NEW YORK-Powertel Inc., a personal communications services carrier based in West Point, Ga., announced Oct. 20 it joined forces with Gemplus Corp. and CyberMark in a four-month trial of prototype multi-application smart cards involving 50 students at Florida State University in Tallahassee.
Gemplus, a subscriber identity module manufacturer, and CyberMark, a smart card systems integrator with offices on the university’s campus, announced availability of these prototype cards at the Personal Communications Industry Association conference in Dallas in early September.
“Powertel approached us and decided to jump on the opportunity to get into FSU using Motorola (Inc.’s StarTac 7000) phones,” said Jean-Louis Carrara, marketing manager of PCS North America for Gemplus.
Powertel selected Motorola to supply the trial’s digital handset due to the StarTac’s support of a full-sized SIM card in a wearable phone form factor, the company said.
“This card will be like having an (automated teller machine), fax, personal computer and digital communications center that easily fits into your pocket,” said Bill Norwood, vice president of CyberMark.
