Proton World and CEPS: the best of both worlds

The international smart card market is discussed from the case study perspective of the smart card application Proton World. Outlines the foundation, alliance of shareholders and development of Proton World and summarises the initial success with five national roll‐out Proton‐based smart card schemes with technology that has the ability to deliver end‐to‐end security and full auditability. Several of the schemes use multi‐application cards and are able to operate in both the euros or the national currency. Identifies the requirement for fast transaction speeds as the critical factor in ensuring a high level of user satisfaction. Argues that thus far no single “killer” application has emerged and that slow deployment of payment terminals has limited e‐purse use preventing development as rapidly as anticipated. Recommendations for future development are outlined and the implementation of CEPS, as the common international standard for e‐purses is identified as the choice for Proton World.