Monday, June 6, 2011

NFC Payments Europe June 13-14 in London

 Company Logos

Overcome barriers to commercial rollout at Europe’s first ever event focused on successful and scalable NFC payment solutions


The NFC payments space is hotting up, key deals between financial institutions and MNO’s are being made, standards are set, and with large tech players such as Google and Apple are making announcements, It’s clear now is the time to move…

NFC Payments Europe conference and Exhibition has been developed to offer you a clear path to develop NFC payments as a commercial proposition and to provide you with the contacts your business needs to do this.
The event will:
  • Unravel interoperability between banks and MNOS’s - hear frank discussions on who has the power and how these two key parties can work together to move the market forward
  • Move beyond the pilot, and gain real case studies - examine how MNO’s and banks have worked together to actually deliver NFC payment services on a commercial level, avoid pitfalls and map out successful strategies.
  • Look across country divides - see how European counterparts have successfully signed agreements and rolled out initial stages of commercial payment schemes
  • Get to grips with the business case for each player in the ecosystem - see how all players can carve out strong profit strategies and map out a workable and profitable roadmap for 2011 and beyond
And more key insights on who owns the consumer, SIM vs Handset, NFC security, international transfers and the future benefits and possible NFC rollouts.

The event will launch in earlier 2011 so check this website again soon for updated information. Or to be the first to receive the full conference brochure and benefit from special early bird discounts Request more information now!
This is the only event in Europe to unite Banks, Payments, Mobile Operators, Handsets providers and chip providers all intent on unleashing the industry’s rich profit potential.
We’re currently working on the agenda for this event and we’d be keen to hear your ideas for topics and speakers. Get in contact now and you’ll be able to play a part in shaping of this unique event. Please email david@nfcinsight.com with your ideas for topics and speakers. 

Interac e-Transfer 2-Minute Challenge

TORONTOJune 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Can you beat the clock?  A new contest has been launched on the Interac® Facebook page that challenges you to put your knowledge of  Interac e-Transfer to the test by answering a series of questions before time runs out.

New questions will be posted on our wall each week until the contest ends on July 11th, giving you multiple chances to show off yourInterac IQ. Every question answered correctly means a ballot for a chance to win 1 of 3 $1,000 Interac e-Transfers.  You can also get extra ballots by sharing with us the different ways you have used Interac e-Transfer.
Think you have the speed and the smarts? Take the 2-Minute Challenge here.
Interac e-Transfer - the quick, easy and secure alternative to cheques and cash.
  • It's a simple, convenient, and secure way to send and receive money directly from one bank account to another.
  • All you need is access to online or mobile banking through a participating financial institution, and you can send money to anyone with an email address or mobile phone number and a bank account in Canada — without sharing any personal or financial information.
  • There's no need to set up a new account; and funds are available immediately.
  • Notification is by email or text - no need for stamps or mailboxes!
View a demo to see how Interac e-Transfers work here.
The Interac e-Transfer service is currently available to customers of over 25 banks and credit unions including BMO Bank ofMontreal, CIBC, President's Choice Financial, RBC Royal Bank, Scotiabank and TD Canada Trust among others. Central 1, through participating credit unions, offers the option of sending Interac e-Transfers using mobile phone numbers.  More information about the Interac e-Transfer service and a complete list of participating banks and credit unions can be found here.
You can keep up with us on Twitter too.
About Interac Association
A recognized world leader in debit card services, Interac Association is responsible for the development and operations of theInterac network, a national payment network that allows Canadians to access their money through 59,000 Automated Banking Machines and 727,000 point-of-sale terminals across Canada.
Interac Association was founded in 1984 and is comprised of a diverse membership that includes banks, trust companies, credit unions, caisses populaires, merchants, and technology and payment related companies. Other related services offered by Acxsys Corporation, whose shareholders are the architects of the Interac network, include: Interac Online, for secure online payments made directly from a bank account; Interac e-Transfer, for the transfer of money from one person's bank account to another person's bank account using an email address or mobile phone number *; and international services, which provide Canadian cardholders with point-of-sale access at nearly 2 million U.S. retailers, and PULSE, Discover, Diners Club International and UnionPay cardholders access to ABMs in Canada.
* The Interac e-Transfer service is currently available to customers of over 25 banks and credit unions including BMO Bank ofMontreal, CIBC, President's Choice Financial, RBC Royal Bank, Scotiabank and TD Canada Trust among others. Central 1, through participating credit unions, offers the option of sending Interac e-Transfers using mobile phone numbers.  More information about the Interac e-Transfer service and a complete list of participating banks and credit unions can be found here.

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"Phoney" Security Dooms NFC Payments as "Disaster Waiting to Happen"

In an article posted on InfoSecurity.com they report what the folks at NFC Data, Inc. have known for years...namely that several industry experts claim that mobile phones are reliant on insecure platforms and it would be "foolish" to utilize them for NFC payments. 

The story below provides the reasoning behind why NFC Data designed, developed, patented and is releasing to the market, a secure NFC enabled device (reader/writer and viewer.)  Utilizing biometrics, along with an encrypted PIN Pad (hard-wired to the CPU) the SDK slot allows for unlimited expansion which means that Sqwizz  can store "unlimited" cards and PINs for anytime use.  


Are mobile wallets secure enough to stop cybercriminals?

03 June 2011 - InfoSecurity.com


Pan-European cellular giant Telefonica O2 has this week announced plans to launch a mobile wallet system using NFC (near field communications) technology, but a number of pundits are saying that, whilst the NFC technology is secure, mobile handsets are not... read more


According to Ira Winkler, president of the Internet Security Advisors Group, NFC payments are a disaster waiting to happen. Any sort of financial transaction, he argues, requires much more than minimal security.  When you get down to it, he says, NFC-driven systems on mobile phones are reliant on insecure platforms, namely the mobile phone. "Until there are significant improvements in the underlying security of smartphones and tablets, it would be foolish to use these technologies", he says in his latest security blog.
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World Wide Calls Mount to Make Mobile Phone Payments More Secure

CYBER security experts say mobile payment technology is developing unchecked and it is time governments stepped in to ensure the system is safe for consumers to use.
Adjunct professor of computer science at QUT, Bill Caelli, said big business was sacrificing security for convenience.  Editor's Sarcastic Note:  OMG! When did they start doing that?  "We have an explosion of these types of products coming out which are based on providing payments and services on the smartphone," he said.  "It's happening in a totally unregulated, laissez-faire, free-market environment.  "The finance industry and industries like the airlines are trying to see how they can use mobiles to minimize costs." Prof Caelli described developments such as the Google Wallet and Visa's Virtual Wallets, contactless credit or debit cards using near-field communication and even boarding passes on smartphones as frightening, because consumers had little understanding of how they worked. "I have no idea whether or not the Google Wallet can be trusted or not and I have been in the game for 35 years," Prof Caelli said.  read more

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eBay/PayPal Agrees to Acquire Magento

Magento LogoImage via Wikipedia
http://www.ebay.com

eBay Inc. Agrees to Acquire Magento

Magento to join X.Commerce, eBay Inc.’s integrated open commerce platform group
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) today announced that it has agreed to acquire Magento Inc., the creator of Magento, a leading open source ecommerce platform. The deal follows eBay’s acquisition of a minority stake in the company in 2010. Upon closing of the transaction, eBay will own 100 percent of the outstanding shares of Magento. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Technology-driven innovation is blurring the lines between online and offline commerce, changing the way consumers shop, and enabling retailers of all sizes to benefit from the latest innovations from the developer community”
The Magento platform serves tens of thousands of merchants worldwide and is supported by a global community of solution partners and third-party developers. Magento is a feature-rich, open-source, enterprise-class commerce solution that offers merchants a high degree of flexibility and control over the user experience, catalog, content and functionality of their online store. Magento Go, the company’s hosted software-as-a-service solution, provides small and growing merchants with the tools to help them succeed online – from payments to inventory management. Magento is a Los Angeles-based company with more than 290 employees.
“Technology-driven innovation is blurring the lines between online and offline commerce, changing the way consumers shop, and enabling retailers of all sizes to benefit from the latest innovations from the developer community,” said John Donahoe, President and Chief Executive Officer, eBay Inc. “The feedback we’ve heard from external developers has been clear — they don't just want payments or an ecommerce site; they want access to a full set of commerce capabilities to build complete shopping experiences for merchants. We believe the acquisition of Magento and creation of our X.Commerce group will enable us to meet developers’ needs and drive global commerce innovation for retailers and consumers.”
X.Commerce, eBay’s newly created integrated open commerce platform group, is focused on leveraging the company’s assets and partner technologies to build a strong, robust developer community as a resource for merchants and retailers of all sizes. More details will be shared with developers during the X.Commerce Innovate conference on Oct. 12-13 in San Francisco.
eBay does not expect the acquisition of Magento to have a material impact on its financial guidance as issued in conjunction with its first quarter earnings release on April 27, 2011. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2011.
About eBay Inc.
Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) connects hundreds of millions of buyers and sellers globally on a daily basis through eBay, the world's largest online marketplace, and PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to securely, easily and quickly send and receive online payments. We also reach millions through specialized marketplaces such as StubHub, the world's largest ticket marketplace, and eBay Classifieds sites, which together have a presence in more than 1,000 cities around the world. For more information about the company and our global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.
About Magento
Magento (http://www.magentocommerce.com/) is a feature-rich, open-source, enterprise-class ecommerce solution that offers merchants a high degree of flexibility and control over the user experience, catalog, content, and functionality of their online store. Launched in 2007, the Magento platform now serves tens of thousands of merchants worldwide, and is supported by a global community of solution partners and third-party developers. Magento Go is a hosted, software-as-a-service solution that provides small and growing merchants with the ecommerce tools they need to succeed online. Based in Los Angeles, Magento, Inc. is a fast-paced, entrepreneurial organization dedicated to the mission of enabling the eCommerce ecosystem.www.magentocommerce.com

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Radiant Systems Expands Mobile Payment Capabilities

Image representing Radiant Systems as depicted...Image via CrunchBase
Many restaurant and retail customers plan to market test new products and features later this year
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The emergence of new technologies provides an opportunity for businesses of all sizes to improve engagement with their customers. Today, Radiant Systems, Inc.(Nasdaq: RADS) is unveiling its mobile pay platform that enables restaurateurs and retailers to complete transactions faster and create a more intimate and pleasing on-site experience.
http://www.radiantsystems.com“We are piloting the mobile pay functionality with our Aloha solution from Radiant Systems and are extremely excited about the prospects for this capability”
“Historically, the checkout and payment process has created excessive wait times, caused customer frustration and resulted in bottlenecks for retailers and restaurants,” said Andy Heyman, chief operating officer at Radiant Systems. “We believe strongly that improvements in technology can leave consumers with a more favorable and lasting impression of our customers. Radiant has heavily invested in mobile payment capabilities, including several we are introducing to the market this year. While many start-ups are bringing increased attention to the mobile space, Radiant can quickly enable our customers to accept and seamlessly integrate mobile payment into their operations by leveraging our open, secure point-of-sale technology.”
Radiant has a history of bringing mobile payment solutions to market, including its Orderman handheld technology used by servers and cashiers in over 30,000 restaurants worldwide. With consumers becoming more comfortable using technology in the palm of their hands, they are driving new demands on how they pay for purchases and interact with the businesses they frequent. Radiant is actively working on pilots with several companies that are planning to bring mobile wallets to market later this year. In addition, the company is adding its own mobile payment capabilities to its core product lines as well as integrating with other third party payment solutions to provide relevant functionality that meets the unique requirements of individual businesses across all of its industries. Radiant will continue to announce further details for specific mobile payment platforms within the coming months.
“We are piloting the mobile pay functionality with our Aloha solution from Radiant Systems and are extremely excited about the prospects for this capability,” said Crawford Moran, co-owner of 5 Seasons Brewing Company, a restaurant group in Atlanta. “We are always looking for ways to improve guest satisfaction, and we feel enabling them to pay on their smartphones will create an improved experience and communication flow between our guests and our restaurants.”
“There are many new and competing mobile payment solutions entering the marketplace and it is our intent to support those that we and our customers believe will become most relevant to their businesses,” said Kim Eaton, executive vice president of marketing at Radiant Systems. “We are in a great position to provide the solutions that have the highest impact for our customers and help them drive loyalty and engagement.”
About Radiant Systems, Inc.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Radiant Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: RADS) is a global provider of innovative technology and services to the hospitality and retail industries. With more than 100,000 installations worldwide, our customers include leading brands and venues in the restaurant and food service, sports and entertainment, petroleum and convenience, and specialty retail markets. Radiant has offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. 

Contacts

Radiant Systems, Inc.
Media Contact:
Mary Catherine Brutz, 770-576-6753
marycatherine.brutz@radiantsystems.com

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Story of the Week: Invasion of the Hackers

Story of the week: Invasion of the hackers
(from FT at 6-5-2011)
From Twitter accounts and national news sites to Googles email service, several widely used sites were reported to have been compromised this week in a spree of online cybersecurity breaches. The first in the series of reported cyber intrusions involved Twitter and New York Congressman Anthony Weiner. Last weekend, Andrew Breitbart of Big Government was the first to report that a lewd picture sent to a young woman in Seattle was sent through Weiners Twitter feed. Weiner claimed that his accou... read more»
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Google Wallet Security Solid Until its Hacked

Image representing McAfee as depicted in Crunc...Image via CrunchBaseGoogle Wallet Security Solid Until its Hacked - Security - News & Reviews - eWeek.com

McAfee security researcher Jimmy Shah believes:



"An attacker has a good chance of extracting the authentication key from the Google Wallet application and creating a malicious application that emulates the official Wallet application to fool the Secure Element chip into giving up a user's credentials. "From here, the attacker can collect account information for sale or for attempts at cloning the data to new NFC cards," Shah wrote in a blog post.  Lookout Mobile Security CTO Kevin Mahaffey agrees with Shah that some sort of malicious application that can compromise the Google Wallet application or the provisioning process. Alternatively, an application could exploit the software in the Secure Element, enabling a hacker to grab credit card info.  read more

 Related:
 
 Prominent iPhone Hacker Blames Vendors' Buggy Code for Security Breaches 
 (from EWeek at 6-6-2011) 
 Security researcher Charlie Miller will deliver the keynote speech June 9 at the International Conference on Cyber Conflict. The conference, in its third year, is sponsored by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence and will take place in Estonia. Millers keynote, entitled Why the Bad Guys are Winning the InfoSec War, will use the recent security breaches at PBS.org, RSA Security and HBGary Federal as examples, Miller told eWEEK. Miller analyzed recent events and determined th... read more»

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Fiserv Tops 375 Financial Institutions for Mobile Money

  • More than 375 banks and credit unions have agreed to use the company’s flagship mobile banking and payments solution
  • The number of consumers using Mobile Money has grown more than 600 percent during the last six months
  • Financial institutions have plans to increase investment in mobile services
BROOKFIELD, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), the leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, announced today that more than 375 financial institutions have agreed to use Mobile MoneyTM from Fiserv, the company’s flagship mobile banking and payments solution. Almost 200 of these banks and credit unions are already live on the service, a figure that has more than doubled within the last 12 months. Consumer usage of the service has soared as well, with the number of consumers using the service growing more than 600 percent within the last six months.
“Consumers are becoming more aware of mobile financial services and how they can benefit from them, and growing consumer demand will be a catalyst for investment”
Mobile Money supports mobile banking and payments services for a wide range of financial institutions, from some of the largest banks in U.S. and international markets, to community banks and credit unions. Regardless of the size of the institution, the current trend is to offer access to mobile banking via all three of the primary access modes – SMS (text messaging), mobile browser and downloadable application. Offering all three access modes enables financial institutions to support a broader range of users.
“Within mobile financial services there is a significant focus on adding transactional capabilities,” said Erich Litch, division president, Digital Channels, Fiserv. “Adding services like bill payment, e-bills, remote deposit capture and person-to-person payments is a near-term priority for most financial institutions, with point of sale payments on the horizon. Many of our clients are choosing to partner with us because we have a unique combination of mobile capabilities and transaction services that will enable them to handle growth as well as adapt over the long term.”
Financial Institutions Plan to Increase Mobile Investment
Fiserv clients have indicated that they plan to increase their investments in the mobile channel. Of nearly 2,000 clients polled during the Fiserv Focus client conference in April 2011, more than 74 percent indicated that they planned to increase their investments in mobile financial services during the next 12 months.
“Consumers are becoming more aware of mobile financial services and how they can benefit from them, and growing consumer demand will be a catalyst for investment,” said Litch. “Financial institutions are seeing mobile banking paying off in the form of more profitable customer relationships, and are increasingly willing to invest in the service.”
Available in licensed or hosted versions, Mobile Money is the industry’s most complete mobile banking and payments solution. For information, visit www.fiserv.com/mobile.
Additional Resources:
About Fiserv
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV) is the leading global provider of information management and electronic commerce systems for the financial services industry, driving innovation that transforms experiences for financial institutions and their customers. Fiserv is ranked No. 1 on the FinTech 100 survey of top technology partners to the financial services industry. For more information, visitwww.fiserv.com.

ViVOtech's NFC Hardware and Software Enable Google Wallet to Deliver Rich Experiences at Checkout

Image representing Vivotech as depicted in Cru...Image via CrunchBase
Near Field Communication Pioneer Celebrates 10th Anniversary
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ViVOtech, the near field communication (NFC) software and systems company, today announced it is a Google Wallet partner and that ViVOtech technologies are being used by Google Inc. to give Android phone owners the ability to make payments and take advantage of real-time in-store offers and loyalty programs at the point of sale (POS).
“ViVOtech’s original vision for payments and mobile commerce is finally coming to fruition, and we are delighted to be supporting Google in its commercialization.”
For merchants that want to accept Google Wallet payments and marketing solutions ViVOtech is providing NFC POS readers. In addition, ViVOtech has worked with Google, merchants and POS software vendors to provide integration between NFC POS readers and current POS software. ViVOtech’s solutions combined with Google Wallet enable one-touch technology for redeeming coupons, participation in loyalty programs, and making payments.
“Google’s leadership to transform NFC mobile wallets from pipe-dream to a standard used by billions of people around the world is unprecedented,” said ViVOtech CEO, Michael (Mick) Mullagh. “ViVOtech has shipped more than 800,000 NFC readers globally, more than 600,000 in the US, all of which will now be capable of accepting payments from the Google Wallet.” Added Mohammad Khan, ViVOtech’s president and founder: “ViVOtech’s original vision for payments and mobile commerce is finally coming to fruition, and we are delighted to be supporting Google in its commercialization.”
The announcement today coincides with ViVOtech’s 10th anniversary. Over the past 10 years ViVOtech has grown from its beginnings as the first provider of contactless branded card terminals to become the share and shipment leader of the category. It is also now a leading global provider of smart software and applications to enhance the customer shopping experience, the inventor of the one touch check out, and the enabling wallet and trusted service manager (TSM) software, that together with its point of sale systems is making rich NFC mCommerce a reality.
As a pioneer of the contactless point of sale, ViVOtech’s installed base of more than 800,000 readers covers merchants in 35 countries. In North America, brand name merchants using ViVOtech reader technology include The Home Depot, Office Depot, BJ’s, McDonalds, Dairy Queen, Jack in the Box, Sbarro, Tully’s Coffee, Taco Bueno, Taco Cabana, Whataburger, Chevron, BP, The Paradies Shops, The Whole Foods, Foot Locker, Meijer, Rite Aid, Sports Authority, Shell Canada, Tim Horton’s, Loblaw’s, Petro Canada, Dominion, Superstore, Fortinos, M&M, No Frills, and more than 50,000 vending machines. ViVOtech NFC readers also enable more than 20,000 taxis throughout the U.S. including all taxis in New York. All of these merchants, vending and taxis are able to accept payments from the Google Wallet.
About ViVOtech
ViVOtech, the near field communication (NFC) software and systems company, enables rich mobile commerce solutions for in-store payment, loyalty, marketing, and merchandising. Merchant, payment, mobile, web and advertising companies use ViVOtech solutions to enhance customer experience and grow their business. VIVOtech’s NFC software and systems are the broadest, most tested and deployed worldwide. Founded in 2001, Silicon Valley-based ViVOtech provides the key building blocks of the NFC ecosystem: smart applications for enhancing the customer experience, wallet and trusted service manager (TSM) software, and point of sale systems. ViVOtech’s investors include Alloy Ventures, Citigroup, Draper Fisher Jurveston, First Data Corporation, Motorola Ventures, Nokia Growth Partners, NCR, and Sprint. Join the NFC revolution at http://www.ViVOtech.com.
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Contacts

Media Inquires for ViVOtech:
Greg Spector
415-717-4666
greg.spector@gmail.com

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ChargeSmart Enhances Partner Services Through Launch of ChargeSmart Direct

SCM Microsystems Releases New NFC Reader Module for Commercial Application Developers

Monday, 06 June 2011 10:07

ISMANING, Germany, June 6, 2011 – SCM Microsystems, a leading provider of solutions for secure access, secure identity and secure exchange and a business unit of Identive Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: INVE; Frankfurt: INV), today announced its SCM3712 commercial NFC reader module, a compact add-on that enables NFC (Near Field Communication) peer-to-peer functionality for a wide range of devices and equipment, from handheld card readers to POS terminals to vending machines.  The reader can be plugged into an existing commercial device to make it NFC ready and enable contactless, secure data exchange for applications such as cashless payments, ticketing, electronic ID and loyalty couponing. The SCM3712 NFC reader module is available now to OEMs and systems integrators.
“NFC technology is becoming increasingly important across a range of markets because it delivers the convenience of a “tap and go” user experience in a way that is highly secure,” said Michael Ganzera, Vice President Business Development and Marketing for SCM Microsystems. “System integrators are requesting NFC-enabling technology that is flexible and can be easily integrated into their equipment designs to accelerate time to market for new contactless products. The SCM3712 reader module from SCM Microsystems addresses this need with industry leading contactless technology that helps equipment suppliers participate fully in the emerging NFC eco-system.”


The SCM3712 NFC module has a small footprint, connects via a USB interface and is available with either an integrated antenna or an optional external antenna. It offers ISO 14443, FeliCa, NFC peer-to-peer functionality and is fully capable of handling NFC Forum-compliant tags based on MIFARE, FeliCa and Topaz technology as well as NFC-enabled mobile phones or other devices.


Upcoming NFC Software Development Kit 
The SCM3712 NFC module will be included within SCM’s soon to be released NFC Software Development Kit (SDK) for application developers. The SDK will also include NFC Forum Tags as software, drivers and tools. SCM’s NFC Software Development Kit will be available in mid 2011.


About SCM Microsystems 
SCM Microsystems, a business unit of Identive Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: INVE; Frankfurt: INV), is a leading provider of solutions for secure access, secure identity and secure exchange. The company offers the world's broadest range of contact, contactless and mobile smart card reader and terminal technology, digital identity and transaction platforms, as well as systems that integrate physical and logical access control. SCM’s smart card-based products and solutions are utilized around the world to enable security and identification applications, transaction systems, eHealth- and eGovernment programs and physical access systems. More information at www.scmmicro.com.


Identive Group, Inc. is a leading provider of products, services and solutions for the security, identification and RFID industries. Additional information at www.identive-group.com.


Note: All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


Contacts:
Annika Oelsner, SCM Microsystems, aoelsner@scmmicro.com, +49 89 9595-5220
Darby Dye, Identive Group, ddye@identive-group.com, +1 949 553-4251

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