Smart Cards for Mobile Communication - Cell Phone Smartcards

Mobile Communications use of Smart Cards

Mobile communications is one of the fast growing applications within the smart card industry and the next generation of Subscriber Identification Modules (SIM) and Universal IC cards (UICC) will feature a variety of additional mobile telephony customer services.

The 'write once, run anywhere' Java(TM) model is now truly established in the mobile communications arena. Thanks to their interoperability and the durability of applications ensured by upward compatibility, Java cards already account for virtually 100% of the high-end SIM market, and approach half of all SIM shipments. By 2005, Schlumberger expects Java cards to account for two-thirds of the market.

The increased use of mobile phones in everyday life will continue to enhance mobility, with new smart card services and applications such as on-line banking and trading, ticket reservations, ordering food deliveries, internet access, weather reports and all different kind of location-based and personalized services.

Information management solutions enable a mobile network provider to receive a variety of information from information content providers, then transmit this information on request to mobile users where it is displayed on their phone screens.

SIM Cards - Subscriber Identification Module card

SIM cards (subscriber identification module, a type of microprocessor card) are used in mobile communications as an easy form of user identification for the service provider. These cards conform with the international GSM standard (global standard for mobile communication) and are able to attain a high degree of security. One advantage of these stored value smart cards is that they are able to store credit. When this has been used up, the user can acquire additional credit, which itself is stored on the SIM card.

There are over 300,000,000 GSM mobile telephones with smart cards which contain the mobile phone security and subscription information. The handset is personalized to the individual by inserting the card which contains its phone number on the network, billing information, and frequently call numbers.

People using the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) standard for mobile phones use smart card technology. The smart card is inserted or integrated into the mobile handset. The card stores personal subscriber information and preferences that can be PIN code protected and transported from phone to phone. The smart cards enable:

* Secure subscriber authentication
* Roaming across networks
* Secure mobile value added services

Wireless providers benefit from reduced fraud thanks to the security offered by smart cards. With the advent of mobile services such as mobile commerce, web browsing, and information services, wireless providers rely on smart cards to act as the security mechanism to protect those services. As a result, smart cards are beginning to move beyond GSM to secure mobile services for other wireless standards as well.

SIM Card Software Program Applications for Cell Phones

SIM Manager - Easily maintain multiple phone books.  Read, write and save your phone numbers with SIM Manager. Import and export contacts from your SIM card to your PC and back. Ensure your independence from phone vendors and telcos.

Dekart SIM Manager - $8 - answers the question "How to manage the data inside the SIM card in a convenient way". With SIM Manager, you can easily create, edit, and backup phonebook entries using your PC and stop typing in information using the mobile phone's keypad. Manage your PIN codes, transfer data from one SIM to another, backup and export/import all phonebook entries.

Dekart SIM Manager is a versatile software designed to suit the needs of both individual customers, looking for a fast and efficient tool for managing their contacts, and GSM operators, requiring such special features as possibility to view SIM serial number, PIN1 state, technical data of the phonebook, its memory size and the number of free entries.

GSM SIM Card Phonebook Editing Software - with instructions. Various language versions of GSM chipcard reader.

PhoneFile PRO is the way to create and maintain the contacts database stored in your digital mobile phone. Edit names and numbers, add new ones, reorganise using drag and drop, automatically convert to international format. Save, print and exchange your contacts data with other popular software packages.

PhoneFile PRO can read standard-sized and mini-sized GSM SIM cards, and will work with all GSM-compatible phones and networks, including GSM-1800 and GSM-1900 (sometimes known as PCN or PCS.)

Advanced features include management of fixed-dial phonebooks, SMS message editing and control of the SIM card's security features.

UMTS

Many new mobile applications are being developed in association with UMTS, the third generation of mobile telephones. In the near future, it will be possible to transmit e-mails from a remote device, to download electronic money from public telephones and to perform personal telephone configurations. Some of these applications are already being implemented today.

As smart card technologies become more widespread in the fields of banking and the Internet, there will soon be completely new forms of interactivity with the customer via both mobile and landline telephone communication.