Sun/Siemens in Java/smart card pact

Electronic News, July 28, 1997 by Peter Brown

Mountain View, Calif.--Sun Microsystems, here, and Siemens Semiconductors last week signed an agreement to port Java technology to Siemens' future generation of smart card chips. The companies touted the development as a precursor to "the next revolution of smart card technology."

Siemens believes itself to be the first company that will port Java technology to 16-bit smart cards. According to Marge Braya, director of marketing at Siemens Semiconductor, a division of Germany-based Siemens AG, the agreement furthers both companies strategic goals for smart cards: Sun's goal to move Java enabled devices into the smart card arena and Siemens attempt to grab market share by driving the cost down for these devices.

Chris Goeltner, director of smart card ICs for Siemens, said Siemens will introduce a 16-bit processor for the smart cards that enable the execution of the Java code in a cost effective and high performance way.

Java will also enable interoperability between different systems. "It allows for the applications to be written to a single API enabling interoperability," said Dhaval Ajmera, Sun's director of marketing for Java products. "Clearly smart cards are prohibited by cost and the execution of Java will enable the cost to be driven down. The key to the proliferation of Java smart cards will be the download-ability."

When asked if any other chip manufacturers were licensing the Java instruction set, Sun said that many people are working with it. However, the company declined to comment any further.

"Sun is pushing hard to make the Java card API the standard for smart cards and anything we can do to further this Java code will be helpful for us," said Mr. Ajmera. Sun's Java card applications programming interface (API) features specific instructions and interoperability standards that a smart card must adhere to be fully compliant with the Java card proposed standard.

Siemens chip architecture will be based on the company's proprietary Triple E line of 16-bit cores that was introduced last May (EN, May 26). The devices are planned to feature a bilingual instruction set for 8051 and Java code while being optimized to directly execute Java applications on the standard Java card platform. Siemens plans to roll out the chip in mid-1998.

"This is a wholesale trend by the semiconductor makers to support Java in their chips," commented Jonathan Cassell, industry analyst for San Jose, Calif.-based market research firm Dataquest. "Java has taken the smart card market by storm, literally with overwhelming support. This is very good because Java is an open programming language widely supported that allows multiple applications on one card. It really fits into the direction in which smart cards are heading."

Mr. Cassell said to expect announcements of a long series of relationships from Sun for Java-enabled smart card chips in the coming months. The industry will also see varying approaches to the way the Java code is implemented into various devices--including those from Siemens, he added.

"This is really taking Java in smart cards to the next level and actually implementing it on a piece of silicon," Mr. Cassell said. "There have been some 8-bit microcontrollers running Java but very slowly. This is a big win for Sun and it will further Siemens control on the market."

According to Siemens, a Java-enabled smart card would have the ability to download all kinds of applications that are not possible with current smart card technology, allowing a broader range of uses for smart cards. These applications include banking, electronic commerce, mobile communications health care and possible access to bank accounts, loyalty programs and the Internet.

European smart cards already are being used to replace pay phones, vending machines and toll booths. Future uses include automatic airline ticketing, frequent flyer miles, record and update health care procedures and improve telephone security.

Earlier this year at the Java Card Forum, Gemplus and Schumberger both rolled out operating systems and APIs adhering to the Java card API, thereby supporting Sun's movement into the smart card market (EN, March 10).