Sun Microsystems announces Java Card API

Business Wire, Oct 29, 1996

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 1996--

First open API for smart cards now available; Enables smart card development using standard Java tools

Sun Microsystems, Inc. today announced completion of the Java(TM) Card application programming interface (API) specification. The Java Card specification will bring the power of Java to hundreds of millions of smart cards worldwide.

The Java Card API, a specialized application interface, enables a new generation of networking capabilities for electronic commerce, network access, affinity programs, gaming applications and authentication -- capitalizing on the power of smart card technology.

"Not only will Java Card applications run on any smart card, but Java programmers can use the same tools to develop applications for smart cards and pagers, NCs and PCs and fault-tolerant servers," said Alan Baratz, president of JavaSoft. "Java is leapfrogging the industry to take the concept of scaleability to a new level."

The Java Card API is a specialized Java application interface optimized to provide critical Java functionality to smart card developers. It is the first industry standard language and open API for smart cards that allows applications to run on all ISO 7816-4-compliant smart cards.

Java's scaleability and platform-independence provide the ideal environment for creating smart card applications. To date, smart card operators have written what are essentially proprietary applications that are not interoperable or portable.

Leveraging Available Tools

Smart card developers can use the growing number of widely available Java development tools to build applications with the Java Card API. JavaSoft is working with leading companies in the smart card industry to produce an easy-to-use tool that prepares these applications to run in the smart card environment.

The Java Card specification is available for download at http://java.sun.com/commerce on October 29, 1996.

With annual revenues of more than $7 billion, Sun Microsystems, Inc. provides products and services that enable customers to build and maintain open network computing environments. Widely recognized as a proponent of open standards, the company is involved in the design, manufacture and sale of products, technologies and services for commercial and technical computing. Sun Microsystems was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. -0-

Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, JavaSoft, Java, The Network is the Computer, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems Inc., in the United States and in other countries. Netscape, Netscape Navigator and LiveConnect are trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. -0-

Addendum: Quotes From Java Card API Endorsers

Gemplus

"The smart card industry is clearly entering a new era with this announcement," declared Marc Lassus, Chairman and CEO of Gemplus, the worldwide leader of plastic and smart card suppliers. "The increasing demand for open platforms on which to quickly develop smart card applications in proven and wider environments, the need for after-the-issuance applications secure download capabilities better fitted to the fast moving Internet paradigm, are extremely well-addressed with the JavaCard architecture. Gemplus has developed significant technology in the field of object-oriented card operating systems and is today totally supporting and endorsing the JavaCard initiative. Combination of the hardware secure environment of the chipcard and of Java's unmatched security features will rapidly prove being the ultimate solution to implement secure electronic commerce."

Contact: Jean-Marc Giry Gemplus 33-4-42-36-50-00 E-Mail: jean-marc.giry@ccmail.etd.fr

Hitachi, Ltd.

"The smart card is going to be an important device for the coming cyberworld. I hope this API will make it easy to apply Java to the field of "card" applications, and act as an important interface in the proliferation of Java," said Toshiakira Ikeda, general manager, strategic business development division, information systems group, Hitachi, Ltd.

Contact: Toshiakira Ikeda Hitachi, Ltd. 81-3-5471-2790

IBM Corporation

"This announcement is further evidence of the compelling benefits that Java delivers to the world of network computing, said David Gee, worldwide Java marketing manager for IBM. "The Java Card API open specification will allow companies such as IBM to provide our customers with flexible access to electronic commerce systems. We are very pleased to support JavaSoft in this latest initiative to make Java real for business."

Contact: Judy Radlinsky IBM Corporation 617-693-8577 E-Mail: jradlinsky@vnet.ibm.com

Integrity Arts, Inc.

"The world-wide smart card market is poised for explosive growth, starting in 1997," observed Patrice Peyret, President and CEO of Integrity Arts, Inc. of San Mateo, Calif. "The entry of players like Sun helps broaden the market and provides familiarity. This will intensify interest in products and tools like Integrity Arts' platform-independent Tosca Framework, which gives smart card users the advanced capability to dynamically and securely work with multiple applications. The combination of Tosca with Sun's Java technology is a perfect solution for the smart card market."