Globally multiple application smart cards have now become the dominant issued smart card technology. The early founders and exponents of Java Card™ technology predicted this trend back in 1997. Today over 3 billion cards contain such technology. It is therefore clear that the combined industry work has created an environment of development and managed specification which has enabled Java Cards to be deployed in greater numbers than any other technology to date.

The Forum has been in existence for 10 years and continues to promote the Java Card API as the industry standard reflecting the needs of smart card suppliers, developers and their customers.

The capability to have applications developed in a similar manner and interoperable across compliant manufacturer products has been, and continues to be, a major benefit to card issuers, developers and service providers.

Furthermore with the strong layered security protection model and associated cryptographic support, applications can be added, removed or updated in the field after the Java Cards are manufactured.

Over 50% of the issued Java Card technology is in the mobile telecommunications sector, connecting and securing both 2G and increasingly 3G networks with (U)SIM cards. Double digit growth rates continue in this sector and increasingly payment, ID and content protection applications are being added to the (U)SIM. Almost certainly the major benefits of co-branding and platform sharing will become a major factor in service delivery over the next few years.

Supporting the increasingly "connected" IT world is a major challenge for all technologies. The unique role of the Java Card Forum is that it brings together in one dedicated forum the world's experts on smart card technology and focuses them exclusively on Java Card technology. Collectively they develop recommendations to SUN Microsystems, owner of the Java Card API specification.

Java Card is a trademark or registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.