With the smart Visa and Java Card TM technology, it may soon be possible to customize your purchasing experience so that the system always knows your preferred language. Whether you purchase goods in Tokyo or use an ATM in New York, the message you see would always be in Spanish, or French, or the language you choose. As card service levels are enhanced, upgrades will be transparent to card holders. Or you might carry a network protocol on a card, with the card behaving much like an Internet browser. With Java Card technology, the possibilities are endless, and limited only by your imagination.
Merchants can use the cards to track retailing program points and product discounts.
Java Card Technology for Smart Cards Java Card technology provides the means to develop a platform on which to enhance present services and base future services. Sun Microsystem's Java Card technology enables multiple applications written using the Java programming language to be loaded and executed on a single smart card. For example, if a user shops at a particular store, an application enabling the user to accumulate loyalty points toward a gift, could be loaded onto the card. Or the card could keep track of frequent flier miles on a specific airline that the card owner preferred. This ability to load services customized for the user, in addition to base offerings, sets the Java Card platform apart from the competition.