ST and FIME announce first Calypso transport-card compliant with global payment standards

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: STMicroelectronics and FIME, a renowned consulting and market integration testing service for secure chip-based applications and devices, have validated the compliance of ST's Calypso electronic ticketing chip with the EMV Level 1 Radio Frequency (RF) test. This certification confirms that the ticketing chip is the first to market that supports both transport and payment applications.

ST's secure microcontroller is compliant with the new set of EMV Contactless Communication Protocol V2.0.1 Specifications for payment systems used for banking cards and terminal certification. The new specifications describe the minimum functions required for Proximity Integrated Circuit Cards (PICCs) and Proximity Coupling Devices (PCDs) to ensure correct operation and market interoperability.

FIME, which performs certification testing of contactless cards and readers to EMV Specifications, undertook the required independent evaluation to validate ST's secure microcontroller. Today, FIME is the only laboratory to provide a contactless RF test bench officially qualified by EMVCo, the EMV standards body collectively owned by American Express, JCB, MasterCard and Visa.

"In testing ST's secure microcontroller for compliance with EMV Contactless Specification, we have applied the breadth of FIME's testing expertise. The test results recognize the robustness and suitability of ST's chip to ensure security in global credit-card financial transactions," said Vincent Poty, Head of Strategy and Corporate Development at FIME.

The recently announced CD21-Rev3 secure microcontroller already supports the latest version of the popular Calypso ticketing standard that is used in more than 90 million travel cards for mass-transit networks worldwide. Now that the chip has also achieved the PICC analog-test validation, it has been proven suitable for use in secure payment transactions, extending its field of application.

"The compliance of ST's secure microcontroller with EMV's global standard for authenticating credit and debit transactions advances our strategy to propose to customers the extended application use of our secure microcontrollers, which are now suited to more than just transportation," said Marie-France Florentin, GM, Secure Microcontrollers Division at STMicroelectronics.

"The use of these secure microcontrollers in credit-card transactions will provide secure identity recognition and reduce costs tied to theft for financial institutions and businesses."

ST and FIME have taken a significant step forward in providing the capabilities for more reliable services that deliver secure transactions to the ever increasing number of credit card holders and merchants who require the latest and most assured protection against illegal activities.