The SkySIM CX SIM-card family provides protected areas that can be used for electronic payment and ticketing applications and for customer loyalty programs. Network operators will thus be able to expand their service offerings for banks, public transit authorities, and other service providers. The first product in the new SkySIM CX family has received EMVCo, American Express, MasterCard, and Visa approval, confirming that it meets the requirements for secure payment systems such as American Express ExpressPay, MasterCard PayPass, and Visa payWave. The SkySIM CX family also supports the transit applications MIFARE, CIPURSE, and Calypso.

The new SIM cards have up to 1.3 megabytes of memory in the highest-capacity version, enabling them to store data for multiple applications. They contain a powerful processor capable of loading applications in a minimum of time. The operating system is highly scalable thanks to its modular architecture.

The new product family gives network operators an opportunity to create new business models. As well as offering their own applications, they will now be able to set up highly secure areas on the SIM card - referred to as "containers" - for third-party applications. Service providers can run their own applications in these containers, in return for a fee payable to the network operator. This will help to bring the widespread introduction of NFC services another step closer.

For end users, the new SIM cards provide more than just a means of using their mobile device as a public transit ticket or loyalty card. If they own two or more accounts, they can even decide on the spur of the moment which one they wish to use for a particular payment transaction. Devices equipped with the new SIM card can also serve as personal ID for access to company premises.

"The outstanding feature of the new SIM card is not only its functionality but also its security. The card has been tested and approved by EMVCo as an integral unit, and not a single weak point has been detected," reports Axel Deininger, Group Senior Vice President at G&D. "This latest addition to our NFC portfolio enables us to offer network operators a complete secure package comprising hardware, software, and services, in the form of SIM cards, a mobile wallet, and trusted service management services."

SkySIM CX cards can be supplied in the three currently most common SIM form factors - 2FF, micro-SIM, and nano-SIM - and are compatible with 2G, 3G, and LTE networks. The platform runs on Java and complies with the Java Card standard as well as with the relevant international telecommunications and applications standards issued by ETSI, 3GPP, and GlobalPlatform.