While observers have hailed the concept as a way for Apple to open up the market for phone service to increased competition, a larger aspect of the reported Gemalto-Apple partnership is likely to involve NFC (near field communications), a technology that enables users to authenticate themselves with electronic terminals in order to make retail purchases, obtain tickets, and perform other transactions using RFID (radio frequency identification).
Gemalto already operates as a Trusted Server Manager to facilitate secure, contactless purchases using NFC technology. Additionally, Apple has already filed patents and hired a product manager, and has reportedly started testing prototypes of iPhones using NFC features.