Interview with Mr. Deepak Aggarwal, Senior Marketing & Application Manager, Secure Microcontrollers, ASEAN, ANZ & India, STMicroelectronics
1.Explain the focus of STMicroelectronics in Smart Cards?
Our portfolio is divided on three main verticals, one is the Smart card form factor which is used in Banking &ID for making payment, people identification, transport &payTV Then we have another vertical pertaining to the mobile security domain where we have solutions like Near field Communication (NFC) , Secured SIM & M2M which can also be used for Mobile payment& cellular connectivity. The third pillar where we envisage potential growth is the IoT security of Authentication where we have TPM & brand protection devices. STMicroelectronics has created a small demo which showcases how these devices can be very useful for smart city concept or web services, cloud services as well as we have some new products related to payments with in-house technology which can help boost the signals, and make the payment conveniently. However, from traditional smart card form factor we are also addressing the new segments where security devices are used in variety of other form factors instead of ID cards only.
2.What are the key Milestones achieved by ST in Smart Card space?
ST is one amongst the top four companies in the Smart Card space worldwide. We have world class products and our Smart Cards that are present in the market are certified for latest security standards such as Common Criteria, EAL6+ & EMVCo.
- ST has Worldwide Ranking in:
- #3 Secure Microcontrollers
- #3 supplier
- ~15% market share
- > 1 Billion Secure MCUs shipped
- Strong contribution to the emerging Industrial market (M2M …)
- > 250 Million units shipped for Mobile Security
3.Which are the trends in Smart Card applications?
In India Banking sector, we observe a trend from contact card to dual interface cards where customer can pay without dipping his card in point of sale terminal.
Also, we see growth in embedded system market. IT security & TPM devices solutions to now include connected devices for Internet of Things. Data issued from connected devices involved in smart meters, smart cities, smart homes & smart industry. More & more devices are adding solutions based on secure elements.
4.Next growth for Smartcards will come especially from secure microcontroller.
According to Market Research Future (MRFR), the global IoT MCU market is anticipated to grow at an above-average CAGR of 12% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2023. Technological advancements and the increasing applications of IoT are expected to contribute significantly to the market growth, and MRFR has found that these factors are expected to facilitate growth so that the market will reach an estimated evaluation of over USD 4 Bn by the end of 2023. https://www.openpr.com/news/1209333/IoT-Microcontroller-Market-2018-Global-Trending-Key-Leaders-by-Intel-Atmel-Freescale-Infineon-ST-Microelectronics-Microchip-Technology-by-Regional-Forecast-to-2023.html
Designed to ensure the security of IoT solution, STSAFE products are all evaluated by independent third parties & have received best-in-class security certificates including common criteria, m BSI & FIPS as well as specific evaluation & validation schemes
5.Elaborate on the STPay-Boost payment SoC announcement.
The turnkey contactless payment SoC based on STPay-Boost greatly simplifies the engineering challenges that face designers of wearable devices, such as small dimensions and signal attenuation by metallic materials. It also streamlines the transition from development to production. Proven security is a key benefit, leveraging established STPay software and ST’s secure element with Java-based secure operating system (OS) as a hardware root of trust that saves independently developing or integrating the payment OS. Existing security certificates for the SoC mean only basic functional certification of the new product is required. Moreover, manufacturers can create an entire range of different payment-capable products containing the same SoC, thereby simplifying procurement and inventory management.
ST and Fidesmo, the contactless-services developer and Mastercard Approved Global Vendor, have created a turnkey active solution for secure contactless payments on smart watches and other wearable technology. The complete payment system-on-chip (SoC) is based on ST’s STPay-Boost IC, which combines a hardware secure element to protect transactions and a contactless controller featuring proprietary active-boost technology that maintains reliable NFC connections even in devices made with metallic materials. Its single-chip footprint fits easily within wearable form factors.
Key features include:
- STPay-Boost IC combines hardware secure element with proprietary NFC-boost technology for superior contactless performance
- Fidesmo OTA personalization/tokenization platform completes the solution as a turnkey payment system-on-chip
- Compact single-chip form factor ideal for smart watches, wristbands, connected jewelry: confirmed by Swedish hybrid smart-watch maker Kronaby
OTA personalization by the user, leveraging Fidesmo’s personalization platform, simplifies supply-chain management for the device maker by eliminating personalization effort and any need to supply equipment such as an adapter or cable with the device.
In addition to enhancing the end-user experience, ST’s proprietary NFC-boosting active load modulation technology simplifies RF design and accelerates time to market by ensuring superior performance with little or no circuit optimization needed. A small-size antenna can sustain robust and reliable wireless connection, permitting smaller overall product dimensions and lower power consumption resulting in longer battery life.
6.Share key demos at SmartCards Expo
- Biometric Electronic Passport/ ID Card
- Biometric enabled Smartcard and Embedded secure element to protect access to sensitive data and authentication of user for used as Identity, Driving License, Health and e-passport. Protects from unwanted Access/Reading of personal data using ST Dual-Interface chip ST31G480.
- Applications : Identification smartcard & embedded secure element in electronic passport
- Biometric Banking Card
- Biometric enabled banking card with added security for Identity tracking. Protects from unwanted Access/Transactions using ST Banking solution STpay-Tiger and ST Dual-Interface chip ST31G480
- Applications : Banking smartcards with extra Identity authentication
- Smartcity lightning
- Device Authentication with remote server to manage authenticity of IoT Devices using STSAFE-A100
- Applications : Authentication of Server/Devices
7.Please share objectives of participation in this event.
Industry Events like these help to connect major buyers of smart technologies with the suppliers. At ST, we believe it’s important to contribute to knowledge sharing across the electronics industry and therefore we are delighted to have participated once again. The quality and content of the discussions made it engaging and valuable as our prime objective at the expo was to explore the value of IoT and showcase ST’s new technologies, products, applications and techniques ready for deployment in Asia to usher in the industry transformation.
