The Organization: |
| Q. | What is GlobalPlatform? |
| A. |
GlobalPlatform is a cross industry, not-for-profit association which identifies, develops and publishes specifications which facilitate the secure and interoperable deployment and management of multiple embedded applications on secure chip technology. GlobalPlatform uses the term 'secure chip' in reference to technologies such as smart cards, application processors, SD cards, USB tokens and secure elements.
GlobalPlatform's proven technical specifications are regarded as the international industry standard for building a trusted end-to-end solution which serves multiple actors and supports several business models.
The freely available specifications provide the foundation for market convergence and innovative new cross-sector partnerships. The technology has been adopted globally across finance, mobile/telecom, government, healthcare, retail and transit sectors. Research conducted by Eurosmart confirmed that 2012 shipments of microcontroller smart secure devices (secure chips) is over 7 billion units, of which 2.6 billion units leverage GlobalPlatform technology. GlobalPlatform also supports an open compliance program ecosystem to ensure the long-term interoperability of secure chip technology.
As a member-driven association with cross-market representation from all world continents, GlobalPlatform membership is open to any organization operating within this landscape. Its 80+ members contribute to technical committees and market-led task forces. GlobalPlatform is an independent organization and its strategy is defined and prioritized by a member elected Board of Directors.
|
| Q. | When was GlobalPlatform created? |
| A. |
GlobalPlatform was launched in October 1999, and the first 'all-member' meeting was held in November 1999.
|
| Q. | What does GlobalPlatform do? |
| A. |
GlobalPlatform brings together organizations and end-users to discuss and develop technology that:
- Standardizes the management and deployment of embedded applications on secure chip technology
- Advances a complete and interoperable infrastructure that covers the full value chain of a service deployed on secure chip technology, for example the specification, testing and product qualification
- Creates an interoperable ecosystem that can be used by different markets and across regions, as well as support many different business models.
|
| Q. | What are GlobalPlatform's objectives? |
| A. |
The primary objective of the organization is to identify, develop and publish specifications which facilitate the secure and interoperable deployment and management of multiple embedded applications on secure chip technology. GlobalPlatform aims to build a trusted end-to-end solution which serves multiple actors and supports several business models. The means by which the organization accomplishes this are determined by the members themselves. |
| Q. | How widely used is GlobalPlatform technology? |
| A. |
Research conducted by Eurosmart confirmed that 2012 shipments of microcontroller smart secure devices (secure chips) is over 7 billion units, of which 2.6 billion units leverage GlobalPlatform technology. |
| Q. | Does GlobalPlatform hold any educational seminars or training on its specifications? |
| A. |
Yes. GlobalPlatform hosts both business and technical seminars and training events worldwide. They are often delivered in conjunction with major industry conferences and events taking place throughout the year. Training on GlobalPlatform Specifications can also take place at a customer location so as to cater to the unique training needs of that organization. For more information about GlobalPlatform Training Programs, please visit the training section of the public website. |
| Q. | Who is on the Board of Directors? |
| A. |
The Board consists of 11 Directors from organizations that have joined as Full Members. These positions are elected by the voting members of the organization and are for a two year term of service.
At the discretion of GlobalPlatform's Board of Directors, Strategic Directors may be appointed to steer the organization in a specific market or technical direction. This allows the Board to fully utilize the strengths and skills of member organizations when additional advice or expertise is required regarding a particular strategic issue.
The Board sets the strategic vision and oversees the management of GlobalPlatform including setting organizational priorities and determining the allocation of the organization's resources, including the budget. The Board has final approval of all changes to the specifications.
|
| Q. | What is the role of the Executive Director and who represents GlobalPlatform in this role? |
| A. |
Kevin Gillick is Executive Director of GlobalPlatform. As Executive Director Mr. Gillick is responsible for driving awareness and accelerating adoption of GlobalPlatform Specifications within global markets. Mr. Gillick coordinates and manages the organization's strategic planning and oversees all marketing and business development initiatives within key vertical market sectors. He works closely with GlobalPlatform's Technical Director, all three of the organization's technical committees - Card, Device and Systems - and GlobalPlatform Task Forces. Mr. Gillick is directly responsible to the Board of Directors and GlobalPlatform membership. |
| Q. | What is the role of the Technical Director and who represents GlobalPlatform in this role? |
| A. |
Gil Bernabeu is the Technical Director of GlobalPlatform. Mr. Bernabeu's main role with GlobalPlatform is to drive forward the development of GlobalPlatform Specifications and related technical initiatives. Mr. Bernabeu also acts as the central liaison point, coordinating the efforts of GlobalPlatform's three technical committees - Card, Device and Systems, the GlobalPlatform's Task Forces and liaison activities with other closely aligned technical industry associations. He ensures that all elements of GlobalPlatform's technology is interoperable and offers backwards compatibility with previous releases. |
The GlobalPlatform Committees: |
| Q. | What are the GlobalPlatform committees? |
| A. |
There is an Advisory Council, three technical working committees and three task forces within GlobalPlatform.
The Advisory Council is a forum where the member representatives of GlobalPaltform are able to discuss with the Board of Directors the following: technical developments, planned enhancements to the specifications, marketing initiatives, educational programs, compliance, industry partnership collaboration, membership development, any new activities and other issues or topics that are deemed to be appropriate for the forum to discuss. The Advisory Council meetings are led by the Executive Director and will typically occur twice each year.
GlobalPlatform currently supports three member-driven Task Forces: the Government Task Force, Mobile Task Force and the IP Connectivity Task Force. Launched in 2006, members who participate in the Government Task Force gather input from public agencies to develop solutions to assist the sector in sourcing open technology from suppliers and integrators. The second group, the Mobile Task Force, was established in 2007 to position GlobalPlatform technology related to secure platforms (chip on card, token or devices) and to expand and enhance the specifications through strategic liaison activity with EMVCo, GSMA and others to harmonize industry specifications for mobile payment technology deployment. Finally, the IP Connectivity Task Force, launched in 2010, was formed to create an environment that will encourage technology developers to capitalize on the chip's ability to connect with IP-based infrastructures, also known as the 'internet of things' utilizing technology from GlobalPlatform.
Task forces are responsible for establishing the business requirements for their respective sectors, then providing those business requirements to the appropriate technical committee for further development.
|
| Q. | Do the committees follow a process when developing and releasing specifications? |
| A. |
Yes. GlobalPlatform has rules that govern the Document Development Process; from initial business requirement gathering, to scope validation, to specification development and finally to specification approval. The process covers details such as specification management, document identification and document version management. There is also a defined process to assist in conflict resolution and to ensure that a stated majority have agreed to the nature, scope and direction the specifications are taking within a given committee.
|
| Q. | What are the main steps in this process? |
| A. |
GlobalPlatform follows a documented process that guides the workflow of the technical committees from the time documents have passed committee review, through to all-member review and finally a public review. When the documents are fully vetted through this process, the Board of Directors makes a final determination on the release of the document and if, given the nature of the document, it will be made available to the general public or only to the membership.
The Card, Device and Systems Committees define functional and technical requirements for the development and evolution of open interoperable technical specifications. As appropriate, they will also develop the relevant compliance framework for released specifications. All three groups formulate strategic business models and define guidelines for multiple industry implementation and deployment.
|
| Q. | Who are the members of GlobalPlatform and how do interested parties join? |
| A. |
To understand the benefits of becoming a GlobalPlatform member and the caliber of organizations that participate and drive the association forward, visit our membership pages. |
| Q. | What is the cost of GlobalPlatform Membership? |
| A. |
Annual dues, which cover the cost of meetings and seminars, administration and publications, vary according to an organization's desired level of access and participation within GlobalPlatform. The annual fees are as follows:
Full Members: US $30,000
Participating Members: US $24,000
Observer Members: US $12,000
Public Entity Members: US $6,000
Consultant Members: US $1,500.
GlobalPlatform's fiscal year begins on 1 October and ends on 30 September. Membership fees for incoming members are prorated to the number of months of the fiscal year remaining at the time of joining. Joining on any day within a given month requires fees to be paid for that entire month. |
| Q. | How often does GlobalPlatform meet? |
| A. |
The frequency of meetings (face to face and/or conference call) vary by committee and task force.
ALL MEMBER MEETINGS - GlobalPlatform hosts 'all-member' meetings that occur twice per year and are open to all membership categories. These meetings are further supported by all-member webinars which aim to update members unable to attend the scheduled gathering.
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS - Full and Participating Members have membership status allowing them to directly participate in committees that develop and review work proposals to evolve the specifications. These committees will meet at least four times each year and may also have several conference calls throughout the year to advance the work as determined and prioritized by the members.
TASK FORCE MEETINGS and ADVISORY COUNCIL – All members are entitled to participate in task force activity and the Advisory Council. General Advisory Council meetings are held at least twice each year. In addition, Regional Advisory Council meetings are held throughout the year, scheduled on an ad-hoc basis by the Executive and/or Technical Director, and are often aligned with their attendance at key industry event gatherings. Task force meetings generally take place (face-to-face) at least twice annually, supported also by several conference calls throughout the year as determined by the Task Force Chair and membership.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS - The Board of Directors meets three times each year with one of those gatherings focused exclusively on strategic planning. |
| Q. | Aren't there already similar organizations in place? |
| A. |
There are a number of organizations focused on various aspects of the ecosystem involving the secure delivery and use of applications onto platform products. GlobalPlatform, however, is the only organization focused on establishing standards for managing those applications on secure chip technology and ensuring their interoperability across the entire infrastructure for both single and multi-application schemes. GlobalPlatform's members achieve this by creating specifications that are timely, relevant and supportive of market convergence and innovative new cross-sector partnerships. |
GlobalPlatform Implementations: |
| Q. | What industries have adopted GlobalPlatform technology? |
| A. |
The financial sector was the first to adopt GlobalPlatform technology and other industries were quick to follow, noting the benefits of implementing to GlobalPlatform standards for mobile/telecom, government, healthcare, retail and transit. GlobalPlatform technology has become particularly relevant today as many of these industries, operating individually in past years, are now on a convergence course. Payment applications migrating to mobile devices is a key example of convergence driven by technology and end-user appetite for convenience. GlobalPlatform, as a foundation technology for both finance and mobile, plays a critical role in providing the framework for the management of applications on secure chip technology for this emerging industry space. |
| Q. | Does GlobalPlatform have any association with other specifications bodies? |
| A. |
Yes, visit industry relationships for a full list of GlobalPlatform's liaison relationships. |
| Q. | Where geographically is GlobalPlatform technology implemented? |
| A. |
GlobalPlatform technology is currently deployed in Europe, North and South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. |
The Technology: |
| Q. | What are the GlobalPlatform Specifications? |
| A. |
The GlobalPlatform Specifications represent a set of cross-industry technical documents, which facilitate the secure and interoperable deployment and management of multiple embedded applications on secure chip technology. GlobalPlatform's technology builds a trusted end-to-end solution which serves multiple actors and supports several business models.
The GlobalPlatform Specifications work across different technology platforms, enabling implementers to choose between suppliers and application developers while providing a core security and management platform technology. |
| Q. | Who owns and controls the GlobalPlatform Specifications? |
| A. |
The GlobalPlatform Specifications are owned, managed, developed and maintained by GlobalPlatform. The future direction of the technology is defined by the membership and GlobalPlatform's independent and member elected Board of Directors. |
| Q. | Are there any conditions in using GlobalPlatform Specifications? |
| A. |
No. There are no restrictions in implementing and using any of the GlobalPlatform Specifications.
|
| Q. | Are there any fees for obtaining GlobalPlatform Specifications or independently developing products/solutions that abide by the specifications? |
| A. |
There is no licensing fee to implement and use any of the GlobalPlatform Specifications. Other suppliers to the industry, however, may have license fees associated with their particular technology. Adopters of technology are advised to research where licensing and/or royalty requirements exist from parties outside of GlobalPlatform. Visit our IP Disclaimers page for further details and to download GlobalPlatform's comprehensive Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy.
Although the specifications are freely available, market configurations that are based on the specifications may or may not be. Typically these market configurations are made available to members for free, as a benefit of membership. Non-members may be charged a nominal fee for these market configurations. Non-members who wish to purchase these documents are encouraged to visit the store on the public website.
|
| Q. | What are the benefits of GlobalPlatform technology over other alternatives? |
| A. |
GlobalPlatform technology is open, scalable and offers well defined standards of interoperability at the platform, device and system level interfaces. As a consequence, deployments utilizing GlobalPlatform technology allows implementers/adopters to protect their investment in infrastructure and expand business interests by adding/altering applications over time.
|
| Q. | How difficult is GlobalPlatform to implement? |
| A. |
As GlobalPlatform has become a de-facto standard, and is implemented across many different markets worldwide, it offers a ready to use and qualified solution, with products based on the specifications available from the vendor community and consultants who are able to assist you with implementation and deployment.
|
| Q. | Is GlobalPlatform technology customizable at all? |
| A. |
Yes. GlobalPlatform defines specifications for the technology without inhibiting customization within the framework. GlobalPlatform Specifications define many options for implementers/adopters to choose from, allowing a wide range of business models, and supporting a large variety of security as well as technical requirements.
|
| Q. | My program is very simple with only one application - how would GlobalPlatform benefit me? |
| A. |
An issuer of a single embedded application on secure chip technology can also benefit from the adoption of GlobalPlatform. For example, being GlobalPlatform compliant permits the issuer to multi-source vendors for the same application code. Also leveraging the back-office utilization of standardized issuance and personalization systems (e.g. scripts for personalization) allows the issuer to multi-source production (e.g. the flexibility to move production from one bureau operation to another) without additional costs. It also provides the issuer with a future-proof infrastructure that can be migrated to other (either mono or multi-application) infrastructures.
|
| Q. |
What technology works with GlobalPlatform Specifications? |
| A. |
A GlobalPlatform compliant device can work with any (GlobalPlatform compliant or non-GlobalPlatform) secure platform as long as both comply with the application specific interface specifications. Similarly, a GlobalPlatform compliant application or device management system can work with any secure platform.
|
| Q. | Is there a specific technology required to implement the GlobalPlatform Card Specification? |
| A. |
GlobalPlatform's Card Specification can be implemented on any environment that allows dynamic memory management. The standardized application management command and the security scheme are independent of a run time environment. This is why a product vendor can easily support standard commands and the security scheme in the environment of their choice.
Currently the GlobalPlatform Card Specification supports API's for developing application on Java Card and Multos.
|
| Q. | Can I use GlobalPlatform technology with my own proprietary card? |
| A. |
Yes. GlobalPlatform technology provides an open standard, in order to protect your investment, and smoothly migrates to multiple applications, multiple platforms and multiple services. You can decide to deploy GlobalPlatform technology for acceptance devices or for systems with your current proprietary platform. Also, see response to the above question. |
| Q. | What is GlobalPlatform's current focus within the Device Committee? |
| A. |
The Device Committee has been developing specifications to standardize the trusted execution environment (TEE). This is a secure area that resides in the main processor of a device and guarantees that sensitive data is stored, processed and protected in a trusted environment. With the ability to work independently or complementary to a secure chip and the standard handset applications, one of the key appeals of the TEE is its capability to create a 'trusted user interface'. For example, the mobile payment application can display payment information in a trusted window of the mobile device screen and the end-user can input a PIN to accept the wireless transaction using the mobile key pad, in the same trusted window.
|
| Q. | How can I test compliance to GlobalPlatform technology? |
| A. |
GlobalPlatform supports an open compliance program ecosystem to ensure the long-term interoperability of secure chip technologies. The program benefits secure chip manufacturers, test tool suppliers, test laboratories and issuers. The program is based on testing product compliance to specific market sector 'configurations' based on Card Specification v2.2.1 and TEE Initial Configuration v1.0, so as to ensure product features important to a given sector are tested and validated as compliant to the specification. |
| Q. | What is the latest GlobalPlatform initiative for security certification? |
| A. |
In January 2011, GlobalPlatform published the composition model. This document is the result of a common work initiative with EMVCo and the GSM Association to develop a common, cross-industry certification model for secure elements with post-issuance capabilities. The aim is to simplify and speed up testing processes for pre-certified applications and certified UICC platforms, when they are redeployed. The resulting document enables mobile network operators (MNOs) and the payments industry to develop cross-industry certification schemes, for mobile platforms and payments applications respectively. When fully developed and operational, these schemes will work together to ensure that any certified payment application will work with any certified UICC platform, reducing the incidence of certification failures when new application/platform combinations are subsequently added for testing. |
