Sharing of Sample Test Suit with applicants for Smart card/Microelectronic Module Certification

 

(Issue 2 Dated 1st August 2006)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Object & field application:

 

 Keeping the interest of DL-RC / MNIC project and at large and also to reduce the development/testing/certification time of smart card/ Microelectronic Module product, decision has been taken by certification body to make the sample test suit available to eligible applicants. This document details the policy adopted by the certificate body for interim arrangements to be applied for accessibility and application of sample test suite for the purpose of better confidence level among applicant before certification.

 

This policy shall apply to all eligible applicants who intend to get their Product certified for DL-RC application/ MNIC application and commit to accept the rules and procedures and other system documentation and regulations of certification body.

 

This policy shall remain current until otherwise amended, replaced or withdrawn by the certification body.

 

Background

 

SCOSTA was primarily evolved keeping in view the requirements of interoperable driving license and vehicle information card/ Microelectronic Module for MNIC application. After this many smartcard/ Microelectronic Module manufacturers, OS developers who were also part of the evolution process have incorporated SCOSTA specification on their product. In order to ensure the correct implementation of these specifications. Ministry of road transport & highways/ Registrar general of India (RGI) authorized National Informatics Center (NIC) to work as a certification body to test and certify the compliance of smartcard / Microelectronic Module products with the evolved standards, brought into market by different organizations. Comprehensive test procedures backed up by appropriate test suits have been developed by NIC for accomplishing this task. On the request from SCAFI and also from different smart card/ Microelectronic Module manufacturers it was found appropriate by certification body to provide limited access to test suits used for compliance testing to eligible applicants who approach certification body for certification of their smart card/ Microelectronic Module product. Hence a tailored down version of actual test suits is prepared for sharing with applicants (sample test suit), to test their own product before submitting the cards/Module to certification body. This will not only remove the difference of opinion with regards to interpretation of specification to some extent, but also will accelerate the process of SCOSTA compliant product development by various manufacturers.

 

Policy

 

As a interim measure, and until further notice the certification body recognizes that accessibility to the sample test suite should be limited to only the applicants. Because of its intellectual property in nature, Accessibility should be only applicable to the applicants for their in-house test purpose for the product. They intend to submit for certification. It should not be used for disclosing to any third party and for further research . Any disputes arising out of interpretation, execution (different test results) will be the prerogative of the certification body. However, certification body welcomes all the proactive feedback for improvement in the sample test suite which will be taken care at the next version of the sample test suits as per the document control and configuration management control procedure. Sample test suits can not become a basis for the claim by applicant about compliance of the product. Sample test suits are only a subset of actual test suits/scripts and are shared with applicants with the basic intention of increasing the confidence level before their product is tested by certification body. Sample test suits will be made available to eligible applicants free of charge. At the same time certification body does not take responsibility to provide active technical support on running and executing these sample test suits. Also certification body does not provide any guarantee against technical ambiguities found in sample test suits with respect to correct implementations of specification.

 

Implementation

 

Latest copy of the sample suit will be made available to applicant. After initial formalities are fulfilled (this includes submission of application, depositing the required fee, signing of certification agreement, submission of all enclosure except cards and readers). Applicants will be required to sign a statement of confidentiality, as sample test suits are the intellectual property of certification body. After thoroughly testing their smart card products with the help of these sample test suits, applicants will submit required number of cards and any other enclosure which were left earlier, to start the testing and certification process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statement of confidentiality (To be signed by applicant for sharing of sample test suit)

 

 This agreement applies to eligible applicant who access to sample test suit provided by certification body in the course of certification process.

 

 

_______________   on and behalf of ( company name ) ___________. agree to treat as "commercial – In – Confidence" all documentation and information, that is not openly available to the public, which is provided by the certification body in the course of the certification process.

 

I_____________ on and behalf of (Company name ) _______________________agree not to :

 

a) Divulge to any third party the nature and content of sample test suit that has been provided by certification body.

 

b) allow any third party to see correspondence papers relating to certification body in the context of sharing of test suit, that have been provided as a result of the certification process.

 

c)    Exploit for my own benefit, or improper use or permit to be used for the benefit to others , any information obtained or knowledge gained at any occasion with certification body ( during informal discussion, meeting, technical sessions ect.)

 

d)   Use sample test suit as a claim for successful compliant certification.

 

 

Signature : -------------------                                       Name : ----------------------------

 

Date : ---------------------------                                    Company Name : ----------------

 

Place : ---------------------------