Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) today announced that it has developed the first prototype of a complete security platform for a mobile handset, with Qualcomm's support, and will be displaying its proof-of-concept solution running on Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipsets at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week. The demo will show how the MobiCore secure application environment and the Snapdragon's security architecture delivers a complete ARM TrustZone technology-based security platform to address the requirements of services ranging from mobile payment with secure PIN entry and content management to key management and general user authentication.
The MobiCore environment provides a fully certifiable security solution that enables applications using dedicated security solutions today to be integrated into advanced mobile devices based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform.
"MobiCore is of great interest to banks and payment service providers in increasingly leveraging the capabilities of smartphones within the security frameworks of existing payment systems. G&D sees Qualcomm as a key partner to bring this technology to market," explains Dr. Kai Grassie, head of the New Business division at G&D.
"As mobile devices continue to evolve and become more advanced, demand for services such as mobile payment at the point of sale will increase significantly – underscoring the need for exceptional security to protect consumers," said Jason Bremner, vice president of product management, Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. "We are pleased to be working with G&D to demonstrate their open security solution on our Snapdragon platform, and look forward to bringing comprehensive security capabilities to market."
Just recently, on February 3, G&D and ARM announced their strategic partnership for the development of highly secure mobile platforms combining the highly-secure MobiCore operating system and ARM TrustZone technology which creates a protected area in advanced systems-on-chip.
The Snapdragon security architecture incorporates ARM TrustZone technology, allowing MobiCore to execute essential security functions in a multitasking environment parallel to a general purpose operating system. Access to such security functions is provided via a common set of APIs, quickly enabling the developer communities to take advantage of such features.
"The first integration of G&D Mobicore and ARM TrustZone technology in a high-performance Qualcomm Snapdragon system-on-chip is an important step forward for mobile security. This commitment demonstrates the importance of security for delivering high value services in future devices", said Ian Drew, executive vice president, Marketing, ARM.
The demonstrations will be on display at G&D and Qualcomm's stands.