Flash memory pioneer M-Systems — famous for its DiskOnChip and DiskOnKey solid state disk replacements — has revealed plans to produce mobile phone SIM cards with a significant amount of built-in flash memory storage. The cards, dubbed MegaSIM, will be available in the second half of 2005, with flash storage capacities initially ranging from 16 to 256 MB.

Advanced security features included in the MegaSIM cards, will “enable a variety of compelling mobile applications,” M-Systems says. The built-in Flash storage and security features will enable MMS, MP3, and video clips downloading, full PIM functionality, and high resolution picture storage, according to M-Systems.

M-Systems says its MegaSIM cards will be used in the same manner as standard SIM cards. They will be usable by all 2G and 3G GSM service providers for user identification and authentication, and to store phone settings and numbers. But in addition, they will include the equivalent of a Flash memory add-on card within the SIM card.

“Industry analysts expect that over 800 million SIM cards will be sold in 2004,” notes M-Systems CEO Dov Moran. “We see this market as a future growth engine, leveraging the company's security and flash memory management expertise to bring real value and new revenue opportunities to the mobile network operator community.”

Analyst Jon Collins of Quocirca, added, “This is about more than increasing storage capacities onto mobile phones. Many service providers face a dilemma, as the key demographic group willing to pay for services is not equally prepared to pay for handsets. Mobile operators are looking increasingly to handset designs that support the delivery of new services in the most cost effective fashion. The inclusion of additional memory on the SIM enables the development of handsets to be simplified, as well as presenting more options for how services are rolled out and used. For the enterprise market, it also ensures that information can be stored on the handset more safely, and centralized management and control can be implemented across a wider range of handsets.”

Relateds stories:

• New storage technology heralds upgradable smartphones
• New standard targets $1.7 billion USB flash market
• New double-density Flash chips support Linux

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.