This allows FIME to use its qualified tool and laboratory expertise to certify the compliance of contactless card products to the requirements stipulated at level 1 in this EMVCo Specification.
EMVCo is the EMV standards body collectively owned by American Express, JCB, MasterCard and Visa. It accredits laboratories and qualifies test tools that in turn can deliver EMV product approval.
FIME is the first laboratory and test tool developer to advance its EMVCo analogue level 1 testing technology to meet the needs of this particular EMVCo contactless specification, which describes the minimum functionality required for operation and market interoperability of contactless payment cards.
In addition to enhancing the tool in line with the standards body, FIME has also updated its EMV contactless offering to provide automated analogue testing which makes the technology easier to use. This increases the reliability of the test results and enables the tool to be operated independently outside of FIME’s ISO 17025 accredited laboratories.
Interested parties – such as contactless card manufacturers and NFC handset developers – can purchase the tool to ensure EMV alignment during their research and development activities which will facilitate a quicker product time to market.
Noël Catherine, head of R&D at FIME, commented: “There is a lot of media attention around contactless technology and its application within the market. FIME is working with standardisation bodies to ensure it is supporting the current and future needs of this important and advancing industry, as we identify that implementation of contactless payment solutions will continue to increase. To achieve mass market adoption, however, the technology needs to be brought to market effectively and profitably. This is why FIME has invested in making its tools more accessible to a wider audience by ensuring they are user friendly.”