LONDON-Alcatel, Gemplus SCA and Mondex International said they will cooperate to develop a Global System for Mobile communications phone that can be used as a Mondex electronic cash loading device.
The technology will allow customers to withdraw funds from their bank accounts onto their Mondex electronic cash cards by inserting them into a general-purpose smart card slot attached to a GSM phone, said the companies.
The companies said the smart technology will be available during the first quarter of 1998.
The technology will add a general-purpose card-reading device onto a GSM handset. Alcatel and Gemplus designed a card-reading cradle that includes Gemplus’ GemCore, a card interface chipset adapted for handheld devices.
Mondex International, which provides smart card based products and services, is providing the host system infrastructure to enable the Mondex purse to operate over the GSM network and to facilitate card loading, said the companies. Gemplus is developing the subscriber identity module application that manages the exchanges between the Mondex purse and the reloading host system. The application also will provide the necessary messages to allow users to operate e-purse through menus.
“The fact that the phone now accepts other cards gives operators the opportunity to market their offering to existing smart card user groups, thus increasing their potential subscriber base overnight,” said Philippe Martineau, director of the Wireless Marketing and Product group at Gemplus.
