National Semiconductor Corp has set up a new division; the iPower Strategic Business Unit, based in Santa Clara, and one part of its remit is to produce a Smart Card-cum-dongle which it hopes will revolutionise software distribution. One application sees users carrying a personalised card holding information on the program they are licensed to use, together with their preference files. Walt Curtis, vice-president of the new unit envisages personal computers equipped with CD-ROM drives and a library of encrypted applications – plug in your Smart Card and you will get access to just those applications that you have paid for. NatSemi has developed a new, secure chip to control access to the information – and Curtis had one in his wallet as he tried to raise interest from the collected hardware, software and operating system suppliers, all of which would have to give such a scheme its blessing for it to get off the ground. Look out in the future for some form of open dongle foundation to try and garner support for the NatSemi brainchild.
