Sony selects STMicroelectronics’ secure microcontroller for next-gen payment cards in Japan

BANGALORE, INDIA:  STMicroelectronics today announced that its latest dual-interface secure microcontroller has been selected by Sony to power the new micropayment-enabled cards that will reach Japanese consumers by H1 2016.

The market’s most advanced dual-interface (contact / contactless) secure microcontroller, ST’s ST31G480 combines high computing power and energy efficiency with superior flexibility and interoperability.  It is the only device available today that can automatically detect and handle different types of radio-frequency communication used by the card readers. This enables Sony and other OEMs to develop and deploy contactless multi-application payment cards that can operate across different standards, infrastructures, and geographies.

Slated to arrive on the market in H12016, the new smartcard payment solution introduced by Sony will be the first in Japan to combine both the latest VISA/MasterCard/JCB dual-interface payment schemes and the FeliCa-based payment applications in a single chip. In addition to multi-payment functionality, the ST chip-card technology ensures stable transaction speeds, robustness, and ease of use.

“The unique advantages of ST’s secure microcontroller have enabled us to integrate, in a highly secure and cost-effective manner, standard payment and FeliCa-based applications in a single chip,” said Kazuyuki Sakamoto, Senior General Manager, FeliCa Business Division, Sony Corporation. “This technological advancement will increase convenience for Japanese consumers by expanding the opportunities to use their payment cards in many different settings and situations with unprecedented ease.”

“Our cooperation with Sony further strengthens ST’s position in the digital security arena, facilitating the deployment of secure and convenient contactless solutions to tech-savvy markets like Japan and Asia,” said Marie-France Florentin, General Manager, Secure Microcontroller Division, STMicroelectronics.