Soup Nazi Gets 20 Years in Prison for TJX Hack

TJX Hacker Gets 20 Years in Prison

• By Kim Zetter 


• March 25, 2010  |  


• 2:02 pm  |  


• Categories: Breaches, Crime, Hacks and Cracks

Wired: BOSTON — Convicted TJX hacker Albert Gonzalez was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday for leading a gang of cyberthieves who stole more than 90 million credit and debit card numbers from TJX and other retailers.

The sentence for the largest computer-crime case ever prosecuted is the lengthiest ever imposed in the United States for hacking or identity-theft. Gonzalez was also fined $25,000. Restitution, which will likely be in the tens of millions, was not decided Thursday.

Clean-cut, wearing a beige jail uniform and wireframe glasses, the 28-year-old Gonzalez sat motionless at his chair during Thursday’s proceedings, his hands folded in front of him.

Before the sentence was pronounced, Gonzalez told the court he deeply regrets his crimes, and is remorseful for having taken advantage of the personal relationships he’d forged. “Particularly one I had with a certain government agency … that gave me a second chance in life,” said the hacker, who had worked as a paid informant for the Secret Service. “I blame nobody but myself.”

Read More http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/tjx-sentencing/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29#ixzz0jIaSDvw5

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• TJX Hacker Gets 20 Years in Prison (wired.com)


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• Secret Service Paid TJX Hacker $75,000 a Year (wired.com)


• Federal prosecutors try to put hacker behind bars for 25 years (downloadsquad.com)


• Unprecedented 25 Year Sentence Sought for TJX Hacker (wired.com)


• Hacker's record credit card theft fetches 20-year sentence (go.theregister.com)


• Friend: Government was paying hacker (cnn.com)


• Computer hacker gets 20 years in massive card theft (seattletimes.nwsource.com)


• TJX hacking mastermind gets 20 years in jail (v3.co.uk)


• 20 Years For Gonzalez In TJX Hacker Case (yro.slashdot.org)

Soup Nazi Gets 20 Years in Prison for TJX Hack

TJX Hacker Gets 20 Years in Prison

• By Kim Zetter 


• March 25, 2010  |  


• 2:02 pm  |  


• Categories: Breaches, Crime, Hacks and Cracks

Wired: BOSTON — Convicted TJX hacker Albert Gonzalez was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday for leading a gang of cyberthieves who stole more than 90 million credit and debit card numbers from TJX and other retailers.

The sentence for the largest computer-crime case ever prosecuted is the lengthiest ever imposed in the United States for hacking or identity-theft. Gonzalez was also fined $25,000. Restitution, which will likely be in the tens of millions, was not decided Thursday.

Clean-cut, wearing a beige jail uniform and wireframe glasses, the 28-year-old Gonzalez sat motionless at his chair during Thursday’s proceedings, his hands folded in front of him.

Before the sentence was pronounced, Gonzalez told the court he deeply regrets his crimes, and is remorseful for having taken advantage of the personal relationships he’d forged. “Particularly one I had with a certain government agency … that gave me a second chance in life,” said the hacker, who had worked as a paid informant for the Secret Service. “I blame nobody but myself.”

Read More http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/tjx-sentencing/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29#ixzz0jIaSDvw5

Related articles by Zemanta

• TJX Hacker Gets 20 Years in Prison (wired.com)


• TJX hacker gets 20 years for payment card theft (financialpost.com)


• Secret Service Paid TJX Hacker $75,000 a Year (wired.com)


• Federal prosecutors try to put hacker behind bars for 25 years (downloadsquad.com)


• Unprecedented 25 Year Sentence Sought for TJX Hacker (wired.com)


• Hacker's record credit card theft fetches 20-year sentence (go.theregister.com)


• Friend: Government was paying hacker (cnn.com)


• Computer hacker gets 20 years in massive card theft (seattletimes.nwsource.com)


• TJX hacking mastermind gets 20 years in jail (v3.co.uk)


• 20 Years For Gonzalez In TJX Hacker Case (yro.slashdot.org)

Payments Industry News Headlines Through March 26th

Introducing M-Commerce to Direct Selling Organizations BigNews.biz (press release) The introduction of M-commerce is no exception. Remember, sales consultants typically don't bring their computers with them to their parties

Is Google greater than God?

Zee News China Mobile Ltd, the world's largest telecom service provider with 527 million subscribers, uses Google for mobile search and maps.

Credit card fraud stats should make you nervous

Anchorage Daily News  It was followed by identity theft; credit/debit card fraud; auction fraud; computer damage; miscellaneous frauds; advanced fee fraud (the old Nigerian

Verizon Wireless Plans eCommerce Mobile Payment Service

PR Newswire (press release)  Danal, Inc. is a privately held, majority-owned company of Danal Co., Ltd – the global pioneer and leader in direct mobile billing for eCommerce.

iPad will revolutionise mobile commerce, says expert

Velti News  The world of mobile commerce will be revolutionised by the impending launch of the iPad, an industry expert has claimed. Apple's mobile internet browsing

CHARGE Anywhere(R) and Verizon Wireless Announce Mobile Payment Processing ...

PR Newswire (press release)  CHARGE Anywhere® is the developer of proprietary Payment Card Industry PA-DSS certified CHARGE Anywhere® v2.0.0 Mobile Payment/POS software solution

Verizon Will Allow $25 in M-Commerce

NewsFactor Network  In a move to build mobile commerce, Verizon Wireless on Monday announced a deal with Danal's BilltoMobile payment service. Beginning later this spring

Comparing online buying risks

Minneapolis Star Tribune  Payment services and bill payment: Using services like PayPal, Google Checkout and BillMeLater offer additional security because sensitive information goes

PayPal forges an alliance with China's largest payment card network

Hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers will be able to buy goods online from foreign merchants and pay through PayPal as a result of the agreement with China UnionPay.

New fraud alerts available for Wells Fargo cardholders

The News Journal  ... control identity fraud, a broader crime category that includes misuse of payment cards, according to James Van Dyke, of Javelin Strategy & Research

Credit card companies play security catchup

Stuff.co.nz  But a 20 per cent increase in credit card fraud in recent years particularly involving online transactions has prompted the move

DEUTSCHE TELEKOM BUYS CLICKANDBUY

Deutsche Telekom has agreed a deal to buy Internet payment service provider ClickandBuy. Financial terms were not disclosed.  More on this story: http://www.finextra.com/news/fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=21223

MasterCard, PayPal reveal conflicting views of mobile financial services

Mobile-Financial.com  The panelists included representatives from MasterCard, PayPal, First Data, and ClairMail. The panel was a lively one with different perspectives shared

Security flaw found in new chip credit cards

3News   A British university has identified security flaws in new chip and Pin credit cards that banks in New Zealand are about to introduce. ...

Mobile Commerce Trends 2010: Opportunities to Create New Revenue

TechLINKS (press release) ... 40% mobile phone penetration, it is easy to see that the opportunities for mCommerce and mobile money services will be from Asia's emerging markets.

FEATURED ARTICLE:

Regulating Debit Cards: The Case of Ad Valorem Fees

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's Economic Review for 1Q2010 includes an article titled "Regulating Debit Cards: The Case of Ad Valorem Fees" by Zhu Wang. From the abstract:

Debit cards have become an indispensable part of the U.S. payments system, accounting for more than a third of consumer payments at point of sale. With this development has come controversy: Card networks charge merchants fees that merchants believe are too high. And most of the fees are ad valorem―that is, based on transaction value―rather than fixed fees per transaction.

Given that debit cards incur a fixed cost per transaction, why do networks charge ad valorem fees? How do ad valorem fees affect payment market participants, including consumers, merchants, and card networks? And should policymakers consider regulating debit cards by requiring fixed per-transaction fees?

Wang explores this controversy about debit card fee structures. His analysis shows that, when card networks and merchants both have market power, card networks earn a higher profit by charging ad valorem fees than fixed per-transaction fees. At the same time, merchant profits are reduced―yet both consumer surplus and social welfare are increased. As an alternative, policymakers might consider regulating the debit fee structure simply by requiring fixed per-transaction fees (but allowing card networks to freely set the fee levels). Wang suggests, however, that this alternative may increase merchant profits at the expense of card networks, consumers, and social welfare. Therefore, caution should be taken when policymakers consider intervening in the debit card market."  

Payments Industry News Headlines Through March 26th

Introducing M-Commerce to Direct Selling Organizations BigNews.biz (press release) The introduction of M-commerce is no exception. Remember, sales consultants typically don't bring their computers with them to their parties

Is Google greater than God?

Zee News China Mobile Ltd, the world's largest telecom service provider with 527 million subscribers, uses Google for mobile search and maps.

Credit card fraud stats should make you nervous

Anchorage Daily News  It was followed by identity theft; credit/debit card fraud; auction fraud; computer damage; miscellaneous frauds; advanced fee fraud (the old Nigerian

Verizon Wireless Plans eCommerce Mobile Payment Service

PR Newswire (press release)  Danal, Inc. is a privately held, majority-owned company of Danal Co., Ltd – the global pioneer and leader in direct mobile billing for eCommerce.

iPad will revolutionise mobile commerce, says expert

Velti News  The world of mobile commerce will be revolutionised by the impending launch of the iPad, an industry expert has claimed. Apple's mobile internet browsing

CHARGE Anywhere(R) and Verizon Wireless Announce Mobile Payment Processing ...

PR Newswire (press release)  CHARGE Anywhere® is the developer of proprietary Payment Card Industry PA-DSS certified CHARGE Anywhere® v2.0.0 Mobile Payment/POS software solution

Verizon Will Allow $25 in M-Commerce

NewsFactor Network  In a move to build mobile commerce, Verizon Wireless on Monday announced a deal with Danal's BilltoMobile payment service. Beginning later this spring

Comparing online buying risks

Minneapolis Star Tribune  Payment services and bill payment: Using services like PayPal, Google Checkout and BillMeLater offer additional security because sensitive information goes

PayPal forges an alliance with China's largest payment card network

Hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers will be able to buy goods online from foreign merchants and pay through PayPal as a result of the agreement with China UnionPay.

New fraud alerts available for Wells Fargo cardholders

The News Journal  ... control identity fraud, a broader crime category that includes misuse of payment cards, according to James Van Dyke, of Javelin Strategy & Research

Credit card companies play security catchup

Stuff.co.nz  But a 20 per cent increase in credit card fraud in recent years particularly involving online transactions has prompted the move

DEUTSCHE TELEKOM BUYS CLICKANDBUY

Deutsche Telekom has agreed a deal to buy Internet payment service provider ClickandBuy. Financial terms were not disclosed.  More on this story: http://www.finextra.com/news/fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=21223

MasterCard, PayPal reveal conflicting views of mobile financial services

Mobile-Financial.com  The panelists included representatives from MasterCard, PayPal, First Data, and ClairMail. The panel was a lively one with different perspectives shared

Security flaw found in new chip credit cards

3News   A British university has identified security flaws in new chip and Pin credit cards that banks in New Zealand are about to introduce. ...

Mobile Commerce Trends 2010: Opportunities to Create New Revenue

TechLINKS (press release) ... 40% mobile phone penetration, it is easy to see that the opportunities for mCommerce and mobile money services will be from Asia's emerging markets.

FEATURED ARTICLE:

Regulating Debit Cards: The Case of Ad Valorem Fees

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's Economic Review for 1Q2010 includes an article titled "Regulating Debit Cards: The Case of Ad Valorem Fees" by Zhu Wang. From the abstract:

Debit cards have become an indispensable part of the U.S. payments system, accounting for more than a third of consumer payments at point of sale. With this development has come controversy: Card networks charge merchants fees that merchants believe are too high. And most of the fees are ad valorem―that is, based on transaction value―rather than fixed fees per transaction.

Given that debit cards incur a fixed cost per transaction, why do networks charge ad valorem fees? How do ad valorem fees affect payment market participants, including consumers, merchants, and card networks? And should policymakers consider regulating debit cards by requiring fixed per-transaction fees?

Wang explores this controversy about debit card fee structures. His analysis shows that, when card networks and merchants both have market power, card networks earn a higher profit by charging ad valorem fees than fixed per-transaction fees. At the same time, merchant profits are reduced―yet both consumer surplus and social welfare are increased. As an alternative, policymakers might consider regulating the debit fee structure simply by requiring fixed per-transaction fees (but allowing card networks to freely set the fee levels). Wang suggests, however, that this alternative may increase merchant profits at the expense of card networks, consumers, and social welfare. Therefore, caution should be taken when policymakers consider intervening in the debit card market."  

Auriemma Consulting Group Analyses Lessons Learnt from International Credit Card Regulation

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On 15 March 2010, the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) released the response to the consultation on credit and store cards. As part of the consultation process, BIS commissioned Auriemma Consulting Group (ACG) to research features of international credit card markets and how they are regulated, and to identify what lessons could be learned. A number of markets outside of the UK, particularly the US and Canada, have recently implemented regulatory proposals related to credit cards. The ACG study provided evidence on market structure and credit card usage in the international markets and included detailed data and analysis of current regulations and its impact on the payments industry and consumers. Key findings include:

1. Measuring the impact of the BIS regulation will be difficult since it is also coinciding with unprecedented economic changes.


2. Limiting issuers’ ability to change terms in a reactive fashion impacts their ability to manage risk.


3. Having an open dialogue between politicians, regulators and industry participants will ensure that the impact and goals of the regulation are understood by all parties, and that changes are made in a organised and effective fashion.


4. Regardless of the scope of the regulation, it is critical that the industry is provided with enough time to implement and appropriately test any necessary changes.


5. The consumer credit industry is creative and innovative. The industry will adapt to the regulation and will develop products, services and strategies that appropriately reflect the new market constraints.

These findings will have significant impact on the UK credit industry. The most impactful result is the limitations on the ability that credit issuers have to manage risk (i.e. change terms) reactively, particularly when a consumer demonstrates financial hardship. This fundamental change to the industry’s long-standing business practices will result in less credit being available to consumers and the credit that is available will be more expensive in terms of higher interest rates and fees. Other potential changes we predict are:

• It is expected that benefits and features associated with these products will reflect the new requirements for increased transparency and/or be re-purposed versions of old best practices. Some examples include the re-introduction of charge cards as a mainstream product, widespread annual fees on cards, no interest free periods and rewards being only offered to the most affluent and/or profitable cardholders.


• New credit industry regulation is likely to continue in reaction to the unintended consequences of the current regulation, though these are not expected to be introduced for 1-2 years.


• Some issuers, particularly those who are categorised as being small- or medium-sized lenders, may cease to issue credit and/or store cards, due to the high financial and human resources required to comply with the new rules.


• Financial education efforts, particularly those focused on improving consumer financial literacy, will become more prevalent and focused.


• As credit becomes more difficult to obtain, the migration of consumers to debit and prepaid will accelerate. It also seems likely that short-term lending products like payday loans will gain interest among the mainstream public.

All data included in this study was obtained by ACG using a combination of interviews, desktop research, consumer surveys (using ACG’s proprietary market research platform, Cardbeat®) and internal industry insight. The full version of the report is available to download at http://www.bis.gov.uk/creditconsultation/response).

About Auriemma Consulting Group

Since 1984, ACG has offered comprehensive management consulting, research, industry roundtable and benchmarking services to the financial services industry. ACG clients include credit card issuers and networks, commercial banks, mortgage lenders, merchants, and other industry participants. With offices in London and New York, ACG offers actionable solutions to help clients make important business decisions to maximise their efficiencies and revenues.

Contacts

Auriemma Consulting Group

Megan Bramlette or Matt Simester

+44(0)207-629-0075

megan.bramlette@acg.net

matt.simester@acg.net

Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100326005341/en/Auriemma-Consulting-Group-Analyses-Lessons-Learnt-International

Auriemma Consulting Group Analyses Lessons Learnt from International Credit Card Regulation

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On 15 March 2010, the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) released the response to the consultation on credit and store cards. As part of the consultation process, BIS commissioned Auriemma Consulting Group (ACG) to research features of international credit card markets and how they are regulated, and to identify what lessons could be learned. A number of markets outside of the UK, particularly the US and Canada, have recently implemented regulatory proposals related to credit cards. The ACG study provided evidence on market structure and credit card usage in the international markets and included detailed data and analysis of current regulations and its impact on the payments industry and consumers. Key findings include:

1. Measuring the impact of the BIS regulation will be difficult since it is also coinciding with unprecedented economic changes.


2. Limiting issuers’ ability to change terms in a reactive fashion impacts their ability to manage risk.


3. Having an open dialogue between politicians, regulators and industry participants will ensure that the impact and goals of the regulation are understood by all parties, and that changes are made in a organised and effective fashion.


4. Regardless of the scope of the regulation, it is critical that the industry is provided with enough time to implement and appropriately test any necessary changes.


5. The consumer credit industry is creative and innovative. The industry will adapt to the regulation and will develop products, services and strategies that appropriately reflect the new market constraints.

These findings will have significant impact on the UK credit industry. The most impactful result is the limitations on the ability that credit issuers have to manage risk (i.e. change terms) reactively, particularly when a consumer demonstrates financial hardship. This fundamental change to the industry’s long-standing business practices will result in less credit being available to consumers and the credit that is available will be more expensive in terms of higher interest rates and fees. Other potential changes we predict are:

• It is expected that benefits and features associated with these products will reflect the new requirements for increased transparency and/or be re-purposed versions of old best practices. Some examples include the re-introduction of charge cards as a mainstream product, widespread annual fees on cards, no interest free periods and rewards being only offered to the most affluent and/or profitable cardholders.


• New credit industry regulation is likely to continue in reaction to the unintended consequences of the current regulation, though these are not expected to be introduced for 1-2 years.


• Some issuers, particularly those who are categorised as being small- or medium-sized lenders, may cease to issue credit and/or store cards, due to the high financial and human resources required to comply with the new rules.


• Financial education efforts, particularly those focused on improving consumer financial literacy, will become more prevalent and focused.


• As credit becomes more difficult to obtain, the migration of consumers to debit and prepaid will accelerate. It also seems likely that short-term lending products like payday loans will gain interest among the mainstream public.

All data included in this study was obtained by ACG using a combination of interviews, desktop research, consumer surveys (using ACG’s proprietary market research platform, Cardbeat®) and internal industry insight. The full version of the report is available to download at http://www.bis.gov.uk/creditconsultation/response).

About Auriemma Consulting Group

Since 1984, ACG has offered comprehensive management consulting, research, industry roundtable and benchmarking services to the financial services industry. ACG clients include credit card issuers and networks, commercial banks, mortgage lenders, merchants, and other industry participants. With offices in London and New York, ACG offers actionable solutions to help clients make important business decisions to maximise their efficiencies and revenues.

Contacts

Auriemma Consulting Group

Megan Bramlette or Matt Simester

+44(0)207-629-0075

megan.bramlette@acg.net

matt.simester@acg.net

Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100326005341/en/Auriemma-Consulting-Group-Analyses-Lessons-Learnt-International

ViVOtech Wins 2010 Mobile Commerce Ability Award for ViVOwallet

Las Vegas, March 26, 2010 -- INTERNATIONAL CTIA WIRELESS 2010 -- Silicon Valley-based ViVOtech, the leader in Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile payments, loyalty and marketing applications and contactless readers, announced today it has been chosen to receive the 2010 Mobile Commerce Mobility Award from MobileTrax for its ViVOwallet® mobile wallet software for NFC mobile phones. The ViVOwallet was chosen as the best-in-class, feature-rich digital wallet for mobile phones enabling consumers to pay for purchases at any store with their NFC mobile phones, as well as participate in mobile promotions and loyalty programs and receive mobile coupons.



"ViVOtech has been a pioneer in mobile payments and its NFC wallet was chosen because it offers a function-rich, personalized experience to consumers when they go out shopping," said J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., principal analyst with MobileTrax. "ViVOtech's solution allows consumers to easily download their credit or debit cards into their phones, know the balance on their cards at all times, and tap their phone to pay with a selected card."



Purdy also points out that ViVOwallet's unique features allow consumers to enjoy dynamic loyalty programs from merchants, purchase gift cards and send them to friends, request personalized coupons that can be redeemed electronically, and tap a shelf tag with their phone to find out more information about products and compare prices.



"ViVOwallet is the first NFC mobile phone payment system to support secure credit and debit card download and payment, the first to support multiple cards, coupon downloading from smart posters and other key functionality introduced and tested over the course of dozens of trials we've been following over the years," Purdy said.



ViVOwallet is a versatile, full-featured wallet application with an intuitive user interface that runs on any NFC-enabled mobile handset. ViVOwallet manages credit, debit, prepaid, gift, loyalty and other cards stored on the mobile device. At the same time, it allows consumers to enjoy personalized offers, coupons and instant rewards offered by merchants, card issuers or manufactures. ViVOwallet is convenient, allowing consumers to find the best products and best prices with personalized services from merchants that users opt-in to receive. ViVOwallet is designed to be SPAM-free, using smart chip-based, secure communication technologies. Consumers may opt-in for what they want, when they want it, in a hassle-free environment.



The ViVOwallet uses a patented, secure over-the-air provisioning process for handling payment and non-payment information. Consumers can easily load their card information onto any NFC phone through an intuitive user interface in minutes, with no training or visit to websites or bank branches required.



"ViVOtech is proud to receive this prestigious award that validates its vision for how mobile will change the consumer shopping experience, enabling a new level of interaction with products and merchants with personalized services and instant rewards that will improve how they pay for purchases in the future," said Michael Mullagh, CEO of ViVOtech. "ViVOtech will continue to add new use cases for consumers to enjoy a richer mobile shopping experience while enabling merchants and card issuers to deliver the optimum value to their customers."



For more information about ViVOtech's contactless and NFC payment systems, visit www.vivotech.com .



About the Mobility Award



The 2010 Mobility Awards will honor the best and finest mobile & wireless products and services in the industry. The awards are selected by Dr. Gerry Purdy and are based on what he feels the firms, products & services have made or will make the greatest impact on the industry. They are not given out generically; the product must already be shipping or about to ship and covers products from the prior year.



About MobileTrax



MobileTrax, LLC is a leading mobile and wireless industry analyst firm and is a trusted source of information regarding the mobile computing and wireless data communications industry. MobileTrax provides market research, conferences and consulting services regarding enterprise and consumer markets. MobileTrax is lead by J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., a globally recognized authority on mobile computing and wireless data communications. He writes and publishes Inside Mobile, a newsletter that is published each Wednesday and is read by more than 100,000 people. More information can be found at www.mobiletrax.com



About ViVOtech



ViVOtech (www.vivotech.com ) is the leading end-to-end enabler of next-generation mobile payments, loyalty and marketing solutions. ViVOtech provides Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile payment solutions, mobile marketing and loyalty applications software, Over-The-Air (OTA) provisioning infrastructure software, NFC smart posters and contactless terminals. ViVOtech's products are used by most prominent retailers all over the globe; the company has shipped over 600,000 contactless and NFC payment terminals to more than 35 countries. In 2009, ViVOtech received the prestigious Frost and Sullivan North American Smart Cards Product Line Strategy of the Year Award. ViVOtech's investors include Citi, First Data Corporation, Motorola Ventures, NCR and Nokia Growth Partners.



Source: Company press release.

ViVOtech Wins 2010 Mobile Commerce Ability Award for ViVOwallet

Las Vegas, March 26, 2010 -- INTERNATIONAL CTIA WIRELESS 2010 -- Silicon Valley-based ViVOtech, the leader in Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile payments, loyalty and marketing applications and contactless readers, announced today it has been chosen to receive the 2010 Mobile Commerce Mobility Award from MobileTrax for its ViVOwallet® mobile wallet software for NFC mobile phones. The ViVOwallet was chosen as the best-in-class, feature-rich digital wallet for mobile phones enabling consumers to pay for purchases at any store with their NFC mobile phones, as well as participate in mobile promotions and loyalty programs and receive mobile coupons.



"ViVOtech has been a pioneer in mobile payments and its NFC wallet was chosen because it offers a function-rich, personalized experience to consumers when they go out shopping," said J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., principal analyst with MobileTrax. "ViVOtech's solution allows consumers to easily download their credit or debit cards into their phones, know the balance on their cards at all times, and tap their phone to pay with a selected card."



Purdy also points out that ViVOwallet's unique features allow consumers to enjoy dynamic loyalty programs from merchants, purchase gift cards and send them to friends, request personalized coupons that can be redeemed electronically, and tap a shelf tag with their phone to find out more information about products and compare prices.



"ViVOwallet is the first NFC mobile phone payment system to support secure credit and debit card download and payment, the first to support multiple cards, coupon downloading from smart posters and other key functionality introduced and tested over the course of dozens of trials we've been following over the years," Purdy said.



ViVOwallet is a versatile, full-featured wallet application with an intuitive user interface that runs on any NFC-enabled mobile handset. ViVOwallet manages credit, debit, prepaid, gift, loyalty and other cards stored on the mobile device. At the same time, it allows consumers to enjoy personalized offers, coupons and instant rewards offered by merchants, card issuers or manufactures. ViVOwallet is convenient, allowing consumers to find the best products and best prices with personalized services from merchants that users opt-in to receive. ViVOwallet is designed to be SPAM-free, using smart chip-based, secure communication technologies. Consumers may opt-in for what they want, when they want it, in a hassle-free environment.



The ViVOwallet uses a patented, secure over-the-air provisioning process for handling payment and non-payment information. Consumers can easily load their card information onto any NFC phone through an intuitive user interface in minutes, with no training or visit to websites or bank branches required.



"ViVOtech is proud to receive this prestigious award that validates its vision for how mobile will change the consumer shopping experience, enabling a new level of interaction with products and merchants with personalized services and instant rewards that will improve how they pay for purchases in the future," said Michael Mullagh, CEO of ViVOtech. "ViVOtech will continue to add new use cases for consumers to enjoy a richer mobile shopping experience while enabling merchants and card issuers to deliver the optimum value to their customers."



For more information about ViVOtech's contactless and NFC payment systems, visit www.vivotech.com .



About the Mobility Award



The 2010 Mobility Awards will honor the best and finest mobile & wireless products and services in the industry. The awards are selected by Dr. Gerry Purdy and are based on what he feels the firms, products & services have made or will make the greatest impact on the industry. They are not given out generically; the product must already be shipping or about to ship and covers products from the prior year.



About MobileTrax



MobileTrax, LLC is a leading mobile and wireless industry analyst firm and is a trusted source of information regarding the mobile computing and wireless data communications industry. MobileTrax provides market research, conferences and consulting services regarding enterprise and consumer markets. MobileTrax is lead by J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., a globally recognized authority on mobile computing and wireless data communications. He writes and publishes Inside Mobile, a newsletter that is published each Wednesday and is read by more than 100,000 people. More information can be found at www.mobiletrax.com



About ViVOtech



ViVOtech (www.vivotech.com ) is the leading end-to-end enabler of next-generation mobile payments, loyalty and marketing solutions. ViVOtech provides Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile payment solutions, mobile marketing and loyalty applications software, Over-The-Air (OTA) provisioning infrastructure software, NFC smart posters and contactless terminals. ViVOtech's products are used by most prominent retailers all over the globe; the company has shipped over 600,000 contactless and NFC payment terminals to more than 35 countries. In 2009, ViVOtech received the prestigious Frost and Sullivan North American Smart Cards Product Line Strategy of the Year Award. ViVOtech's investors include Citi, First Data Corporation, Motorola Ventures, NCR and Nokia Growth Partners.



Source: Company press release.

ACH Federal to power ACH for New England Bank

Chattanooga, Tenn., March 25, 2010 -- ACH Federal (http://www.achfederal.com ), a provider of online electric payment processing services to both banks and businesses, today announced that New England Bank (http://www.nebankct.com ), an independent community bank serving Connecticut, has selected ACH Federal to provide Automated Clearing House (ACH) Services to its customers via an easy-to-use Web service. ACH Federal will begin processing with New England Bank on April 1, 2010.



New England Bank chose ACH Federal to provide ACH services to its customers because of the company's industry expertise, and high standards for security and customer service. Customers will be able to conduct their personal and business transactions such as payroll, recurring payments and direct deposit through New England Bank's Web site that will be powered by ACH Federal.



"With increasing numbers of customers requesting online payment processing, we looked for a vendor that could provide a combination of stellar security, reliability and customer service," said James O'Donnell, vice president, commercial deposit services, at New England Bank. "We are always looking for opportunities to offer our customers with innovative services. We look forward to working with ACH Federal and providing seamless and secure online payment processing to our customers."



With a terminal that connects directly to the Federal Reserve, ACH Federal provides secure online payment processing for financial institutions via a streamlined, easy-to-use Web-based platform. In addition to providing risk management and compliance programs, ACH Federal’s platform meets the highest security standards, using dual-file approval systems, multi-factor authentication and best-of-breed data encryption technology for all transactions. Founded to address the growing need for electronic payment processing, ranging from direct deposit to web payment portals, ACH Federal has processed more than 3 million transactions since early 2009.



“Being selected as the ACH provider for New England Bank continues our momentum, as we broaden our base of clients and rapidly grow the business,” said Russ Scudder, CEO of ACH Federal. "We are committed to offering a top-of-the-line suite of online payment processing services to banks and businesses to mitigate risk, reduce costs and drive organizational efficiency."



About New England Bank



New England Bank is an independent community bank that has been serving the financial needs of individuals, families, professionals and small to mid-size businesses in Connecticut since 1916. New England Bank is state chartered and its deposits are FDIC insured. For more information about New England Bank, visit www.nebankct.com .



About ACH Federal



ACH Federal provides a simple and secure Web-based solution for banks and businesses to reduce the risk associated with electronic payments, while decreasing costs and increasing efficiency. ACH Federal was founded in 2007 by three accredited ACH professionals with vision for providing better ACH solutions and customized services to banks and small businesses. Today, the company's expert management team has more than 80 years of combined ACH industry experience including six Accredited ACH professionals (AAPs). For more information, visit www.achfederal.com (http://www.achfederal.com ).



Source: Company press release.

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ACH Federal to power ACH for New England Bank

Chattanooga, Tenn., March 25, 2010 -- ACH Federal (http://www.achfederal.com ), a provider of online electric payment processing services to both banks and businesses, today announced that New England Bank (http://www.nebankct.com ), an independent community bank serving Connecticut, has selected ACH Federal to provide Automated Clearing House (ACH) Services to its customers via an easy-to-use Web service. ACH Federal will begin processing with New England Bank on April 1, 2010.



New England Bank chose ACH Federal to provide ACH services to its customers because of the company's industry expertise, and high standards for security and customer service. Customers will be able to conduct their personal and business transactions such as payroll, recurring payments and direct deposit through New England Bank's Web site that will be powered by ACH Federal.



"With increasing numbers of customers requesting online payment processing, we looked for a vendor that could provide a combination of stellar security, reliability and customer service," said James O'Donnell, vice president, commercial deposit services, at New England Bank. "We are always looking for opportunities to offer our customers with innovative services. We look forward to working with ACH Federal and providing seamless and secure online payment processing to our customers."



With a terminal that connects directly to the Federal Reserve, ACH Federal provides secure online payment processing for financial institutions via a streamlined, easy-to-use Web-based platform. In addition to providing risk management and compliance programs, ACH Federal’s platform meets the highest security standards, using dual-file approval systems, multi-factor authentication and best-of-breed data encryption technology for all transactions. Founded to address the growing need for electronic payment processing, ranging from direct deposit to web payment portals, ACH Federal has processed more than 3 million transactions since early 2009.



“Being selected as the ACH provider for New England Bank continues our momentum, as we broaden our base of clients and rapidly grow the business,” said Russ Scudder, CEO of ACH Federal. "We are committed to offering a top-of-the-line suite of online payment processing services to banks and businesses to mitigate risk, reduce costs and drive organizational efficiency."



About New England Bank



New England Bank is an independent community bank that has been serving the financial needs of individuals, families, professionals and small to mid-size businesses in Connecticut since 1916. New England Bank is state chartered and its deposits are FDIC insured. For more information about New England Bank, visit www.nebankct.com .



About ACH Federal



ACH Federal provides a simple and secure Web-based solution for banks and businesses to reduce the risk associated with electronic payments, while decreasing costs and increasing efficiency. ACH Federal was founded in 2007 by three accredited ACH professionals with vision for providing better ACH solutions and customized services to banks and small businesses. Today, the company's expert management team has more than 80 years of combined ACH industry experience including six Accredited ACH professionals (AAPs). For more information, visit www.achfederal.com (http://www.achfederal.com ).



Source: Company press release.

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• ACH Federal Launches to Set New Standard in Payment Services for FI's (pindebit.blogspot.com)