ATM Operators File Antitrust Lawsuit Against Visa and MasterCard

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Visa and MasterCard are the targets of a proposed national class action lawsuit filed today claiming that the card issuers' rules fix the price of ATM access fees, a restraint of trade the suit claims violates the antitrust laws.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by the National ATM Council and several independent operators of automated teller machines, alleges that Visa and MasterCard's network rules prohibit ATM operators from offering lower prices for transactions over PIN-debit networks that are not affiliated with Visa or MasterCard. The suit alleges that the price fixing artificially raises the price that consumers pay for ATM services, limits the revenue that ATM-operators can earn, and violates the Sherman Act's prohibition against unreasonable restraints of trade.

According to the suit, ATM operators may charge an access fee to cardholders at the point of the transaction, but only if the fee is the same whether the machine is performing a Visa or MasterCard transaction or a transaction using another PIN-debit network. Visa and MasterCard networks can be more costly for operators to use, but the rules prevent an operator from offering consumers a discount for ATM transactions not completed over Visa or MasterCard's networks.

"Visa and MasterCard are the ringleaders, organizers, and enforcers of a conspiracy among U.S. banks to fix the price of ATM access fees in order to keep the competition at bay," said Jonathan Rubin, managing member of Washington, D.C.-based Rubin PLLC, an antitrust law firm representing the plaintiffs in the suit. "Were it not for these anticompetitive rules, Visa and MasterCard would face real competition for ATM services, consumers would pay lower prices for using ATMs, and more ATMs would be deployed," Rubin said. About 400,000 ATMs are in service across the nation, of which about half are operated by independent ATM operators who comprise the proposed class, the suit says.

The lawsuit seeks damages against Visa and MasterCard for violating the antitrust laws. Plaintiffs' attorneys have asked the court to certify the case as a class action on behalf of all independent ATM operators and to declare Visa and MasterCard's restraints on ATM access fees unlawful. The attorneys also ask the court to enjoin Visa and MasterCard from restricting how operators charge ATM access fees in the future.

Also representing the plaintiffs are Brooks E. Harlow and David A. LaFuria of Lukas, Nace, Gutierrez & Sachs, LLP, McLean, VA. Attorney Don A. Resnikoff is consulting counsel to Rubin PLLC.

The National ATM Council (NAC), a trade association, is a plaintiff in the case seeking an injunction against Visa and MasterCard on behalf of its membership, which includes the operators of a majority of the independent ATMs in the country. The NAC was formed in 2011 by the consolidation of the National Association of ATM ISOs and Operators (NAAIO) and the Alliance of Specialized Communications Providers (ASCP).

Several independent ATM operators, also plaintiffs in the suit, seek damages and an injunction and to be appointed by the court as representative plaintiffs on behalf of the proposed class.

The case name is National ATM Council, Inc. et al. v. Visa, Inc., et al. no. 11-cv-1803-ABJ (D.D.C., filed October 12, 2011).

About Rubin PLLC

Rubin PLLC is a Washington, D.C.-based antitrust law and competition policy law firm. The firm was founded in January 2011by Jonathan L. Rubin, a trial attorney, economist, and internationally recognized expert in antitrust law.  With a trusted network of corresponding affiliates, Rubin PLLC serves consumers and businesses in all aspects of U.S. competition law and policy.  Learn more at www.RubinPLLC.com.

About Lukas, Nace, Gutierrez & Sachs, LLP

Lukas, Nace, Gutierrez & Sachs, LLP is a Washington, D.C.-area law firm whose principals practice before federal and state courts, legislative bodies, and administrative agencies around the country as litigators and trusted advisors in the communications and other high-tech industries.  Attorney Brooks E. Harlow has worked with the banking and ATM industries for over two decades.  Learn more at www.fcclaw.com.

SOURCE Rubin PLLC

Mobey Forum Claims That There Is A Case For NFC Mobile Payments And Shows The Market How To Implement

October 12, 2011 04:38 AM Eastern Daylight Time 

HELSINKI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mobey Forum has released a white paper entitled ‘Business Models for NFC Payments’, which highlights what needs to happen to make NFC contactless mobile payments at the point of sale (POS) a mass market reality. As NFC technology continues to gain momentum, the study demonstrates how stakeholders can assess different implementation options, define the business case and roles that will meet their requirements and establish a clear go to market strategy with essential partnerships.

This latest white paper from Mobey Forum, the global bank-led industry association defining a prosperous mobile financial services landscape, aims to ultimately speed up the development and use of NFC technology for payments. The paper analyses the current ecosystem and showcases different types of technology and deployment strategies, explaining how these can be assessed to identify the implementation model that best aligns with a stakeholder’s commercial needs.

This document will be of interest to all financial institutions, mobile network operators, handset manufacturers, operating system providers and any technical vendors operating in the NFC environment.

Jordi Guaus, Chair of the Mobey Forum Business Workgroup and Head of Mobile Payments at “la Caixa”, comments: “The study acknowledges that customer demand for NFC services will grow substantially in the near term, presenting businesses with profitable opportunities. The marketplace, however, still has a lot to do to ensure NFC payment reaches its potential. There are many implementation models to choose from requiring payment service providers and other stakeholders to make significant business decisions today about an emerging ecosystem that is evolving rapidly.”

Guaus states that from a business standpoint, the convergence of many different markets to deliver NFC payments, and the complexity of these new commercial relationships, has created a barrier to widespread deployment. He adds: “This white paper addresses many of the issues faced by businesses as it provides readers with the information required to decide which implementation model will meet their commercial requirements. During our work we established that it is possible to define the business case for any implementation model by examining factors such as revenues and expenditures, costs relating to issuing processes and lifecycle management, and recognising other key benefits such as customer retention. This will speed-up and inspire confidence in the decision-making process.”

In addition to detailing four approaches to implementing NFC based on potential business models, the white paper offers a gap analysis on what the industry still needs to achieve. This includes technical interoperability and the establishment of a trusted model by developing defined certification processes that meet the needs of all stakeholders.

Guaus concludes: “We still do not know which implementation model will be preferred by the end-user and this creates many unknown factors. What we do know is that NFC payments will become a reality and all actors within this space need to be prepared, even if they do not plan to roll out implementations straightaway. We believe our white paper offers a great starting place.”

To download the Business Models for NFC Payments white paper without charge, visit www.mobeyforum.org.

Leading banks, payment schemes and service companies have all contributed to the white paper, including: American Express, CellPoint Mobile, DnB NOR, European Payments Council, ING, “la Caixa”, NCR, Nokia, Nordea, Royal Bank of Scotland and Visa Inc.

Related articles

• Mobey Forum releases report, webcast on NFC business models (nfcdata.com)

DigitalPersona Included in Leading Analyst Firm Magic Quadrant for Mobile Data Protection

Evaluation Based on Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- DigitalPersona, Inc., a global provider of authentication and endpoint protection solutions, today announced the company has been included in Gartner Inc.'s "Magic Quadrant for Mobile Data Protection.(1)" DigitalPersona®, a new entrant in the "Niche Player" quadrant, gained a foothold in mobile data protection (MDP) in 2010 by providing an OEM product through HP called ProtectTools. For inclusion in the Magic Quadrant, "the vendor must be generally recognized as a participant in the market, as evidenced by Gartner client interest and inquiries, presence at tradeshows and conferences, and other forms of public and media mention that establish competitive presence."

According to Gartner, "All vendors tracked are showing growth again, following the economic slowdowns in 2008 and 2009. MDP earns a promising assessment for growth in 2011 through 2012. Buyer concern over data protection remains strong, and requests for MDP planning and purchasing guidance are frequent. MDP is an established market with two primary purposes — first and foremost, to safeguard stored data on mobile devices by means of encryption and authentication; and second, to provide evidence that the protection is working. Most companies, even if not in sensitive or regulated industries, recognize that encrypting business data is a best practice. Gartner believes that MDP offered as a trusted service makes sense and can reduce barriers to entry, particularly for smaller companies."

DigitalPersona® Pro is a powerful, modular suite of security applications that is easy to use, scalable and simple to deploy and manage on all endpoints either via the Cloud or Active Directory. Developed for Small Businesses and Mid-sized Enterprises, DigitalPersona Pro helps customers enforce security policies including disk encryption, two-factor authentication, password management and digital signature; recover from emergencies if users forget their passwords; and monitor and report on the security status of their organization. DigitalPersona Pro Workgroup SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) is a cloud-managed full disk encryption (FDE) solution that eliminates costly server overhead and deployment challenges that have historically prohibited small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) from using disk encryption. DigitalPersona Pro Workgroup delivers mobile data protection for a monthly fee as low as $2 per computer, allowing businesses of any size to deploy enterprise-class security.

"DigitalPersona continues to drive down the cost and complexity of mobile data protection for companies of all sizes," said Jim Fulton, vice president, DigitalPersona. "We have continued to build on our successful OEM relationships to deliver new and innovative solutions that meet the changing needs of customers. We view our addition to the MDP magic quadrant as a significant sign of growth and maturity for our DigitalPersona Pro product suite."

About the Magic Quadrant

The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted 2011 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner's analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the "Leaders" quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About DigitalPersona

DigitalPersona, Inc. is a global provider of strong authentication and endpoint protection solutions that close the gap between people and security for enterprises, government agencies and commercial embedded-solution developers. The company's fingerprint biometrics technology helps organizations prevent fraud and increase accountability; it is incorporated into multiple national voting systems, almost all brands of biometrically-enabled point-of-sale (POS) stations, as well as many commercial applications in the retail, healthcare, and financial industries. DigitalPersona's data and access protection software is shipped by computer manufacturers on millions of notebooks and desktop computers per year; its cloud- and Active Directory-managed solutions for full disk encryption, multi-factor/strong authentication and single sign-on (SSO) password management simplify compliance and cut IT costs. For more information contact DigitalPersona, Inc. at: +1 650.474.4000, or visitwww.digitalpersona.com.

© 2011 DigitalPersona, Inc. All rights reserved. DigitalPersona® is a trademark of DigitalPersona, Inc. registered in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

(1)Gartner, Inc. "Magic Quadrant for Mobile Data Protection" by John Girard, Eric Ouellet, September 7, 2011.

SOURCE DigitalPersona, Inc.

Banks Raise Debit Card and Checking Fees - What's Next? Credit Union Executive Available to Address Fees, What's to Come, CU Benefits

LATHRUP VILLAGE, Mich., Oct. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

What: As the big banks of corporate America continue to announce new fees for debit cards, checking accounts and more, the benefits of community credit unions are becoming even more apparent to consumers. With services like free checking becoming a thing of the past for big banks, what's next for consumers?

Who: Michael Poulos, president and CEO of Michigan First Credit Union, can provide insights on these and other potential changes in the financial industry. For example, he predicts some banks may begin increasing their ATM fees or reducing the number of ATMs.

Contact: To set up an interview or for more information, please contact Susie Johnston at (248) 304-1449, orJohnston@airfoilpr.com.

About Michigan First Credit Union

Based in Lathrup Village, Mich., Michigan First Credit Union is one of the leading technology-focused credit unions in metroDetroit. The rapidly growing, full-service financial institution serves more than 82,000 members and has more than $640 millionin assets. Founded in 1926 as the Detroit Teachers Credit Union, Michigan First has since expanded to serve those who live, work or worship in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, as well as local businesses. Michigan First is committed to continuously investing in its members, the community, youth and financial literacy initiatives and providing members with the latest in banking technology and services. For more information, visit http://www.MichiganFirst.com.

To stay updated on news, events and more, follow Michigan First on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/MichiganFirstCU or "Like" Michigan First on Facebook http://www.Facebook.com/MichiganFirstCreditUnion.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.

Michael Poulos
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=72792

Electronic Payments Coalition Announces Support of House Bill to Repeal Harmful Durbin Amendment

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Electronic Payments Coalition announced its support for bipartisan legislation introduced in the House of Representatives to repeal the harmful Durbin amendment on debit interchange. Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Congressman Bill Owens (D-NY) are the lead co-sponsors.

EPC spokeswoman Trish Wexler had the following comments about the bill:

"The Durbin amendment was forced into law despite repeated warnings from consumer advocates, regulators, and economists on the dire consequences that await consumers.  We now see this unfortunate situation for consumers playing out in the form of higher costs to own and use a debit card, with no promise from merchants that any of their savings will be passed on at the register. We commend Congressmen Chaffetz and Owens for their efforts to protect consumers, and we urge Congress to act quickly to get rid of this unprecedented and harmful amendment once and for all."

About the Electronic Payments Coalition

The Electronic Payments Coalition (EPC) includes credit unions, banks, and payment card networks that move electronic payments quickly and securely between millions of merchants and millions of consumers across the globe. EPC's goal is to protect the value, innovation, convenience and competition in today's growing electronic payments system. EPC educates policymakers, consumers, and the media on the system's role in economic growth, and the importance of protecting consumer choice and stability for the continued growth of global commerce.

SOURCE Electronic Payments Coalition

Tyfone Introduces iCashe Mobile Wallet That Combines Mobile Banking With Digital Commerce

iCashe is the first mobile wallet people can use today to make purchases from over 100 participating merchant brands

PORTLAND, Ore. and SAN DIEGO, Oct. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CTIA Enterprise and Applications -- Tyfone (www.tyfone.com) announced today the availability of iCashe™, a new mobile wallet and eCommerce engine that for the first time delivers purchasing power through any mobile banking application. Built entirely on top of Tyfone's award-winning u4ia® mobile financial services platform, iCashe is the industry's only service to blend comprehensive mobile banking features with convenient consumer purchasing, gifting and loyalty programs. With the option of adding Tyfone's SideTap™ microSD secure element technology, iCashe also provides contactless NFC payments and the highest level of secure identity management.

"While financial institutions recognize the need to provide mobile banking, the watch and wait approach many have taken towards mobile wallet services sets the stage for disintermediation by others including Google and ISIS," said Andy Schmidt, research director at TowerGroup, a Corporate Executive Board company. "Combining mobile wallet with mobile banking gives banks – and merchants – the opportunity to avoid this disintermediation."

The first iCashe feature to debut is a highly convenient commerce service available through a mobile banking application that allows people to purchase, send and redeem merchant gift cards from over 100 different name brand merchants including: Barnes & Noble, Fandango and Zappos.com. With iCashe, gift cards can be purchased and stored on a person's mobile phone for personal use, or sent to anyone in the United States via email or text message. iCashe requires a person to be logged into a trusted mobile banking app, making purchasing highly efficient, secure and as easy as checking an account balance.

"iCashe is the first wallet service that allows people to use mobile banking for commerce," said Siva Narendra, Tyfone's president of North America. "A bank ATM card has limited value if a person can only use it to check balances or transfer funds; the same is true for a mobile banking application. By providing consumers a mobile application that combines banking with commerce capabilities, we're not only putting the value and utility of a real wallet into a mobile app, we're strengthening the bond between consumers and financial institutions. If banks give their customers something of value, it's fair for them to make money from it. iCashe is the first service giving financial institutions revenue generating opportunities from mobile banking."

Though Tyfone has built an award-winning and fully-featured mobile banking solution, there is no requirement for banks and other financial institutions to use Tyfone Mobile Banking in order to offer iCashe to their customers. Any financial institution can offer customers using electronic and mobile banking convenient commerce services built on top of iCashe, and all financial institutions using iCashe will immediately enjoy a new revenue stream based on incremental transaction fees from iCashe purchases.

"OnPoint Community Credit Union members who use Tyfone's leading edge mobile banking service find great utility from it and have a greater volume of banking transactions," said Jim Armstrong, OnPoint's senior vice president of technology. "Giving people the ability to make purchases through OnPoint's mobile banking app is a logical technology evolution.  Once the retail NFC infrastructure is in place, our mobile banking members using Tyfone's iCashe will likewise be ready to make contactless payments through our banking app."

Tyfone's patented contactless payments technology lets people customize a secure digital wallet, just as they do with the wallet in their purse or pocket today. Tyfone's SideTap microSD memory cards allow most phones on the market today to be enabled with contactless NFC payments. Tyfone's secure ID management meets or exceeds the security and authentication requirements for corporate mobile banking and high value transactions; and for consumers, financial institutions can extend superior security technology engineered for mobile handsets to also include tablets and personal computers through the use of Tyfone's SideTap or SideSafe™ microSD cards.

More information about Tyfone's iCashe solution can be found at: www.iCashe.com.

About Tyfone

Founded in 2004, Tyfone's corporate headquarters are in Portland, Oregon, and its Asia-Pacific headquarters are in Bangalore, India. Tyfone connects money and mobility via a highly secure, scalable and flexible mobile financial services solution tailored to meet the evolving needs of consumers, financial institutions, mobile network operators, transportation companies and retailers. Operating in any standard memory card slot, Tyfone's u4ia® platform and its companion SideTap™ memory card comprise the world's first patented, neutral, and comprehensive memory card-based payments solution for mobile contactless payments. Tyfone and its partners enable a suite of services including Mobile Banking, Mobile Identity Management, Mobile Remote Payments, Mobile Retail Services and Mobile Contactless Payments. For more information visit www.tyfone.com.

Tyfone, iCashe, SideSafe, SideTap and u4ia are trademarks of Tyfone, Inc. All others names are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Tyfone

Tagattitude Launches NFC2.0 ™ in the United States and France

October 12, 2011 12:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time 

Technology to be unveiled at the Innovate Developer Conference 2011 organized by ebay, PayPal and Magento in San Francisco on October 12-13.

PARIS & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tagattitude, an innovative French company specializing in secure, electronic transactions, today announced NFC2.0™, a unique, universal and easy-to-use technology that enables contactless mobile transactions across any network using any smartphone. NFC2.0 ™ is compatible with all smartphones and is completely independent of the phone’s operating system (ie: Android, Symbian, IOS, RIM, etc.). View the demonstration video here.

“NFC2.0 ™ is a purely software solution that does not require a chip or NFC phone to make contactless transactions”

“NFC2.0 ™ is a purely software solution that does not require a chip or NFC phone to make contactless transactions,” said Yves Eonnet, CEO of Tagattitude. “With a simple application, consumers can easily and securely make transactions using their smartphones regardless of the phone’s model or carrier.”

NFC2.0 ™ has already been integrated into a TagPay application making in-store payments with a smartphone or iPad simple, efficient and secure. Once the purchase is made, receipts are logged in to the customer’s smartphone and/or iPad in the TagPay application. Those with less sophisticated phones can still make transactions using Tagattitude’s NSDT^TM technology, which works with any mobile phone with a simple phone call. The NFC2.0™ TagPay application is now available in Apple’s AppStore and will be available on the Android Market in January 2012.

NFC2.0™ will be offered as a contactless transaction service that is easy to integrate with any smartphone application. Developers will have access to a Software Development Kit and public APIs to facilitate this integration. A TagPay "in the Cloud" will be optionally available for those applications handling financial transactions to use the TagPay architecture and features.

Financial service providers, telecom operators, and others will use NFC2.0™ to offer their customers the ability to make contactless transactions. Outside the realm of financial transactions, NFC2.0™ has several other applications such as, ticketing, social networking, e-couponing, gaming and more.

Tagattitude offers a variety of transaction capabilities for both high and low-end phones with its NFC2.0™ and NSDT™ technologies. Tagattitude also offers complete range of banking and financial services with a Bank in a Box package, based on its micro-banking platform, TagPay.

About Tagattitude – www.tagattitude.fr

Founded in 2005 by Yves Eonnet, an expert in electronic banking, and Herve Manceron, an expert in telecom technology, Tagattitude is an innovative French company specializing in secure, electronic transactions. Tagattitude’s financial services are deployed in over 30 countries around the world. The company focuses the majority of its resources on research and development. NSDT^TM Technology, for which Tagattitude holds nine patents, is based on 15 years of experience in smart card technologies VoIP. NSDT^TM is an innovative technology that challenges the classic architecture and processes of the banking ecosystem. This technology makes the electronic transaction process possible on any mobile phone. NSDT^TM and TagPay^TM were immediately adopted by countries that are excluded from the infrastructure of the global payment systems (Visa and Mastercard). Tagattitude’s early successes in Africa, Latin America and Asia are now the foundations of these countries’ payment systems of the future. The first Western banks (ERBD) have begun to adopt the technology. Tagattitude aims to become a major player in the up-and-coming industry of mobile transactions.

Cards International: Awareness Is the Main Barrier To Mobile Payments

October 12, 2011 08:24 AM Eastern Daylight Time 

• 90 percent of smart phone users have used mobile payments at some stage, however less than 50 percent have used them in the last 6 months

Prepaid Summit: Europe 2011

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to new research unveiled at the Prepaid Summit: Europe 2011 yesterday, penetration of mobile payments is high among smartphone users, but security concerns and a general lack of awareness are still presenting barriers to adoption. The research, presented at the conference in Milan, was carried out by TNS Italia, a leading research provider, in conjunction with VRL, market intelligence specialist and publisher of Cards International magazine

“It is also clear from the research, that a lot of work needs to be done in terms of understanding consumers’ security concerns and acting on them.”

James Ratcliff, Group Editor of Cards International and Electronic Payments International, said; “It is not good enough to simply offer consumers the facility to make payments on their phone. You need to clearly demonstrate the benefits of the service in order for it to truly take off. “This means all industry stake-holders – banks, telcos and retailers in particular – coming together to offer incentives to drive adoption,” he said. “It is also clear from the research, that a lot of work needs to be done in terms of understanding consumers’ security concerns and acting on them.

Prepaid Summit Europe 2011 was the 6^th annual conference to be held in association with Cards International and Electronic Payments International. This year the impact of various incoming pieces of regulation sparked interesting debate, and delegates were particularly keen to discuss opportunities in mobile and e-commerce. Senior level executives gathered to hear key note addresses from some of the industry’s biggest players, including; Matt Lanford, Head of Prepaid Products Europe and Alessandra Grassi, Global Products and Solutions, Prepaid Product Development from MasterCard; Greg Sheppard Head of Business Development within the Prepaid Centre of Excellence from Visa; Gary Palmer President from Wave Crest; Laura Kelly, SVP, Global Product & Marketing from American Express; Catherine Moore, Executive Director, JP Morgan; Millind Kangle, CEO Lyca Mobile and many more high calibre speakers.

Sponsors for 2011 include MasterCard Worldwide (Platinum Sponsor), Visa (Gold Sponsor), American Express and Wave Crest (Silver Sponsors), Ukash (Sponsors) Epipoli and www.mygiftcard.it (Session Sponsors and Exhibitors), IDT Finance, MTL and SCL (Exhibitors) and Bluerock (Lunch sponsors), the event is also supported by the Prepaid International Forum trade association.

Quantum Telecom Inc.: Forumtel to Launch Innovative SIM Overlay Solutions – SIM5G

October 12, 2011 11:17 AM Eastern Daylight Time 

Granted Exclusive distribution rights from Taiwanese Taisys Ltd.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Quantum Telecom Inc. d/b/a Forum Mobile (Nasdaq:QTMI) announced today that Forumtel, it’s leading US MVNO in the travel industry signed an exclusive worldwide distribution agreement with Taisys, leading provider of cutting edge SIM overlay technology and related applications. Utilizing the overlay SIM – the SIM5G, Forumtel can now expand its offering providing customers with even more simple and affordable long-distance and roaming solutions. The offering will go beyond telecommunications, allowing NFC related services and mobile banking. The overlay SIM easily connects to the mobile handset SIM and allow the provisioning of whole new range of applications and services without any installations – simple and secure. The Taisys techonolgy was tested and used by leading operators like China Unicom Ticker (NYSE: CHU) and Singapore M1 (M1: SP) and StarHub (STH: SP). Forumtel estimate over one million units of the overlay SIM to be provided to its customers in 2012.

The ForumTel program enables travelers to receive tremendous cost savings on their telecom services. For someone traveling overseas using their current mobile network, calls could be as much as $1.99 a minute. One can save up to 80% on their cell phone bill using Forumtel program based on Forum Mobile's solution. Now, with SIM5G, travelers will be able to use their own handset and regular local network SIM in parallel, thus gaining the benefits of both solutions. Mr. Benny Yehezkel, Executive VP of Forum Mobile, said: "Our goal is to provide end users with the most advanced, secure and simple technology available. SIM5G will upgrade solution level, make it easier to use and allow additional related services like mobile payments, transfer and banking. For the first time it will combine both Telecommunication and Financial related services on the same device. We will continue to lead the industry by providing our customers with a full range of solutions."

About Forum Mobile (www.forum-mobile.com)

Quantum Telecom, Inc. d/b/a Forum Mobile is a global Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE) with International presence in the USA, China, and UK. Forum Mobile provides MVNOs with a turn-key solution portfolio and service needed for their operations, market position and business expansion – starting with infrastructure and IT through MNO agreements, applications and handsets.

About Forum Tel (www.forumtel.com)

Forum Tel, as affiliated company of Forum Mobile, is a leading mobile virtual network operator in the international travel and hospitality marketplace. Forum Tel specializes in high quality handsets and international cellular services, and provides global travelers and their agents with the lowest costs available for local, international calling, texting and group travel communications services. Forum Tel customers includen AssistCard, Virgin Holidays, hotel chains like HYATT, WYNN, MGM. Forum Tel is headquartered in the USA with regional offices around the world.

Barclaycard Joins Near Field Communication Forum at Sponsor Level

October 12, 2011 10:28 AM Eastern Daylight Time 

Dentsu and Sequent Become Principal Members, 26 More Join at Lower Levels

WAKEFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, today announced that Barclaycard, a leading global payment business that is part of Barclays, has become a Sponsor member of the organization. Sponsor membership is the highest level, and its privileges include a seat on the NFC Forum Board of Directors, which governs the organization.

“Our newest members demonstrate the broad appeal of the work of the NFC Forum, and the variety of sectors that are represented emphasizes the value NFC technology can provide to businesses and consumers”

Dentsu Inc., the world's largest advertising agency, and Sequent Software, a leading provider of software for NFC payments for mobile devices, have joined the organization as Principal members, the second-highest level of membership. The NFC Forum, founded in 2004, continues to attract innovative organizations in all regions of the globe to its membership ranks in every category, demonstrating the rising tide of interest in implementing Near Field Communication technology.

Sponsor members may designate individuals to run for positions as officers of the Forum. Each Sponsor and Principal member is entitled to appoint a voting representative to each of the Technical, Marketing, and Compliance Committees and Working Groups. Sponsor and Principal members may designate individuals to run for positions leading Committees or Working Groups, and both Sponsor and Principal member organizations may propose initiatives and contribute to the development of Forum deliverables. Members at these levels may also participate in the NFC Forum testing and certification program using their own in-house test labs.

In addition, the NFC Forum recently welcomed 26 new Associate, Implementer, and Non-Profit members from across the NFC ecosystem. New Associate members include:

AgreeYa Mobility Pte. Ltd.
Avery Dennison RFID
Bureau Veritas ADT
C-SAM
Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc.
Ixxi
Korea Smart Card Co., Ltd.
Raisonance SAS
RECRUIT
Sharp Corporation
XAC Automation Corporation
ZTE Corporation

New Implementer members are:

Datang Telecom Technology Co., Ltd.
HTC Corporation
Isis (JVL Ventures LLC)
Novatec Solutions, Inc.
I/O Interconnect
OBOPAY, Inc.
Posiflex Technology, Inc.
Proxama Ltd
Sunward Telecom
TCL Communication Technology Holdings Limited
TIMWE
UPM RFID
VITEC Co., Ltd.

Technology Research Center Henan Province has also joined as a Non-Profit member.

"Our newest members demonstrate the broad appeal of the work of the NFC Forum, and the variety of sectors that are represented emphasizes the value NFC technology can provide to businesses and consumers," said Koichi Tagawa, chairman of the NFC Forum. "We are pleased to welcome these new organizations' participation in our work, and their contributions to the global NFC ecosystem. We are especially gratified that Barclaycard recognizes the leadership role of the Forum as demonstrated by their joining at the highest membership level."

"I believe that NFC is fundamental to the future of payments and the wider mobile experience,” said Val Soranno Keating, CEO, Barclaycard. “We’ve been the leader of the UK’s contactless payments market since launching the first cards and merchant terminals in September 2007. More than four out of five cards and an even higher percentage of terminals are still supplied by Barclays. Having established the infrastructure, we can now offer customers choice in the way they pay and, in partnership with a mobile operator, we introduced the UK’s first payment-enabled mobile phone this summer. We’re also working in the U.S. and Africa to bring the convenience of contactless payments to consumers and retailers. I’m delighted that we are joining the NFC Forum, and I look forward to Barclaycard playing a central role in the advance of this important technology. "

Information about the various membership levels offered by the NFC Forum is available at http://www.nfc-forum.org/join/, and a complete list of members can be found at http://www.nfc-forum.org/member_companies/.

About Barclaycard

Barclaycard, part of Barclays Retail and Business Banking division, is a leading global payment business that helps consumers, retailers, and businesses to make and accept payments flexibly, and to access short-term credit when needed.

The company is one of the pioneers of new forms of payments, and is at the forefront of developing viable contactless and mobile payment options for today and cutting edge forms of payment for the future. It also issues credit and charge cards to corporate customers and the British Government. Barclaycard partners with a wide range of organizations across the globe to offer their customers or members payment options and credit. Barclaycard operates in the United States, Europe, Africa, and the Middle and Far East.

About Near Field Communication Technology

NFC technology makes life easier and more convenient for consumers around the world by making it simpler to make transactions, exchange digital content, and connect electronic devices with a touch.

A standards-based connectivity technology, NFC harmonizes today's diverse contactless technologies, enabling current and future solutions in areas such as access control, consumer electronics, healthcare, information collection and exchange, loyalty and coupons, payments, and transport.

NFC technology is supported by the world’s leading communication device manufacturers, semiconductor producers, network operators, IT and services companies, and financial services organizations. NFC is compatible with hundreds of millions of contactless cards and readers already deployed worldwide.

About the NFC Forum

The NFC Forum was launched as a non-profit industry association in 2004 by leading mobile communications, semiconductor, and consumer electronics companies. The Forum’s mission is to advance the use of Near Field Communication technology by developing specifications, ensuring interoperability among devices and services, and educating the market about NFC technology. The Forum’s 160 global member companies currently are developing specifications for a modular NFC device architecture, and protocols for interoperable data exchange and device-independent service delivery, device discovery, and device capability.

The NFC Forum’s Sponsor members, which hold seats on the Board of Directors, include leading players in key industries around the world. The Sponsor members are: Barclaycard, Broadcom Corporation, INSIDE Secure, MasterCard Worldwide, Microsoft Corp., NEC, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Inc., NXP Semiconductors, Renesas Electronics Corporation, Samsung, Sony Corporation, STMicroelectronics, and Visa Inc.

Cinterion Launches the World’s Thinnest HSPA+ Module for Machine-to-Machine Applications

October 12, 2011 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time 

PHS8 Provides Flexible Surface Mounting and a Reliable Path to LTE

CTIA Enterprise & Applications 2011

booth #341 - M2M Zone

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CTIA Enterprise & Applications

“Providing a compatible footprint as a bridge to the future while protecting M2M solution longevity is key to implementation success. For our customers, this implies optimizing their technology investments for many years to come.”

Cinterion, a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) industry leader for more than 15 years and a Gemalto company (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO), today launched the world’s thinnest HSPA+ M2M module. This fully ruggedized, high-bandwidth module features flexible Surface Mounting Technology and enables secure, high-speed voice and data communications on global 2G and 3G cellular networks. It also provides a reliable bridge to forthcoming 4G LTE networks. At just 2 mm in height, PHS8 is ideal for the most space-constrained M2M solutions such as increasingly compact industrial PDAs, global tracking and tracing devices, discreet security systems, mHealth solutions and more.

“Our new PHS8 module enables advanced communications for today’s networks and readiness for tomorrow’s technology,” said Norbert Muhrer, CEO, Cinterion. “Providing a compatible footprint as a bridge to the future while protecting M2M solution longevity is key to implementation success. For our customers, this implies optimizing their technology investments for many years to come.”

With integrated GPS and flexible surface mounting PHS8 simplifies integration and streamlines efficient mass manufacturing to deliver lower total cost of ownership for M2M customers. The module’s unique thermal design extends the temperature range from -40°C to +85°C for reliable communications in even the most extreme conditions. Integrated voice coding algorithms enable superior voice quality and hands-free capabilities essential for industrial PDAs and mobile communications even while in transit or at work in the field.

PHS8 developer kits are available immediately with mass production expected in Q1 2012. For more information, please visit Cinterion’s booth #341 in the M2M Zone at CTIA Enterprise & Applications at the San Diego Convention Center, October 11-13, 2011.

About Cinterion, a Gemalto Company 
A Machine-to-Machine (M2M) industry pioneer and market leader for more than 15 years, Cinterion gives customers the confidence to excel in M2M through the foundations of expertise, security, simplicity and partnership. Cinterion’s award-winning products and services allow machines, equipment, vehicles and other assets to securely communicate over wireless networks, helping enterprises simplify operations, cut costs and increase efficiency. With unparalleled expertise in M2M and data security technologies ranging from wireless modules and Machine Identity Modules (MIMs), to server platforms and enabling services, Cinterion is a valued partner for equipment manufacturers, integrators, MNOs, and end-users in diverse vertical markets including: automotive and eToll, metering and smart grid, remote maintenance and control, healthcare, payment systems, routers and gateways, security systems, tracking and more.

Cinterion is part of the Gemalto Group (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security with revenues of €1.9 billion in 2010, and over 10 thousand employees operating out of 87 offices and 13 Research & Development centers in 45 countries.

For more information, please visit www.cinterion.com, www.facebook.com/cinterion, or follow @cinterion on twitter.

About Gemalto 
Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2010 annual revenues of €1.9 billion and over 10,000 employees operating out of 87 offices and 13 Research & Development centers in 45 countries.

Gemalto is at the heart of our evolving digital society. Billions of people worldwide increasingly want the freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain, and work—anytime, anywhere, in ways that are convenient, enjoyable and secure. Gemalto delivers on the growing demands for personal mobile services, identity protection, payment security, authenticated online services, cloud computing access, modern transportation, e-healthcare and e-government services. Gemalto does this by providing secure software, a wide range of secure personal devices, and managed services to wireless operators, banks, enterprises and government agencies.

Gemalto is the world leader for electronic passports and identity cards, two-factor authentication devices for online protection, smart credit/debit and contactless payment cards, as well as subscriber identification modules (SIM) and universal integrated circuit cards (UICC) in mobile phones. Also, in the emerging machine-to-machine applications Gemalto is a leading supplier of wireless modules and machine identification modules (MIM). To operate these solutions and remotely manage the software and confidential data contained in the secure devices Gemalto also provides server platforms, consulting, training, and managed services to help its customers achieve their goals.

As the use of Gemalto’s software and secure devices increases with the number of people interacting in the digital and wireless world, the Company is poised to thrive over the coming years.

For more information visit www.gemalto.com, www.justaskgemalto.com, blog.gemalto.com, or follow @gemalto on Twitter.

Walmart Becomes Authorized Payment Location for Leading California Utilities Through CheckFreePay From Fiserv

October 12, 2011 11:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time 

• Walmart is now an authorized walk-in bill payment center for Pacific Gas & Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas Company
• Customers can make payments to these utilities without a convenience fee
• Payments to these utilities are delivered on the same business day

BROOKFIELD, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, today announced that Walmart (NYSE: WMT) is expanding its offer of the CheckFreePay^® walk-in bill payment service from Fiserv to become an authorized walk-in bill payment center for multiple leading California utilities. Customers can now visit a Walmart store to pay a bill from Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas).

“Consumers appreciate the convenience of paying bills at Walmart, while making everyday purchases”

Walmart is an authorized payment center for PG&E, SDG&E and SoCalGas meaning customers can pay bills from these companies without incurring a convenience fee. To pay a bill, customers should bring their bill stub to a participating Walmart MoneyCenter or customer service desk. Payments can be made using cash or a PIN-based debit card. Payments are processed through the CheckFreePay bill payment service from Fiserv offered by Walmart, and are sent electronically to the utility on the same business day.

Walmart already offers customers the ability to pay more than 2,500 bills using CheckFreePay. In most cases, customers can choose from either next business day or three business day delivery options.

“Consumers appreciate the convenience of paying bills at Walmart, while making everyday purchases,” said Jardon Bouska, division president, Biller Solutions, Fiserv. “Walmart’s new service helps thousands of Californians who prefer to make cash payments in person, and facilitates quick and easy payments.”

The PG&E service territory represents Northern California. It extends from Eureka in the North to Bakersfield in the South and from the Pacific Ocean to the Sierra Nevada. SDG&E services customers in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The service territory for SoCalGas encompasses Central and Southern California, from Visalia to the Mexican border.

Fiserv is the largest processor of walk-in payments in the U.S., enabling consumers to pay more than 2,500 bills at more than 20,000 retail locations nationwide. CheckFreePay agents include supermarkets, drugstores and convenience stores, along with hundreds of independent and chain store retailers. The secure electronic payments network from Fiserv processes more than one billion transactions annually, and also leverages partnerships with more than 3,100 financial institutions.

MasterCard Easy Savings® Program Expanded to Provide Savings on Hotels, Technology and Financial Advice

October 12, 2011 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time 

Automatic Discounts on Everyday Purchases Give Small Businesses More for Their Money

PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MasterCard Worldwide today announced the expansion of the MasterCard Easy Savings Program, providing America’s small businesses with greater value when booking at more than 7,500 hotels around the country through the MasterCard Easy Savings Hotel Network, as well as savings on everyday needs such as telecommunication services and financial advisory services.

“The expansion of our popular Easy Savings program helps MasterCard deliver on our commitment to help small businesses find easy, stress-free ways to maximize the success of their business and get the most out of every dollar”

“The expansion of our popular Easy Savings program helps MasterCard deliver on our commitment to help small businesses find easy, stress-free ways to maximize the success of their business and get the most out of every dollar,” said Eugene DeSilva, Vice President, U.S. Small Business Product Management, MasterCard Worldwide. “And, the financial institutions and merchants that issue and accept our cards benefit from creating stronger, more rewarding relationships with their customers.”

New Hotel Savings Make Small Business Travel More Affordable

The addition of the MasterCard Easy Savings Hotel Network, powered by CLC Lodging, enables small businesses to save four percent on all hotel folio charges paid for using an enrolled MasterCard small business card at more than 7,500 participating midscale and economy hotels in the U.S. By providing automatic savings on these travel-related costs, MasterCard helps small businesses manage expenses, maximize their travel budgets and stay competitive.

Participating hotels – including Super 8, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Ramada, Days Inn, Hampton Inn, EconoLodge, Howard Johnson, Hyatt Place and Hilton Garden Inn – can be found using the MasterCard Easy Savings Locator, located atwww.mastercardeasysavings.com.

Expansion of Offers to Power Small Business Productivity

The MasterCard Easy Savings Program offers eligible MasterCard small business credit, debit and prepaid cardholders automatic rebates from merchant partners in a variety of business categories, including two new offers:

• Vocalocity – MasterCard small business cardholders now receive a 10 percent savings on cloud-based phone systems through the Vocalocity promotional bundle, featuring more than 40 business class features. Vocalocity offers pre-configured phone services with a broader array of features than traditional analog phone systems, and flat-rate phone plans with flexible add-ons that make small businesses more productive and profitable.
• BIDaWIZ – Small businesses can also enjoy an automatic 10 percent discount on tax and financial advisory services from BIDaWIZ, an online marketplace that allows small businesses to submit tax or financial questions and choose from a variety of verified licensed tax and/or financial experts for answers and guidance. For a limited time, small businesses will also have access to a free 30-day trial to the BIDaWIZ premium weekly newsletter and BIDaWIZ premium knowledge database.

About the MasterCard Easy Savings Program

The MasterCard Easy Savings Program provides MasterCard small business cardholders from nearly 60 participating business card issuers with automatic savings through rebates, applied to their statements. Categories include: fuel and maintenance, business services, travel and entertainment, printing and shipping. Participating merchants include the U.S. Postal Service, Fuelman Network with over 19,500 brand-name gas stations, MasterCard Easy Savings Hotel Network with more than 7,500 hotels around the country, Firestone, Maggiano’s, Avis, Bing and others. A full listing of participating merchants and offers can be found atwww.mastercardeasysavings.com.

Heartland Payment Systems Releases Latest Durbin Impact Statistics

October 12, 2011 08:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time 

Heartland sends more than $5,000,000 in Durbin Dollars to merchants

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Heartland Payment Systems^® (NYSE: HPY), one of the nation’s largest payments processors, has released the latest data about the Durbin Amendment’s actual effects on business owners across the United States.

From October 1, 2011 to October 11, 2011, Heartland passed along $5,532,318 in signature debit interchange reductions to its merchants across the U.S. Restaurant merchants received $1,972,770 of this reduction. The company estimates its average merchant will save more than $1,000 in the first year alone.

Based on data collected between October 1, 2011 and October 11, 2011 across Heartland’s portfolio of 250,000 merchant locations, Heartland has found:

• 64% of its signature debit sales volume qualified as regulated
• On average, there is a savings of $0.20 per transaction for regulated (vs. non-regulated)
  • The average signature debit non-regulated interchange fee per transaction is $0.43
  • The average signature debit regulated interchange fee per transaction is $0.23
• On average, there is a savings of 74 basis points for regulated (vs. non-regulated)
  • The average signature debit non-regulated effective rate is 1.57%
  • The average signature debit regulated effective rate is 0.83%

For more information on the Durbin Amendment, visit GetYourDurbinDollars.com.