SIM Application Toolkit (STK) is a standard of the
GSM system which enables the
subscriber identity module
A typical SIM card (mini-SIM with micro-SIM cutout)
A file:Simkarte NFC SecureElement.jpg">thumb"> thumb">A TracFone Wireless SIM card has no distinctive carrier markings and is only marked as a "SIM card"
A SIM card (full form Subscriber Ide ...
(SIM card) to initiate actions which can be used for various
value-added
In business, total value added is calculated by tabulating the unit value added (measured by summing unit profit Price.html" ;"title="he difference between Price">sale price and production cost], unit depreciation cost, and unit Direct labor cos ...
services.
Similar standards exist for other network and card systems, with the USIM Application Toolkit (USAT) for
Universal Subscriber Identity Module, USIMs used by newer-generation networks being an example. A more general name for this class of
Java Card-based applications running on
UICC cards is the Card Application Toolkit (CAT).
The SIM Application Toolkit consists of a set of commands programmed into the SIM which define how the SIM should interact directly with the outside world and initiates commands independently of the handset and the network.
This enables the SIM to build up an interactive exchange between a network application and the end user and access, or control access to, the network.
The SIM also gives commands to the handset such as displaying menus and/or asking for user input.
STK has been deployed by many mobile operators around the world for many applications, often where a menu-based approach is required, such as
Mobile Banking
Mobile banking is a service provided by a bank or other financial institution that allows its customers to conduct financial transactions remotely using a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. Unlike the related internet banking it uses ...
and content browsing.
Designed as a single application environment, the STK can be started during the initial power up of the SIM card
and is especially suited to low level applications with simple user interfaces.
In
GSM networks, the SIM Application Toolkit is defined by the GSM 11.14 standard released in 2001.
From release 4 onwards, GSM 11.14 was replaced by 3GPP TS 31.111 which also includes the specifications of the USIM Application Toolkit for 3/4G networks.
[
]
Advantages
* Some manufacturers claim that STK enables higher levels of security through identity verification and encryption
In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plaintext, into an alternative form known as ciphertext. Ideally, only authorized parties can dec ...
, which are necessary for secure electronic commerce.[SIM Toolkit]
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* STK has been deployed on the largest number of mobile devices.
Limitations
Updating Android
Android may refer to:
Science and technology
* Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human
* Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system
** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
software is done over GSM where the SIM Toolkit may install automatically with new software regardless of automatic install applications.
Change in applications and menus stored on the SIM is difficult after the customer takes delivery of the SIM and sometimes may be recognized as surveillance software.
To deliver updates, either the SIM must be returned and exchanged for a new one (which can be costly and inconvenient) or the application updates must be delivered over-the-air (OTA) using specialized, optional SIM features. , mobile network operator
A mobile network operator (MNO), also known as a wireless service provider, wireless carrier, cellular company, or mobile network carrier, is a provider of wireless communications services that owns or controls all the elements necessary to sel ...
s can, for example, deliver updated STK application menus by sending a secure SMS
Short Message/Messaging Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text ...
to handsets that include a Toolbox (S@T) compliant wireless internet browser (WIB). When using a SIM card compliant to the BIP (Bearer Independent protocol ) in a BIP-compliant handset, the updates can be delivered very quickly as well (depending upon the network connectivity available to and supported by the handset, i.e. GPRS
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet oriented mobile data standard on the 2G and 3G cellular communication network's global system for mobile communications (GSM). GPRS was established by European Telecommunications Standards Inst ...
/ 3G speed). It might also be possible to change the menu of STK applications based on the Wireless Internet Gateway (WIG) specification. The update limitations hinder the number and frequency of STK application deployments.
STK has essentially no support for multimedia, only basic pictures.
The STK technology has limited independent development support available.
If a mobile phone does not support SIM Application Toolkit, users may not be able to use the service or network correctly. Issues with several mobile network operators have been noticed on smartphones that don't support STK, like Nokia N900
The Nokia N900 is a smartphone made by Nokia. It supersedes the Nokia N810. Its default operating system, Maemo 5, is a Linux-based OS originally developed for the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet. It is the first Nokia device based upon the Texas In ...
.
In newer networks
USIM Application Toolkit (USAT) is the equivalent of STK for 3G networks. USAT takes advantage of the multiapplication environment of 3G devices by not activating until a specific application has been selected, unlike STK which is activated at startup. Some functions are card related rather than application related.[
]
See also
* Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD)
* M-Pesa
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sim Application Toolkit
Mobile telecommunications standards
3GPP standards