European groups plan m-commerce standards

SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS, France -- The European Committee for Banking Standards (ECBS) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) have signed a co-operation agreement to increase the effectiveness of their efforts towards the development of standards for the security of telecommunications and m-commerce.

The two organizations said they expect mobile commerce to be one of the key drivers for the development of the global information society within the next few years, with applications emerging in numerous areas including banking, financial services, security services and shopping. Confidence is the key to the success of any e-commerce initiative, and new security measures must be adopted to cover issues such as authentication, privacy, integrity, confidentiality and non-repudiation. Standardization in these areas is crucial for the development of e-commerce, and they are high priority subjects for ETSI, it was announced.

"ETSI is very active in the field of both mobile commerce and the development of the necessary security measures to enable it, and our Technical Committees and Projects are thus making significant contributions to the growth of the Information Society," said Karl Heinz Rosenbrock, Director General of ETSI. 

Working with banks

"But we recognize that our work cannot be carried out in isolation, and that it is essential that we collaborate closely with the banking organizations. This co-operation agreement will help us to work together effectively to further the development of e-commerce."

The ECBS will collaborate closely with ETSI at the technical working level, especially with ETSI Project Mobile Commerce (EP M-Comm) and ETSI Technical Committee Security (TC SEC).

“In the new scenario brought by the euro, we have all been wondering about which should be the way forward to enhance the European payments’ zone, aiming to meet the satisfaction of the customer," said Agustin Marquez Dorsch, President of ECBS. "In this endeavour, efficiency is the only driver that can guide or work. Therefore, mobile payment is one platform where co-operation is needed."

EP M-Comm serves as a focal point for ETSI's m-commerce activities. Its task is to analyze the business needs of users and content providers, and of banks and other payment organizations for the security of mobile systems, and to monitor the activities of the various organizations active in this field. The information gathered is then fed into appropriate organizations and activities to ensure that emerging technologies have appropriate capabilities to support mobile commerce. EP M-Comm represents diverse interests and brings the telecommunications industry into a working relationship with banking and other financial bodies, mainly through representative bodies such as the ECBS.

Security standardization

TC SEC is the focal point for security standardization within ETSI. It is responsible for the ETSI Security Standards Policy, which helps maintain a consistent approach to the inclusion of security features in ETSI technical work. It is currently heavily involved in the standardization of electronic signatures which are crucial to the success of e-commerce.

ECBS Working Group (TC6/WG4) on mobile payments was created to continue and intensify the work based on the preparatory activity on mobile commerce made in 2001. The goal of this group is to develop a set of business and functional requirements for mobile payments. 

ECBS Technical Committee 4 on security is set up to establish the minimum requirements to be contained in European banking standards for information security. These requirements will be based on available international standards.

This co-operation agreement between ETSI and the ECBS will help avoid the duplication of technical work, thus reducing development costs, avoiding market fragmentation and minimizing time to market.

"ECBS is also focussing on future developments in payment systems and is participating in various initiatives working on issues like electronic signature and mobile payments," said Léon Peeters, Secretary General of ECBS. " ECBS wants to fruitfully work together with ETSI on these matters."

Independent organization

ETSI is a non-profit, independent organization whose stated mission " is to produce the telecommunications standards that will be used for decades to come throughout Europe and beyond." Based in Sophia Antipolis, near Cannes, France, ETSI has 874 members from 54 countries inside and outside Europe, and represents manufacturers, network operators, administrations, service providers, research bodies and users. The Institute's work programme is determined by its members, who are also responsible for approving its deliverables. 

ETSI plays a major role in developing a wide range of standards and other technical documentation as Europe's contribution to world-wide standardization in telecommunications, broadcasting and information technology. ETSI's prime objective is to support global harmonization by providing a forum in which all the key players can contribute actively. ETSI is officially recognized by the European Commission and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). 

Credit sector associations

ECBS (The European Committee for Banking Standards) was formed in December 1992 by Europe’s three credit sector associations, the Banking Federation of the European Union, the European Association of Co-operative Banks and the European Savings Banks Group (collectively known as the European Credit Sector Associations (ECSAs). 

The ECSAs represent the interests of the European banks from the countries of the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Poland and Hungary have observer status. Other observers include the European Central Bank, the major payment schemes (Europay International and Visa International), SWIFT and the Euro Banking Association (EBA). Mondex International participates in the work related to plastic cards and other devices. 

ECBS’ primary aim is to enhance the European technical banking infrastructure by developing standards when a clear business and commercial interest has been identified. ECBS also produces technical reports and standard implementation guidelines that further assist the European banking sector’s application of relevant standards. It is the body for creating awareness of the European banking sector’s opinion on relevant matters to the various standards and industry bodies.