ISO/IEC 11693:2005 is one of a series of standards describing the parameters for optical memory cards and the use of such cards for the storage and interchange of digital data. It recognizes the existence of different methods for recording and reading information on optical memory cards, the characteristics of which are specific to the recording method employed. In general, these different recording methods will not be compatible with each other. The optical memory card standards are structured to accommodate the inclusion of existing and future recording methods in a consistent manner and ISO/IEC 11693:2005 is generic to all. ISO/IEC 11693:2005 defines the general characteristics of optical memory cards including card materials, construction, characteristics, dimensions, and test environments which have been determined to be common to all types of optical memory cards regardless of recording method employed. The intent of ISO/IEC 11693:2005 is to provide necessary information for card manufacturers, card issuers and card users interested in interchanging digital information encoded on optical memory cards. ISO/IEC 11693:2005 can serve as a guide to companies who plan to develop equipment and systems using optical memory cards. The data content and use of the cards depend upon the applications developed by each industry group.