In response to market demand, GlobalPlatform’s ‘End-to-End Simplified Service Management Framework v1.1’ now incorporates life cycle issues such as changing a handset and suspending a mobile device if it is lost or stolen. The document also complies with all of the technical requirements, from GlobalPlatform and other technical bodies such as EMVCo and the GSMA, that service providers require to bring near field communication (NFC) contactless payment deployments to market efficiently and effectively. By addressing service providers’ specific requirements for device, SE and messaging technology, the guidelines enable a trusted service manager (TSM) ecosystem and contactless service to be launched in three to six months, a process which traditionally took between 12 and 18 months.
The framework will be of interest to service providers, mobile network operators (MNOs), handset manufacturers, SE vendors/ issuers, data preparation bureaus, TSMs and mobile device manufacturers. The document specifies
- The workflows between all parties involved in a contactless payments deployment to ensure a seamless user experience
- The overall architecture, which provides clarity in the data flow and implementation
- The configurations that should be used to ensure interoperability across various interfaces and devices.
“GlobalPlatform recognizes that some service providers want to launch implementations quickly and then expand or develop additional services at a later date,” comments Gil Bernabeu, Technical Director of GlobalPlatform. “Therefore, instead of reviewing 1,500 pages of specifications, all service providers now need to do is answer three business-related questions to identify which information is relevant to their deployment. They can then launch their solution quickly and cost effectively with a service that can be customized later on due to the flexible messaging technology within the framework.”
The latest version of the guidelines also incorporates the ‘Simple Mode Configuration for UICC-Based Secure Elements’ from the GSMA. The inclusion of this specification addresses the evolving technical needs of the payments industry and the requirement to simplify the deployment of contactless payments for both MNOs and service providers.
“The first release addressed one use case where service deployment and management was shared between the MNO and service provider,” continues Gil. “To ease the process for service providers, we have now added a mode where the deployment responsibility lies largely with the SE issuer. As such, it was important to work with the GSMA to ensure the guidelines specifically address the requirements of MNOs so that both financial institutions and MNOs using the framework can launch services easily using an optimized environment.”
The latest version of the guidelines has been created by GlobalPlatform’s End-to-End Simplified Framework Working Group which includes representatives from a wide cross-section of the industry. The ‘End-to-End Simplified Service Management Framework v1.1’ is available free to GlobalPlatform members.