Following a competitive tender, advanced secure-chip testing provider, Fime, has been chosen by China UnionPay to develop the testing and certification framework of its new TEEi and N3 TEE standards, which will promote secure mobile payment transactions in China.
The TEEi is a secure virtual platform that will communicate with the N3 TEE to control and manage the storage of applications within a smart mobile device, such as a mobile handset or set-top-box. The combination of the two TEEs creates a security barrier for trusted applications, such as mobile payments, and the protection of premium content.
Providing consulting services, FIME will analyse the specification to create the required test plan and develop a test tool that can be used to certify products to the TEEi and N3 TEE standards. FIME's global ISO 17025 laboratories will certify mobile devices, validating their compliance to the standards and confirming that they will perform as intended once launched.
Leading payment authority China UnionPay is developing the new standards to ensure that all mobile payments, in particular near field communication (NFC) transactions, are secure.
"The protection of our customers' information is of the upmost importance to us," comments Guo Wei, Production Manager at China UnionPay. "This is why we have developed these new standards to ensure that each transaction made in China using a mobile device is secure. Creating a unified set of standards offers the market a framework to build on, reduces technology fragmentation and ensures product interoperability. We are pleased to be partnering with FIME on this activity, we need continuous support from the experts at FIME and look forward to benefiting from its proven expertise within the mobile payments ecosystem in developing test tools and corresponding programmes."
Arnaud Peninon, Director of FIME Asia, adds: "We are delighted to have been chosen by China UnionPay to develop the test plan and tools for its new TEEi and N3 TEE standards. As momentum for mobile payments continues to gain traction, it is great to see the commitment and investment that is being made by key players within the region, such as China UnionPay. The development of these new standards is not only beneficial to the payments and mobile communities, but will also give end-users peace of mind that their sensitive payment data will not be compromised."