Identive Expands Mobility & NFC Solutions Group

Source: Identive Group, Inc. Date: September 22, 2011 02:30 ET

SANTA ANA, Calif. and ISMANING, Germany, Sept. 22, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Identive Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:INVE) (Frankfurt:INV), a provider of products, services for the identification, security and RFID industries, today announced that Mathew Smith has joined the Company's Mobility & NFC Solutions group as vice president, product and technology management. In this new role, Smith will manage Identive's product development activities to help leverage and strengthen the Company's early leadership position in the emergent near field communications (NFC) market. Smith brings significant experience in the areas of NFC, mobile software and payment technologies, all of which are expected to be major drivers of market growth over the next few years. "I am pleased to welcome Mathew to the Identive NFC team. His business insight and acumen coupled with his substantial background in the security industry and web-based services give him a unique ability to understand and envision NFC use cases, markets and how to make it all work," said Ayman S. Ashour, chief executive officer and chairman Identive. "Identive's product successes to date with early NFC adopters are the result of a strategy to make it easy for customers to employ NFC to achieve desired results. Mathew will provide significant support for our ongoing efforts as we expand our offerings of full NFC solutions." Prior to joining Identive, Smith served as director of TSM operations for Gemalto NV, a digital security company, where he defined and drove the global operational and deployment strategy for the company's Trusted Services Management (TSM) business, which manages mobile payment credentials between banks and mobile network operators. Smith previously had been chief architect and director of an NFC business services initiative that originally developed the TSM business while part of an innovation incubator group at NXP Semiconductors. This TSM business was later sold to Gemalto. Prior to this, he defined the product and sales strategy for NXP's Java software product line for mobile handsets, where he gained significant experience working with mobile handset businesses and markets in Europe, China, Taiwan and Korea. Before joining NXP, Smith developed a product strategy and corporate business plan for Smart Fusion, a wireless software start-up in France that subsequently was sold. Smith holds an MBA in innovation and strategy from the Theseus Institute (now EDHEC) in France, an MS in Business Systems Analysis and Design from City University in London and a BS in Chemical Physics from the University of Kent in Canterbury. Mathew Smith commented, "I have been impressed at Identive's ability to carve out a position as an early leader in NFC with projects such as smartphone application tags and smart poster campaigns. So much of what is talked about in the market today is based on expectations, rather than results. Identive is proving over and over again that it can bring real solutions to add real value. The Company's strong technology foundation in RFID and secure identity management along with the significant breadth and depth of experience of its people, are what's required to help make NFC a reality for consumers and businesses. I am excited to join Identive and be a part of the paradigm shift to NFC." In addition to integrated NFC solutions for a variety of applications, Identive offers an array of standards-based NFC infrastructure products including smart tags, labels, readers, modules, software and development kits via its online marketplace at www.IdentiveNFC.com.

Ukash earns place on Microsoft Tech Track 100

September  23, 2011 04:00 ET

Rapidly Growing Online Payments and E Money Business Ukash Adds to Recent Success With a Place on Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - Sept. 21, 2011) - E money provider Ukash has been included in the Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100 for the first time.

This success comes hot on the heels of an outstanding year for the Financial Services Authority regulated company: Ukash achieved its first year of profitability in 2011, a remarkable 80% year-on-year business growth as a result of its continued global expansion, and was awarded the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise.

Ukash now processes over £500million of safe online shopping transfers worldwide every year. However, perhaps the greatest accolade is that 93% of Ukash customers in surveyed would recommend Ukash's e money system; 83% already have.

The Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100 league table ranks Britain's 100 private tech (TMT) companies with the fastest-growing sales over the latest three years.

Tech Track 100 is compiled by Fast Track and published in The Sunday Times each September, with an official awards event in November. The league table champions the UK's top-performing private companies.

David Hunter, Chief Executive Officer of Ukash, said: "Being a Tech Track 100 company is a fantastic triumph. Not only does it recognise the company's commercial growth, the achievement signifies that every day, Ukash is enabling even more consumers all over the world to use cash online, simply and safely. On behalf of the whole company, I would like to thank our staff, partners and customers for their remarkable contribution to Ukash."

A typical Tech Track 100 company has between 20 and 100 staff, has average 3 year sales growth ranging from 35% pa to 360% pa, and has sales ranging from £5m - £50m – all characteristics true of Ukash.

Since its inception in 2005, Ukash® has promoted safe online shopping by enabling consumers to use their cash online without having to reveal financial information. Cash can be exchanged for a unique 19 digit Ukash® voucher at over 420,000 physical points of purchase, or issued online from the company's website. The unique 19 digit vouchers are then used as e money to pay directly on thousands of websites that accept Ukash® worldwide. Ukash vouchers are easy to buy and spend, making online transactions more accessible, secure and convenient.

CHARGE Anywhere® Announces PA-DSS Application Certification for the CHARGE Anywhere® Payment Application for Windows Mobile®

Certification ensures highest degree of security & privacy

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J., Sept. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CHARGE Anywhere® LLC, a leading provider of award winning secure mobile payment and payment gateway solutions, announced today certification with Payment Card Industry Standard Security Council's (PCI SSC) Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) program (previously called the Visa Payment Application Best Practice (PABP) Program) for version 2.0.0.17 of the CHARGE Anywhere® Payment Application for Windows Mobile®.

With CHARGE Anywhere® Payment Application for Windows Mobile® merchants can effortlessly turn any Smartphone or Tablet into a fully functional, secure, and intuitive point-of-sale terminal. The easy-to-use, Windows based credit card processing solution gives businesses the freedom to securely process and manage credit card transactions from their mobile devices.

"Certification with Payment Card Industry Standard Security Council's Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) program demonstrates CHARGE Anywhere's ongoing commitment to maintaining a secure and reliable platform that assists merchants in protecting themselves against unscrupulous hackers intending to steal valuable information," said Paul Sabella, President and CEO. "CHARGE Anywhere is pleased to be able to offer our customers products and solutions that meet the industry's highest level of security."

The PCI SSC developed the PA-DSS based upon the Visa Payment Application Best Practices (PABP) to direct software vendors to create and maintain secure payment applications to reduce vulnerability of merchants and minimize data breaches. Compliance with the PA-DSS is determined based upon data and information developed by an evaluation of the application by a Payment Application Qualified Security Assessor approved by the PCI SSC. Today the adherence to PCI DSS is mandatory for banks, processing centers, financial organizations and merchants working with payment brands.

CHARGE Anywhere's distinct mobile point-of-sale solution for iPhone™, BlackBerry®, Android™, Windows Mobile®, Java® and Brew™ Platforms, allow users to process payments securely and in real-time. The exclusive solution allows users to capture and download mission critical business data above and beyond traditional credit card data such as signature, invoice number, employee number, tips, GPS location and more. CHARGE Anywhere's solution also has the capability to eliminate the need to store paper receipts with electronic signature capture, storage and retrieval.

CHARGE Anywhere continues to win awards for its industry-leading, multi-platform Payment Ecosystem. CHARGE Anywhere's mobile payments solutions are winners of the 2011 Mobile Payments Solutions Provider, 2010 CTIA E-Tech Awards in the Mobile Applications - Mobile Payments Category, the 2010 Mobile Merit Awards for Best Overall Enabler Application, the 2009 Best of Interop-PCI Security Solution Award and the 2009 Electronic Transaction Association Technology Innovation Award.

About CHARGE Anywhere:  CHARGE Anywhere is the developer of proprietary Payment Card Industry PA-DSS certified CHARGE Anywhere® v2.0.0 Mobile Payment/POS software solution designed for use with QuickBooks®, Smartphones and POS Terminals, e-commerce, Web terminal and PCI DSS Level 1 compliant ComsGate® Payment Gateway. CHARGE Anywhere offers business partners and customers the most secure and robust selection of industry specific and customized payments solutions and services, including: IP/Wireless Payment Gateway, POS software, Encryption and Data Security Services, Closed Loop Card Management and Merchant Billing Services. For more information contact them atwww.chargeanywhere.com, or (800) 211-1256.

Almost 20% of Consumers Will Not Shop Online Due to Security Concerns - Avira

September 22, 2011 03:10 PM Eastern Daylight Time 

Consumers Still Have Concerns About Online Shopping Safety According to Avira Survey

Almost 20% Still Do Not Shop Online Because of Security Concerns; Almost 30% Shop Online But Worry, and 22% Shop Only On Well-Known Sites

TETTNANG, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An overwhelming majority – 70 percent – of consumers either don’t shop online or do so with concerns about their safety while navigating the Internet according to the most recent survey of computer users from IT security expert Avira. During a July 2011 survey of Avira users, just 30 percent of respondents felt secure enough to be worry free as they shop online.

Do you feel secure while shopping online?

A) 28.62% - I shop online, but I always fear that my personal data is going to get into the wrong hands.

B) 22.51% - I trust only well known shops or brands like Amazon or iTunes.

C) 18.85% - Due to security concerns, I do not shop online.

D) 15.65% - I am fine as long as the method of paying and the financial transactions are always secure.

E) 14.36% - I feel secure - fraud with online shopping doesn't happen very often.

- 2,945 respondents with a margin of error of +/- 1.81 percent.

The online shopping survey was presented to Avira’s website visitors during July, 2011 with the question:

“Because of the continued data breaches, phishing attacks, and security vulnerabilities, that get reported on almost every day, consumers have every right to not feel 100 percent safe while they shop online,” said Sorin Mustaca, data security expert from Avira. “I recommend that consumers watch for a few things in order to not become a victim of the online fraudsters:

• Always check that the connection to the online store where the payment is done is secured. This can be observed first if the URL is starting with “https” and second if a small lock is present in the top right corner of the browser in the URL field (in Chrome) or the name of the website is written in a colored rectangle(in Firefox, IE). If the web browser gives any warnings about the security certificate of the website, then do not proceed to purchase anything from that website.
• If you don’t know the website you plan to buy from, always check its reputation. Search for other users who are commenting about that website. Searching for “<website> reputation” usually gives good and relevant results.
• Give your financial details like credit card data only if the website is properly secured and its reputation is good.
• Try to choose payment methods which don’t require payment upfront. If PayPal is an option, choose that whenever possible. Otherwise, if you’ve ensured the safety of the website you’re on and you feel good about its reputation, then pay with a credit card.
• Always double check your bank accounts to make sure the amount you spent is the amount that was charged. If there is a discrepancy, contact the website where you made the purchase.”

About Avira

Avira stands for extreme reliability and internet freedom around the globe. The company was founded 25 years ago on Tjark Auerbach's promise to "make software that does good things for my friends and family". Because of Avira's security expertise and award-winning antivirus software, today more than 100 million consumers and small businesses live free of spyware, phishing, worms and other internet based threats. The company delivers IT-security protection to computers, servers and networks both directly and in the cloud.

In addition to protecting the online world, Avira's CEO promotes well being in the offline world through the Auerbach Foundation, which supports charitable and social projects. The philosophy of the foundation is to help people to help themselves.

AsiaPay partners with Smart for safer online payments

AsiaPay, the leading online payments provider in Asia, has tapped Smart Money, the mobile commerce platform of the Philippines’ leading wireless services provider – Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), allowing PesoPay online merchants to accept online payments made by millions of Smart Money users in the Philippines. 

Shown in the photo during the recent MOA-signing ceremony (from left to right) are: Elmer M. Malolos, Smart Load and Financial Services Head and Joseph Chan, CEO of AsiaPay.

Filipinos will soon have a convenient, efficient and more secure option to purchase goods and services from their favorite online merchants.

AsiaPay, the leading provider of secure electronic payment solutions in Asia has partnered with the Philippines’ leading wireless services provider, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), to enable Smart Money account holders to pay for their online purchases through merchants of PesoPay – AsiaPay’s online payment service in the Philippines.

Smart Money, which is the mobile commerce offering of Smart  issued by BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDO) in the Philippines, is the world’s first reloadable cash payment card linked to a mobile phone.

“We are excited to partner with Smart in offering additional payment options to merchants and in providing secure online payment support to Smart Money users. We are committed to providing innovative and effective solutions to the industry, and the extension from online to mobile payments is a key focus for AsiaPay. This latest partnership and offering strengthens our position as one of Asia’s leading payment service providers offering total payment solutions to our clients,” says Joseph Chan, CEO of AsiaPay.

“Our collaboration with AsiaPay underscores our strategy to find and work with the right partners to provide more value and convenience to our customers. The security, affordability and accessibility promised by the Smart Money platform, combined with the wide network of partners of AsiaPay, will provide both online buyers and sellers with an enhanced and unparalleled mobile money experience,” said Elmer M. Malolos, Smart Load and Financial Services Head.

AsiaPay’s wide network of merchant partners, extensive experience in electronic payments, and comprehensive fraud management system with real-time fraud potential transaction screening easily complement Smart Money’s unique lock / unlock feature that enables any Smart Money account holder to authorize online purchases with just a few clicks on a Smart mobile phone .

The extensive capabilities and network of AsiaPay, combined with the unique features of Smart Money, including its alliance with the MasterCard network and internet transaction lock facility, provide internet users with a richer and more secure online shopping experience.

Recent statistics show that the e-commerce industry in the Philippines has not completely taken off. Aside from the fact that Filipinos still prefer the physical experiences associated with shopping, comfort level with online transactions have yet to improve as well. According to the first-ever in-depth study on the internet habits of Filipinos conducted by Yahoo! and Nielsen in March 2009, only 3% of over 20 million internet users in the Philippines, engage in online transactions.

Smart Money’s mobile-based internet security lock feature addresses the security concerns of online shoppers as it requires account holders to input a Personal Identification Number (PIN) via a Smart mobile phone to signify that an online purchase transaction has been authorized.  This gives Smart Money users even more control over their accounts, and protection from fraudulent online transactions.  The Smart Money mobile internet security lock is a first in the Philippines. It won as Best Mobile Money Service at the 2009 Asia Mobile Awards in Hong Kong.

About AsiaPay

Founded in 2000, AsiaPay, a premier electronic payment solution and technology vendor and payment service provider, strives to bring advanced, secured, integrated, and cost-effective electronic payment processing solutions and services to banks and e-businesses in the worldwide market, covering international credit card, debit card and other prepaid card payments. AsiaPay is an accredited payment processor and payment gateway solution vendor for banks, certified IPSP for merchants, certified international 3D-Secure vendor for Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and JCB. AsiaPay offers its variety of award-winning payment solutions that are multi-currency, multi-lingual, multi-card, and multi-channel together with its advanced fraud detection and management solutions. Headquartered in Hong Kong, AsiaPay offers its professional e-payment solution consultancy and quality local service support across its other 9 offices in Asia including: Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Mainland China (3), Taiwan, and Vietnam. For more information, please visit www.asiapay.com and www.pesopay.com.

About Smart Money

Smart Money is the world’s first reloadable electronic payment card linked to a mobile phone. It combines the strength of Smart's mobile commerce services and MasterCard's wide merchant acceptance network, enabling consumers to enjoy a wide array of goods and services. The pioneering Smart Money platform was accorded a 2010 Ambassador Alfredo M. Yao National Intellectual Property (IP) Award. Smart Money also won the 2001 3GSM Award for “Most Innovative GSM Wireless Service for Customers, and 2009 Asia Mobile Awards for the “Best Mobile Money Service” and “Best Mobile Money for the Unbanked” categories. It was also cited as the “Best Product Innovation” award at the MasterCard Awards in Australia.

There are currently over 8.5 million Filipinos using Smart Money who enjoy the benefits of peer-to-peer fund transfers, airtime reloading, bills payment, ATM withdrawals from over thousands of ATMs here and abroad, and purchases from millions of MasterCard establishments all over the world and on the worldwide web. The platform also allows Smart Money users to send fund transfer directly to over 47 million Smart subscribers.

For more information on Smart Money, log on to http://smart.com.ph/money/. 

New Mobile Receipt Printer Source

September 22, 2011 11:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time 

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Source Technologies, a global leader in specialized thermal barcode and MICR printing solutions, today announced the immediate availability of its newest mobile thermal receipt printer. The STm.58 offers four (4) distinct configurations to meet countless portable printing requirements.

The STm.58 is an ergonomically designed 2-inch portable with optional dual MagStripe Reader (MSR) and Bluetooth connectivity. This exceptional value-for-the-price-device prints clean, crisp receipts every time. The STm.58’s light weight and durable design modernizes on-demand payment processing and receipt printing for applications like route delivery, field service procedures, arena sales and line busting.

“Due to expanding markets and applications in which mobile printers are being utilized today, we recognize the demand for a lighter and sleeker printer. Customers are always looking for ways to make their jobs easier and faster and we have provided just that with this printer. Like our current mobile thermal printers, the STm.58 offers increased battery life and easy media loading capabilities; however, with an optional credit card reader, this printer is ideal for those needing receipt printing only,” advised Leo Giocondo, Sr. Product Manager.

STm.58 printers offer

• 80mm/sec maximum print speed and standard 203dpi
• Paper depletion and cover open sensors
• Serial, USB and Bluetooth

The new STm.58 portable thermal printer from Source Technologies puts fast, legible receipt printing right in the hands of mobile operations personnel with four (4) different configuration choices.

1. STm.58 with USB and Serial

2. STm.58m with USB, Serial and dual (MSR)

3. STm.58b with USB, Serial standard Bluetooth connectivity

4. STm.58bm with USB, Serial, Bluetooth and MSR

About Us

Celebrating 25 years of innovation, Source Technologies, an industry leader of specialized printing solutions, develops products for global markets including warehousing and distribution, finance, healthcare, transportation and logistics, and retail. Solutions include thermal barcode and receipt printers, MICR laser printers for the on-demand printing of negotiable documents, secure data printers and distribution software. Engineered for ease-of-use and reliability, our business solutions are impactful to organizations aspiring to streamline operations and increase efficiency. Experience something new: www.sourcetech.com

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6869604&lang=en

Contacts

Source Technologies
Laurel Ciliberti, 704-969-7573
Corporate Communications Manager
lciliberti@sourcetech.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/source_tech