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`newsfeature
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`Mifare in action
`
`The Philips Mifare technology behind London Underground’s Oyster card
`project is tried and tested in mass transit projects around the world. To date the
`company has shipped more than 250 million Mifare ICs worldwide and claims a
`market share in the region of 80%. This article provides a whistle-stop overview
`of the technology, reviewing the latest product line up and some of the major
`implementations worldwide.
`
`Philips Mifare is the industry standard for
`contactless and dual interface smart card and reader
`technology operating at 13.56Mhz. Operating in
`accordance with ISO 14443, the platform consists
`of chip solutions for pure contactless and dual
`interface smart cards and reader devices. The card
`portfolio covers a range of products for use in both
`low and high-end applications.
`
`Pusan
`Showcase for Mifare technology is the digital
`Pusan Card, issued to mass transit users in
`Pusan, South Korea since 1998. This is a dual
`interface multi-application card that can be
`reloaded with value by users over the internet.
`Philips executives explained the Pusan card’s
`potential to CTT: “If you lived in Pusan, you
`might leave your home and catch a bus to work,
`buying a newspaper with your e-purse on the
`way. Your ticket would be debited as you left the
`bus, via an on-board reader, with the correct fare
`for your journey. At the terminus, you place your
`card in a reader terminal and check the balance,
`transferring some more cash from your bank
`account. Later in the day, you access a municipal
`terminal and pay the balance of your local taxes.
`“Your e-purse also takes care of the bill for
`lunch, while it could also be used for more
`shopping if you needed. Finishing work late, you
`take a taxi, also paid electronically. Back at home
`you log on to the internet using the card, and
`pay utility bills and check balances. All of this
`has been achieved with a single piece of plastic.”
`
`Moscow transport
`Visa
`International,
`the Moscow City
`Government, Bank of Moscow, Moscow
`Metropolitan (Metro), Moscow Regional Railway
`and Rosan Finance are currently co-operating on a
`new Mifare-based multi-application in Eastern
`Europe. The system started as a contactless-only
`solution, developed in 2000 for travellers using the
`Moscow Metro and Moscow Railway; it now
`covers a broad range of applications stored on a
`multi-functional Mifare PROX dual-interface
`smart card.
`The card can function as a public transport
`ticket but it also works as an identity card allowing
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`the user to gain access to a range of government
`and consumer services.
`
`Cornwall
`In the UK, e-government initiatives are helping
`local authorities to take advantage of new
`technologies and modernise services. A series of
`Pathfinder partnerships have now been set up
`and UK councils are beginning to deliver
`services electronically. One of these partnerships,
`which is currently spear-heading e-government
`initiatives in the country is the Cornish Key Card,
`a project initiated by Cornwall County Council.
`In Phase One of the scheme cardholders will use
`smart cards based on Mifare PROX dual-
`interface technology to make car park payments,
`borrow library books, obtain concessionary bus
`fares, register at local schools and gain access
`control to required buildings. Through the card’s
`Open Platform Java Card technology, further
`applications can be added or removed at later
`phases – after the cards have been issued.
`
`Smart gadgets
`Watchmaker Junghans has developed a multi-
`application Future Watch based on Philips’ Mifare
`technology interface platform. Designed to
`replace all the cards and documents people
`currently need in everyday life, the Future Watch
`can be programmed with appropriate applications
`to function equally well as a key to open doors, as
`a token to access computer networks, as a ticket to
`the cinema or even to make electronic payments
`on public transport systems.
`
`Card portfolio
`Mifare Standard ICs are today primarily used in
`closed systems where value is debited in a secure
`and authorised way from a card by a service
`provider, or for fixed value tickets (e.g. weekly or
`monthly travel passes). It is also used where
`physical access control is required – for employee
`ID and company or building access cards. This is
`the card initially being used in London’s Prestige
`project.
`Expanding on the functionality of the existing
`1K standard ICs, the new 4K Standard and
`Mifare DESFire ICs provide increased memory,
`which could be used for
`identity cards,
`
`applications requiring biometric identification
`and multi-application tools.
`The Mifare DESFire is the latest addition to
`the Mifare portfolio. It is a high speed,
`contactless-only multi-application smart card IC
`which has 4K EEPROM and 3DES encryption.
`As a low-cost, high security product, this has
`been designed for public transport, corporate
`access, ID cards and biometrics.
`The Mifare UltraLight is a low cost solution
`that enables smart paper tickets to be used in
`ISO 14443A compliant infrastructures. It is
`designed for high-volume applications such as
`public transport and event ticketing and could
`be a replacement for existing magnetic stripe and
`paper tickets. Additionally, it could be used for
`loyalty schemes and the internet.
`The Mifare PROX, is a top-of the-range high
`security and performance dual interface IC.
`Cards using this chip feature industry standard
`protocols on both the contact (typically for
`banking applications) and contactless (typically
`for transit) interfaces. Applications provided can
`include banking, e-commerce, e-government, e-
`business, ID card and biometrics, and electronic
`ticketing as well as mass transit. Philips was
`awarded Visa
`International’s Level
`3
`accreditation for this card early in 2002.
`
`Readers
`The Philips Micore contactless reader IC family
`includes the MF RC500, MF RC530, MF
`RC531 readers for contactless smart cards and
`the SL RC400 for smart labels. In the final half
`of 2002, the company introduced a new multi-
`standard CL RC632, designed to handle high
`volume contactless reader applications. The CL
`RC632 uses a modulation and demodulation
`concept. Its technology can vary the amplitude
`of radio frequency signals to recognise different
`RFID-based smart cards, tags and
`labels
`operating in accordance with Mifare and
`I.Code-based chips.
`
`Open and compatible
`With over 250 million cards and 1.5 million
`read/write units in the field, Mifare-based
`systems still dominate the contactless smart card
`market.
`
`In this environment, the compatibility
`ensured within the Mifare architecture platform
`enables service providers to use Mifare products
`from low-end memory cards up to sophisticated
`microcontroller cards, with existing Mifare
`infrastructures. Testhouse Arsenal,
`an
`independent certification authority, certifies the
`compatibility of Mifare-based products from
`different suppliers.
`
`Contact: Marijke Sas at Philips,
`Tel. +31 40214 6014, email: marijke.sas@philips.com
`
`Card Technology Today March 2003
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