards. Smart cards will combine paper, plastic and magnetic cards used for identification, automatic teller machines, copiers, toll collection, pay phones, health care and welfare administration. Universities, firms and governments rely on smart identification cards since they can contain more detailed data and enable many services to be integrated. Health care cards, for example, reduce document processing costs by allowing immediate access to personalized patient information stored in smart cards. Most other smart card uses combine identification function with specialized purposes as in military PX cards, government's Electronic Benefit Transfer cards, and university ID cards that are also used to pay for food and photocopies.

14.4 Economic Benefits
Smart cards reduce transaction costs by eliminating paper and paper handling costs in hospitals and government benefit payment programs. Contact and contactless toll payment cards streamline toll collection procedures, reducing labor costs as well as delays caused by manual systems. Maintenance costs for vending machines, petroleum dispensers, parking meters and public phones are lowered while revenues could increase, about 30% in some estimates, due to the convenience of the smart card payment systems in these machines.

14.5 Customization
A smart card contains all the data needed to personalize networking, Web connection, payments and other applications. Using a smart card, one can establish a personalized network connection anywhere in the world using a phone center or an information kiosk. Web servers will verify the user's identity and present a customized Web page, an e-mail connection and other authorized services based on the data read from a smart card. Personal settings for electronic appliances, including computers, will be stored in smart cards rather than in the appliances themselves. Phone numbers are stored in smart cards instead of phones. While appliances become generic tools, users only carry a smart card as the ultimate networking and personal computing device.

14.6 Multifunctionality
The processing power of a smart card makes it ideal to mix multiple functions. For example, government benefit cards will also allow users access to other benefit programs such as health care clinics and job training programs. A college identification card can be used to pay for food, phone calls and photocopies, to access campus networks and to register classes. By integrating many functions, governments and colleges can manage and improve their operations at lower costs and offer innovative services.

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