An information communication system comprising: an information storage medium provided with a contactless proximity data communication function and capable of storing one or more of application services; and a card read/write device configured to access the information storage medium by contactless proximity data communication; wherein: the information storage medium is configured to store service directory data describing attribute information for each of the stored application services, and, the card read/write device being configured to respond to detection of the information storage medium coming close thereto by reading the service directory data from the detected information storage medium, to acquire the attribute information regarding a desired one of the application services, to confirm the application service is stored on the information storage medium and to start up a service program corresponding to the application service to perform access to the application service, wherein the data communication function is configured to apply a given physical layer regarding communication, and the card read/write device being configured to automatically detect the physical layer of communication applied in the data communication function of the detected information storage medium, from among a plurality of potential physical communication layers and to perform acquisition of the service directory data and access to the application service stored on the information storage medium in accordance with a protocol associated with the detected physical layer. an information storage medium provided with a contactless proximity data communication function and capable of storing one or more of application services; and a card read/write device configured to access the information storage medium by contactless proximity data communication; wherein: the information storage medium is configured to store service directory data describing attribute information for each of the stored application services, and, the card read/write device being configured to respond to detection of the information storage medium coming close thereto by reading the service directory data from the detected information storage medium, to acquire the attribute information regarding a desired one of the application services, to confirm the application service is stored on the information storage medium and to start up a service program corresponding to the application service to perform access to the application service, wherein the data communication function is configured to apply a given physical layer regarding communication, and the card read/write device being configured to automatically detect the physical layer of communication applied in the data communication function of the detected information storage medium, from among a plurality of potential physical communication layers and to perform acquisition of the service directory data and access to the application service stored on the information storage medium in accordance with a protocol associated with the detected physical layer. the information storage medium is configured to store service directory data describing attribute information for each of the stored application services, and, the card read/write device being configured to respond to detection of the information storage medium coming close thereto by reading the service directory data from the detected information storage medium, to acquire the attribute information regarding a desired one of the application services, to confirm the application service is stored on the information storage medium and to start up a service program corresponding to the application service to perform access to the application service, wherein the data communication function is configured to apply a given physical layer regarding communication, and the card read/write device being configured to automatically detect the physical layer of communication applied in the data communication function of the detected information storage medium, from among a plurality of potential physical communication layers and to perform acquisition of the service directory data and access to the application service stored on the information storage medium in accordance with a protocol associated with the detected physical layer.