Smart Bits: 4 Companies Join Java-Based Card Group

The OpenCard Consortium has four new members, bringing its total to 19.

Announced at a smart card industry conference last month, the additions are the French-American authentication company Activcard, American Express Travel Related Services Co., First Data Corp., and Toshiba of Japan.

The consortium oversees development of the OpenCard Framework, a specification for enabling different card-reading devices and applications to work together. The work is based on Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Java technology, on which Visa International builds its Open Platform architecture, but many members are also active in the opposing MasterCard- Mondex camp.

Activcard, which on Feb. 24 announced a relationship with Visa to develop a cardholder identification system, said on the same day that it would adapt its network security technology to the Multos operating system, which Mondex uses.

American Express is also a member of the Maosco consortium that manages the Multos standard.

The 15 other OpenCard members are 3-G International, Bull, Dallas Semiconductor, First Access, Gemplus, IBM, Intellect Electronics, Network Computer, Newcom Technologies, Schlumberger, SCM Microsystems, Siemens Microelectronics, Sun, Ubiq, and Visa.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
MORE FROM AMERICAN BANKER