MULTOS, the secure, multi-application operating system, has been selected by Cable & Wireless Hong Kong Telecom SecureNet for the first commercial release of a multi-application smart card in the Asia Pacific region.
C&W HKT SecureNet is a joint venture company between C&W HKT and Australia’s leading Internet security provider SecureNet Limited.
As part of a number of initiatives developed by Cable & Wireless Hong Kong Telecom and the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation to encourage the growth of e-commerce in Hong Kong, over 50,000 cards will be initially issued throughout the territory. The card will include a digital ID certificate, e-cash, credit/debit and a loyalty program and will run on the smart-card platform MULTOS which is managed by the consortium MAOSCO.
Geoffrey Ross, managing director of SecureNet, said: “We chose MULTOS because of its high security standards and multi-functional capabilities. MULTOS allows products (in the form of applications) to be added to and deleted from the card. The benefit of the pre-loaded applications means the smart card is ready to be used once plugged into the PC and doesn?t require special software to be installed.”
The smart card will enable consumers to shop online using their credit, debit or electronic cash card without having personal details exposed over the Internet, making e-commerce easier and more secure.
The cards will also support an Internet-based loyalty program, where loyalty points will be accumulated and stored on an Internet server for customers to purchase and redeem goods online from a number of merchants.
The cards use SecureNet’s latest Internet-based and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) technology to underpin Hong Kong’s burgeoning e-commerce industry. It is expected the facility will gain in popularity as more and more people use digital certificates as a trusted means of identifying, signing and securing their internet and email transmissions.
Ross concludes:  ‘The development of a multi-application card on MULTOS offers enormous advantages.  Customers can choose to buy new applications or discard old ones and can remotely load and delete applications through their PC or public kiosks.’
About MULTOS and MAOSCO
MULTOS is a secure, multi-application smart card platform. It allows products (in the form of applications) to be added to and deleted from the card. Third party software developers can develop their own MULTOS applications, allowing them to tailor design Value Added Services for the card user. Such applications include loyalty, ticketing, credit, debit and electronic purse. MULTOS was launched in May 1997 and has met a great success in the financial services industry. More recently, combined with PKI applications, MULTOS has become the basis of a number of world leading e-commerce initiatives.
MAOSCO is a world-wide consortium which was formed to drive the adoption and manage the on-going development of MULTOS as an industry standard platform for smart cards. Members of the consortium include American Express, Discover Financial  Services,  DNP,  Europay International, Fujitsu (including its subsidiaries  ICL  and Amdahl), Giesecke and Devrient, Hitachi, Infineon Technologies (a subsidiary of Siemens), Keycorp, MasterCard International and Mondex  International, Motorola and Telstra. For further information see [www.multos.com][1]
About SecureNet Limited SecureNet’s key business is supplying data security solutions to corporate and government organisations, including the banking and finance sectors. With worldwide e-commerce forecast to grow by more than 130 per cent per annum, SecureNet sees its role expanding as a forefront provider of Internet security services and equipment.
SecureNet specialises in the development, design and installation of complete security  solutions,  addressing  the  Internet, remote banking, VPN and data-critical  applications.   An  industry specialist in smartcard, PKI, firewalls, secure payments and security consultancy, SecureNet has become a trusted name in integrated high-technology security products and services. It also provides consultancy and custom design and solution services for a wide range of IT applications. Web Site: [http://www.securenet.com.au][2]
[1]: http://www.multos.com/
[2]: http://www.securenet.com.au/
