In its eleventh year, the Sesames Awards has become a key part of the industry’s leading event, the annual CARTES smart card and identification conference. Sesames honors innovations and application achievements within the chip card industry. As 2006 was coming to a close, an international panel of judges active in the industry selected the individual recipients from 203 companies that applied for the ten Awards.Software
Gemalto’s IPv6 embedded stack took the Software category honors. The product provides enhancements in areas such as auto-configuration and built-in security for data protection and integrates the smart card into the network world via a high-speed protocol communication interface.
The winning product beating out another Gemalto product, the PC-Link.SIM that allows a Windows PC and the SIM card in a mobile phone to communicate with each other, as well as Oberthur Card Systems’ AngelIC, a winner in the Mobile category.
Hardware
Infineon Technologies received top honors for its CC EAL 5+ certified Flash Chipcard Microcontroller that enables data to be stored on the card in flash-like EEPROM in a secure manner that is usually considered possible only via ROM.
Runners up in the Hardware category were Gemalto’s GemBorder Inlay designed to increase the power yield between chip and reader for passports and ID cards, and INSIDE Contacltess’ Micropass L4, a chip designed from the ground up for contactless optimization and use as a multi-payment brand offering.
IT Security
The winner was SIM Strong from Gemalto, a product that leverages SIM-equipped mobile devices to provide secure access to online content and services. According to Gemalto, a user with a valid Identity Provider account and SIM-enabled mobile phone or dongle can securely log on to a host of online services such as e-commerce or the Intranet.
The other two finalists in the IT Security category were Ingenico with IngeTrust that secures communications between a terminal and its host computer, and Page International’s ICS 2 Invisible Code System for securely sending PIN codes via the mail.
Banking/Retail/Finance
ASK took top honors here with its shielding media designed to protect data on contactless cards from fraudulent RF readings. The shielding also works with contactless paper tickets and e-ID documents such as e-passports.
Runners up in the Banking category were Gemalto’s Geminstant Sticker containing a contactless chip and antenna that can be affixed to any device; MasterCard Worldwide PayPass M/Chip Flex allowing the issuance of OneSmart PayPass cards without updating the EMV infrastructure; and Way Systems’ MTT5000 mobile POS device (a winner in the e-Transactions category).
Transport
French-based Let It Wave’s CodecID Transport won for its compression software that reduces the storage of high quality ID photos to as few as 500 bytes, taking up to three times less space on the ID card. It is intended for low capacity multi-application cards such as those used in transport, parking, access, etc.
Runners up were Ingenico’s iPod-compatible payment terminal that allows users with a plug-in module to use their iPod to download tickets, etc. that can be read by a terminal; and China-based Watchdata System’s SIMPass, a mobile payment application that includes a contactless interface allowing for credit and debit payments and an e-purse.
Identification
Smart Packaging Solutions, France, and its E-Pastille with E-Booster, designed for passports, won this category. It includes a contactless module (the E-Pastille) made with a die and a small antenna that is embedded in the cover page of the passport but cannot work directly with the reader. Communication is done through a passive larger antenna, called the E-Booster, located on the data page.
Runners up included Adobe Systems’ Adobe Acrobat 7.07 for SmartCards, which offers digital signing; Cross Match Technologies’ L Scan Guardian that captures an individual’s fingerprints, evaluates them and displays them on screen; and Datacard Group’s Artista VHD retransfer color printing module.
Health Care
Actividentity and InterComponentWare Card Management System took this award for their German eHealth card solution, which includes a smart card to provide German citizens with a secure e-prescription service, allowing authenticated card holders to store and then reproduce their digitally-signed doctor’s prescriptions.
Runners up in the Health category included: Dallas Semiconductor’s Maxim Integrated Products/DS3600, a battery backup for POS terminals; Page International’s ICS 2-Invisible Code System; and SCM Microsystems’ eHealth 100, a smart card reader designed for the German health system.
Mobile
Oberthur Card Systems won for its AngelIC solution that enables a mobile subscriber to plug a SIM USB key into his PC or laptop to place and receive calls from a PC soft-phone using the subscriber’s mobile phone number. The product bridges mobile services with VoIP and messaging services and can be used by virtually any broadband connected PC.
Runners up in the Mobile category were Banksys’ Pay2me, a mobile phone to mobile phone payment system; Sagem Orga’s Phonebook New Generation which manages phonebook applications; and Watchdata System’s SIMPass.
e-Transactions
Way Systems won for its MTT5000, the latest EMV/PCI certified mobile phone payment terminal with contactless capabilities. Its 32-bit processor allows it to meet the needs of individual merchants as well as larger companies in a wholly mobile way.
Runners up were Gemalto’s ChipSwipe, a pocket handheld reader that protects against skimming by encoding a unique key generated by the chip onto the mag stripe prior to a transaction; Xiring’s Xi-Sign 4500, an EMV authentication device for the visually-impaired; and Innovative Card Technologies’ ICT DisplayCard that helps with online authentication by generating a random number.
Loyalty
Xiring, Suresnes, France, won for its Xi-Card Vida Bancomer, a smart card reader associated with the "Vida Bancomer" marketing program in Mexico. The reader allows each cardholder to check the number of coupons, loyalty points or cash bonuses earned while using his/her EMV payment card at participating merchants. The Xi-Card is aimed at accelerating the adoption of the EMV payment card in Mexico.
Runners up included YesPay International’s Real Time Service for Business Intelligence, which helps manage a retailer’s POS, inventory and other business systems; and Gemalto’s FireFly, which provides an on-card light source that is powered by the reader’s RF field and can be used to add special effects to cards (e.g. the issuer’s logo lighting up).
The 12th edition of the Sesames awards will be presented this year at CARTES Nov. 13-15.http://www.cr80news.com/library/2007/02/28/sesames-award-winners-honored-as-years-best-in-smart-card-and-id-technology/
