The first UK trial of an embedded microprocessor Smart Card is to be conducted by Midland Bank at Loughborough University, where students will use cards charged with cash for small purchases, and as a debit card for larger ones – but the card in the trial will not be to the international standard developed by the French: rather it will be the one from GEC Card Technology which differs radically from others in that it is powered inductively from the read-write unit so that there are no mechanical contacts, and data is also transferred via RF electromagnetic wave (CI No 548).
