Smart launches 64K Super SIM

GSM cellphones come with SIM Toolkits (STKs) that offer menu-driven services and increased memory. Smart Communications Inc. has upped the ante in technological innovation by offering the most powerful STK in the market today – the 64K Super SIM, that has redefined the meaning of personalization and convenience.

The 64K Super SIM combines the power of the Smart zed and Smart STKs, all in one SIM (Subscriber Identity Module). It comes with new revolutionary features and a wide array of services aside from those offered by earlier Smart zed and Smart Money STK versions.

This new generation of SIM cards are fully loaded with services that will allow subscribers to conveniently do mobile commerce through Smart Money and Mobile Banking, personalize and modify zed services through the microbrowser capacity, send secure text messages to intended recipients through the Private Text Messaging, and access all Smart premium services presented as menus using only one SIM.

"This is a breakthrough innovation in wireless technology here in the country. We worked hard to develop this killer SIM browser technology which, in turn, puts us in a better position to offer more premium services to our subscribers," said Napoleon Nazareno, Smart president and CEO.

The Smart 64K Super SIM also allows users to select or "activate" the services and "deselect" or "deactivate" the zed services they want over-the-air. As a result, only the zed services that they actually want to use will show up on the phone display.

Moreover, the Super SIM comes with an expanded allocation of 250 entries in the phonebook memory and an SMS Inbox capacity of up to 60 messages.

The rapid development of SIM card technology has added an important new dimension to wireless data services.

Before, cellphone features were phone-based and thus, were entirely dependent on the particular brand and model. So, some mobile phone models offered more ring tone choices, others could load logos on the air, etc.

As SIM card memories and applications expanded, so did the possibilities for introducing services and features that resided not in the phone but in the SIM and the GSM network itself. As a result, mobile phone operators have been able to develop services and features that they alone could offer, thus effectively differentiating themselves from their competitors.

In the case of Smart, it started offering SIMs that made it possible to offer such unique services as Smart zed, its portal for wireless services, and Smart Money, its electronic payment service. These services require specially programmed SIMs in order to function.

Now, with the Smart 64K Super SIM, the power of Smart zed and Smart Money are all bundled together in one platform.

SIM technology can be likened to the trend in personal computing where the more electronic brainpower in chips is being utilized to make the technology user-friendlier.

Early SIM cards with 4K to 8K memory came with basic text messaging functions. Then came 16K SIMs that enabled wireless services to be accessed through sending keywords. Menu-driven 32K and 64K SIMs that are currently in the market make it possible for subscribers to access SMS-based services without having to use keywords.

"The platform being used in our Smart 64K Super SIM cards is the same one being marketed abroad for international operators and has received considerable attention," added Nazareno.

Holders of Smart 64K zed plus SIM cards with Browser 2.02 have actually Super-SIM-ready SIM cards. Over-the-air downloading of Smart Money and Mobile Banking menus can be done so there is no need to change SIM cards.

For those with lower version Smart SIM cards, Smart Buddy subscribers can upgrade it for P399 while for Smart Gold subscribers who have completed their contract term can upgrade for free and still retain their existing Smart GSM numbers.

All non-Smart GSM subscribers may swap their SIMs to the Super SIM for free and if they prefer, phonebook entries in their existing non-Smart SIMs can be transferred to their new 64K Super SIM.