Sagem Wireless and Myriad today announced their participation in the MaXSSIMM (My Secure Solution for Mobile Multimedia Internet) development programme.
The consortium, led by Gemalto, a specialist in digital security, and funded by the OSEO, a French public agency which supports innovation and development, was initiated in 2007. It involves the design and development of multimedia SIM cards, feature phones with software components, initially developed on Android, and operator servers that enable improved multimedia data portability between devices. In addition, MaXSSIMM automatically reconfigures and customises handsets with operator-specific features and services, said to allow faster time to market for tailored handsets with high cost efficiency. The €35 million project is due to be completed in June 2010 with mobile operators field testing prototype devices.
The software technology proposed by MaXSSIMM, allied to the multimedia SIM cards, is said to lead to easier and deeper handset personalisation, making operators' services more convenient, easier and faster to access via a unified interface, through the presence of these services on the SIM card itself. Combining these innovations with Myriad's technology will allow operators to reach, adapt and address customized multimedia offers to each user. On the other hand, they will be offered the opportunity to make use of this multimedia content, through a seamless connection and very transparent way, on their other appliances (TV, set-top box, Hi-Fi, car radio) taking the user experience a step further.
On top of this advanced user experience, due to the high capacity of the Multimedia SIM Card, the flexibility offered by the developments will allow subscribers to download third party applications in a highly secured manner. It will also enable them to change their handset without worrying to lose their personal data.
Sagem Wireless will lead the development and production of the prototype devices, while Myriad will lead the software, the development and integration of the devices with new operator services.
"As we enter the final year of this three year development programme, we're excited to see the programme coming to fruition with open OS prototype phones that will provide the best support to the powerful SIM Multimedia card embedding the Smart Card Web Server technology. It gives opportunities for operators to launch full-size pilots with end-users experiencing new mobile personal and multimedia services. This includes for example the user customization of the mobile phone as well as enabling the user to manage her or his personal digital life." said Philippe Vallée, Executive Vice President of Gemalto's Telecom Business Unit. "The contribution of Sagem Wireless and Myriad, two of the very innovative companies in the mobile device market, is a real endorsement of the work done by the consortium."
"No longer is it about what devices ‘do', it's about what they ‘enable'. Creating devices that perfectly marry the hardware and software to deliver a rich and compelling multimedia experience is at the heart of both the MaXSSIMM programme and our own approach to designing and developing new categories of connected lifestyle devices," said Thierry Buffenoir, CEO of Sagem Wireless. "Gemalto has brought together 12 companies from across the mobile ecosystem and we're delighted to be the ones to bring all this innovation together to deliver what we hope will be a game-changing prototype device."
"The goal of delivering connected services to multiple form factors of device is a complicated task which can only be addressed and solved with software," said Malcolm Dawe, Chief Product Officer, Myriad Group. "MaXSSIMM is a significant step forward in the evolution of the architecture of future mobile phone software and in the ability of application developers to rapidly roll-out new mobile personal and multimedia services. Myriad is deeply involved in mobile software with huge set of technologies, products and skills and we're please to be able to bring them to support this project."
The consortium also includes microelectronics manufacturers STMicroelectronics, NXP Semiconductors and Toppan Photomasks, as well as mobile network operator Orange and travel service provider Amadeus. SMEs such as Trusted Logic, Voxinzebox and Cityvox also take part in the consortium. In addition, Eurecom, a communication systems Research Institute, is helping with research expertise to evaluate the overall solution.