PARIS, Oct. 7, 1999 — Microsoft Corp. today announced expansion of its industry-endorsed Windows® for Smart Cards platform to include support for the Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM) platform, a European telecommunications standard. GSM operators and mobile equipment manufacturers will soon have access to extensive Windows-based tools, which will enable customizable and enhanced services for their mobile phone customers. Next week, at Telecom 99, Microsoft will demonstrate live phone calls on GSM cards using Microsoft® Windows for Smart Cards with customized services for carriers such as e-mail, calendar, stock quotes and other Internet applications.
“The Windows for Smart Cards platform is an innovative, customizable tool for GSM carriers that will enable them to add personalization and data-rich features to their services,”
said Jonathan Roberts, general manager of the Productivity Appliance Division at Microsoft.
“With our platform, GSM carriers will not only be able to choose from multiple smart card vendors for their solutions but they will also be able to leverage the extensive developer community for Windows to continue to drive innovation and enhanced services for customers.”
“The development of Windows-powered Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards has been performed in a very short period of time thanks to SAGEM’s expertise in GSM handsets and smart card development and manufacturing in conjunction with its long-standing cooperation with Microsoft in the GSM field,” said Georges Penalver, chairman of SAGEM Inc. based in Tacoma, Washington. “SAGEM has now completed its range of SIM cards and is offering its customers a SIM toolkit that benefits from the open architecture of Windows for Smart Cards and its unparalleled application development tools.”
“We welcome Microsoft’s initiative to further endorse the role of smart cards in wireless technology,”
said Anders Ingestr
ö
m, CEO, AU-System Mobile.
“This will take the industry one step closer to the vision of the secure wireless Internet. AU-Systems supports all the major smart card vendors’ GSM implementations and will work closely with Microsoft to include support for Windows Powered Smart Card applications within our Wireless Application Delivery Platform.”
“Aspects Software Ltd., a provider of tools and solutions for the mobile-telephone industry and one of the most active companies within the European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI) responsible for the SIM, is committed to supporting Windows for Smart Cards,”
said Neil Stewart, CEO of Aspects Software.
“We will integrate Windows for Smart Cards into our products and consider it an excellent platform to develop innovative products and services.”
Microsoft Windows for Smart Cards Solution
Microsoft Windows for Smart Cards is an 8-bit, multiapplication operating system for smart cards. It is designed to be a low-cost, easy-to-program platform that runs Visual Basic® -based applications that meets the criterion mentioned earlier: extension of the PC environment into smart card use. Windows for Smart Cards uses the same development tools that millions of independent software vendors (ISVs) and in-house corporate developers use: the Microsoft Visual C++® and Visual Basic development systems.
Availability
The Microsoft Windows Smart Card Toolkit is scheduled for release later this year, and support for GSM is expected to be available in an Option Pack early next year. More information is available at http://www.microsoft.com/smartcard/ .
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“MSFT”
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