SanDisk and LG Electronics successfully demonstrated a new technology for mobile phones that enables mobile network operators (MNOs) to offer their customers multimedia-rich services using removable flash memory cards. The demonstration, using the new LG Renoir (LG KC910) mobile phone, ensures that content preloaded in these memory cards can only be used in approved handsets and marks the beginning of a new era in mobile phone service and content distribution.
Preloaded content on memory cards
Network operators can now freely distribute preloaded and downloaded content on removable flash memory cards, while restricting the accessibility of such premium content to only their network subscribers. This valuable content protection service is made possible by enabling memory cards to authenticate user credentials via data on the SIM card.
New mobile phone technology
SanDisk and LG Electronics have worked closely to implement this new technology on the LG KC910 Renoir mobile phone. SanDisk's unique technology brings flexible storage-based services to network operators by allowing IP connectivity to the memory card in the handset. The memory card serves as a network node that is remotely manageable by the operator using industry-standard TCP/IP and OMA Smart Card Web Server.
LG Renoir mobile phone
"With this advanced technology, handset manufacturers and MNOs will be able to meet the increasingly sophisticated demands of consumers who want easy access to premium content on their mobile devices," said Amir Lehr, senior director, business development, SanDisk. "The new LG KC910 Renoir mobile phone highlights SanDisk's storage-based service delivery technology that is designed to enhance an MNO's ability to facilitate content usage in a flexible manner and lets service providers customize their method of content distribution."
Smart Card Web Server implementation LG Electronics' quick adoption of new technologies like the OMA SmartCard Web Server (SCWS) standard, allows the subscriber's SIM card to be used as an authorization server. Frédéric Christophe, director standard and engineering at LG Electronics European R&D center said, "True to our commitment to provide the most advanced mobile handset designs and user experience, LG Electronics is proud to pioneer in the area of Smart Card Web Server implementations and to offer this breakthrough storage-based service from SanDisk to the end-users, based on the MNO secure element (the SIM card) and the mobile handset interface and capabilities at their best."
