Christian Schneider wrote: > Do we really need pcsc-lite on windows? The windows implementation of > pcsc is quite good. >
Although not myself a programmer (certainly way below the league of contributors to this list), I am currently assessing (with two of the people (David Everett and Ian Parsons) to whom I have copied this email, and as part of UK govt funded projects) the available components and software systems for building the infrastructure for citizen service cards and perhaps also to service central govt issued functions (ID cards, driving licences, travel documents, etc). The public sector target, here in the UK at least, is to have interoperability and interchangeability between a fairly large set of card reader types and a large set of card types. We also know from recent releases by ICAO that they are trying to arrange the same for multiple reader and card types using Proximity (ISO/IEC 14443) contactless cards - for travel documents (visas, passports), and they are finding some difficulties. Specifically on PC/SC, we know that it is being used successfully in numerous vertical market schemes, but also that the scheme owners have to be careful under Windows PC/SC to evaluate PC/SC drivers against the particular card reader types and versions being used to handle their cards - a big task, causing some owners of useful software to pull back from releasing it on the open market. We also know that PC/SC V1.0 is a difficult set of documents, not significantly revised for some years, despite attempts in 2000 to take a major step forward. BUT there is significant news: PC/SC V2 has been written, and released to the consortium members for review - their web site doesn't do justice to the step forward that they have taken, as email correspondence this week with some of their members is illustrating. Fully appreciating the enormous work done by the Muscle community, I therefore question how far your expert resources should be directed towards further development using PC/SC V1. There is another and very important factor: the USA NIST GSC-IS. This goes further than before: it treats the reader and card together as a sub-system, and thus defines a way for the terminal equipment to find out from a co-operating card what its characteristics are. It implements a new API, of course. It is also being promoted to ISO/IEC JTC1 SC17 WG4 (the 7816 group) for standardisation at international level. Our study of infrastructure is looking internationally. For that reason I am attending CTST in Washington DC next week, plus meetings with Japanese, USA and European contacts following on from the very useful international discussions that have taken place over the last 4 years under the e-Europe Smart Cards banner (see OSCIE papers at www.eeurope-smartcards.org - but that site is currently down for rebuild - back very soon, I hope). If any of the members of this list would like to contact me at CTST, please use my UK mobile number +44 7968 947021. We are also looking for written submissions on any technical matters relevant to the study that we are carrying out, particularly on the subject of the use of the 14443 contactless interface - please send them to [EMAIL PROTECTED] for handling by David Everett. To the Muscle community: please keep up the good work. There are still people in the public sector who have to be convinced that open source is viable for their implementations, but some of us are working to get Muscle into the UK recommended list of platforms for public sector schemes. Peter Peter Tomlinson MA(Oxon), Iosis Associates 34 Strathmore Road, Horfield, Bristol BS7 9QJ, UK Phone & Fax +44 (0)117 951 4755, Mobile +44 (0)7968 947021 Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] and [EMAIL PROTECTED] and [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web www.iosis.org and www.euri.org _______________________________________________ Muscle mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/muscle
