Advanced secure-chip testing and consultancy provider, FIME has extended its ISO quality assurance accreditation, making it the first laboratory in the world to be ISO17025 approved to deliver GlobalPlatform and NFC Forum testing on EMV readers and mobile components.

The ISO17025 accreditation, which applies directly to organisations that produce testing and calibration results, recognises outstanding quality assurance and the ability to consistently deliver valid results. The accreditation is also a mandatory requirement for many industry bodies and payment brands to ensure high standards are continually achieved and that approved products have effectively been evaluated.

FIME received its first ISO17025 accreditation for EMV readers in 2003 and has continued to achieve various accreditations for its high standards and quality testing services. The recent extension to ISO17025 includes mobile services, with specific reference to GlobalPlatform and NFC Forum testing.

“Our industry is constantly evolving, and with the introduction of mobile services this has become even more dynamic,” comments Pascal Le Ray, General Manager of FIME. “As technology advances it is important for FIME to maintain and advance our high standards within these progressive ecosystems. A prerequisite for a laboratory to become accredited is to have an extensive quality management system to demonstrate competence and technical ability. This is a lengthy and complex process so we are delighted to have achieved this ISO accreditation for both our GlobalPlatform and NFC Forum services.”

The ISO17025 extension, which was confirmed by certification body COFRAC, includes level 1 EMV testing on mobile handsets, NFC Forum digital tests on NFC mobile devices, level 2 testing on embedded mobile secure element for MasterCard, GlobalPlatform testing for UICC configuration and level 2 testing on Visa contactless readers.

Le Ray adds: “FIME has developed long-standing trusted partnerships with customers, industry bodies and payment brands as a result of constantly producing credible test results and providing expert consultancy services. The ISO17025 accreditation is an official endorsement that recognises the quality of our offering as well as providing customers worldwide with the reassurance that their products will meet the highest standards.”

FIME is currently accredited by, and can deliver certification services for American Express, Calypso Networks Association, Discover, eftpos, EMVCo, EMV Migration Forum, First Data, Global Certification Forum (GCF), GlobalPlatform, GSMA, Interac, Isis, JCB, MasterCard, Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS), NFC Forum, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), National Standard for Chip Card Specification (NSICC), OSCar Consortium and Visa.