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The MultiMediaCard Association is forming a group to spearhead the adoption of the next generation Secure MultiMediaCard (SecureMMC) specification, making the memory expansion card more attractive in environments where content security and privacy are essential.

Version 2.0 of the new specification defines an extension to the existing MultiMediaCard standard protocols to create a communication interface for the incorporation of smart card technology, which has its roots in banking cards and GSM applications, into MultiMediaCards,

The first proposed applications to be implemented on SecureMMC 2.0 are DRM (Digital Rights Management) applications that comply with the OMA DRM 2.0 standard recently published by the Open Mobile Alliance, and user identification/authentication for e-transactions. The specification will be available at no cost to MMCA members this summer.

In relate news, according to the SD Card Association (SDA), the related and traditonally more secure Secure Digital (SD) card can now be used in 2,105 models of SD and miniSD-enabled host products from 180 brands in 31 categories, including PDAs and smartphones. Many of these device also accept MultiMediaCards.

miniSD cards are less than half the size of standard SD cards, which are themselves about the size of a postage stamp. Last year, SD memory cards surpassed the CompactFlash standard to become the most widely used and deployed expansion card format.

Ray Creech, SDA President, said nearly 50 SD and miniSD-enabled mobile phones and smartphones are currently available around the world. These memory cards are available in capacities up to 1GB. In addition, both standard and miniSD incorporates copyright protection.