Technical Overview

GlobalPlatform provides a universally recognized and globally implemented suite of smart card specifications, together with market and application specific configurations of those specifications and supporting documents. Covering the entire smart card infrastructure - cards, devices and systems - these technical documents offer a dynamic and complete technology platform for the development of smart card programs. Being industry neutral, they can be used by issuers across all sectors.

GlobalPlatform also makes available test plans, suites and tools for interested parties to self-test products for compliance to the GlobalPlatform Specifications. By proving the compliance of products at an early stage in the development cycle, implementing parties can benefit from a faster time to market and lower associated deployment costs.

Technical Benefits:

A GlobalPlatform smart card infrastructure offers a secure, interoperable, flexible and future-proof technology foundation for smart card programs. GlobalPlatform solutions can be sourced competitively from multiple suppliers, ensuring that issuers are not locked into single source commercial relationships. GlobalPlatform cards, devices and systems are interoperable, regardless of technology vendor and the flexibility of the technical infrastructure ensures that it can respond to requirements that are unforeseen at the time of initial deployment. This gives issuers the reassurance that the infrastructure they have chosen will be able to adapt and grow as business conditions change - essentially 'future-proofing' the time and money invested in the development of the program.

Technical Document Publication Process:

GlobalPlatform technical documents originate from member collaboration within the organization's technical committees - the Card, Device and Systems Committees. Before each specification is published for download on the website, it undergoes the following steps in a rigorous review process:

Committee Review - Once the relevant GlobalPlatform working group has completed work on a new document, it is initially reviewed and approved by all members of the committee.

Member Review - Each document is then made available for all GlobalPlatform members to review.

Public Review - The final step is the public review period, when the draft document is published on the GlobalPlatform website to solicit feedback from the industry.

Click here to see technical documents currently available for public review.