ASIA Singapore : The subscriber identity module (SIM) card market in the Asia Pacific region continues to benefit from evolving smart card telecommunication applications. Over the years, these applications have grown from simple memory payphone cards to more advanced microprocessor (MCU)-based SIM cards and this has contributed to the continued growth of the SIM market.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, SIM Card Market in Selected APAC Countries, reveals that the market is expected to grow from 660 million units in 2005 to more than 1 billion in 2010.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an overview of the latest analysis of SIM card market in selected APAC countries, then send an e-mail to Donna Jeremiah, Corporate Communications, at djeremiah@frost.com with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you.

"The SIM market contributes the most to the total smart cards volume and value in Asia Pacific," says Frost & Sullivan Industry Manager Jafizwaty Ishahak. "The development of new applications and content will continue to drive the growth of SIM/USIM cards and the role of SIM is expected to evolve with the development of technologies such as near field communication (NFC) and 3G."

One of the major trends in the Asia Pacific SIM card market is the growing move toward adoption of high-end cards that promise greater memory density and better security. This is already being seen in countries such as Malaysia and South Korea, which are moving toward the adoption of SIM/USIM cards above 128 K.

Currently, 16K-64k cards account for the bulk of the Asia Pacific SIM market, but with the increasing popularity of high-end cards, 16K cards could get completely phased out in the next one to four years. 64K cards are likely to become more or less the size of SIM in some of the major Asia Pacific countries. Cards with 128 K memory are likely to experience the strongest growth over the next three to four years.

Although high-capacity SIMs are considered secure and in theory, cost effective, the lack of sufficient content and applications could make them an expensive proposition and deter mobile operators from upgrading to them.

"Positive growth in the mobile data market and the convergence of non-SIM smart card applications on SIM are likely to positively impact high-end SIM cards," remarks Jafiz. "64K SIM cards and above are likely to receive a boost as awareness increases and advanced applications are incorporated in them."

However, the market is currently witnessing fierce price competition, leading to falling SIM prices, particularly for low-end cards. This has resulted in significant revenue loss for many market participants and could eat into companies' reserve funds for further R&D and innovation, as well as affect the quality and security of the cards. This is likely to pose a major challenge to SIM card manufacturers.

SIM Card Market in Selected APAC Countries, part of the 9206- Smart cards Subscription, provides in-depth country-based findings on SIM development. This includes price, memory size of cards, total market size and forecasts, and strategic priorities of mobile operators when selecting a SIM vendor.