Siemens plans to develop smart card with Java

Paderborn, 16 November 98 Siemens Semiconductors disclosed its plans for developing the high-end controller 88-series of smart cards. Siemens' 88-series smart cardchips accelerate the execution of the Java Card Instruction Set while addressing the needs of multi-application cards.

Siemens' 88-series enables direct execution of Java Card bytecodes,and it also allows for implementation of cryptographic functions using native code. Siemens' 88-series microcontroller series provides a migration path from the company's current SLE66Cxxs, a 16-bit core which offers a bilingual instruction set for 8051 as well as Java code, is optimized to execute Java applications on the Java Card platform.

The company expects that Java hardware technology will drive down costs to card developers and licensees. The Java-enabled chip technology increases the information capacity of the chips, thereby allowing for more information and additional functions to be included.

Siemens also plans to develop chips that will be used in a variety of smart card applications including banking, electronic commerce, mobile communications and healthcare. One card has the potential of allowing consumers access to their bank accounts, loyalty programs, even access to the Internet.

Sandra Wermer