New standard defines multiple contactless environments on a single device ensuring the predictable behavior of all NFC services 

The GlobalPlatform Managing Entity Specification has been published, completing a ‘stack’ of complementary software standards from ETSI and the NFC Forum that ensures multiple mobile contactless services successfully coexist within a device and will operate as intended, regardless of the hosting environment selected by the service provider. The standardized approach provides much needed clarity to service providers delivering NFC services in devices such as smartphones, and benefits OEMs developing devices that support NFC services.

Earlier this year, the technical bodies ETSI, GlobalPlatform and the NFC Forum reviewed their specifications on implementing and managing NFC services across all technologies and platforms. The output of this collaboration is a standardized approach detailed in a comprehensive white paper, entitled Ensure Interworking Between Multiple Contactless Card Emulation Environments.

The GlobalPlatform Managing Entity Specification is supported by the latest versions of ETSI TS 102 622 and NFC Forum NCI Technical Specification Version 2.0, which is to be published later this year.

Gil Bernabeu, GlobalPlatform Technical Director, comments: “The behavior of NFC services can be unpredictable due to a lack of implementation clarity, impacted by factors such as the model and configuration of a device. The framework provided by the stack of specifications addresses this. It offers a consistent approach suitable for the mass market to the deployment and lifecycle management of NFC services to ensure service delivery is not compromised by the external device environment. This level of uniformity not only brings benefits to service providers, but also ensures that consumers can activate NFC services as and when they need to.”

The GlobalPlatform Managing Entity Specification provides a mode that is backward compatible to all Secure Elements (SEs) already in the field. It supports the activation of multiple NFC services at the same time within a single device independent of the hosting environment and has the ability to detect any potential conflicts. It also details how to simplify the end-user experience when selecting NFC services for entities such as mobile wallet providers.

Download the GlobalPlatform Managing Entity Specification. Learn more about the joint collaboration between ETSI, GlobalPlatform and NFC Forum by reading Ensure Interworking Between Multiple Contactless Card Emulation Environments white paper.