Monday, May 21, 2012

Blackhawk Network Recognizes Outstanding Achievement in the Prepaid Industry

SOURCE: Blackhawk Network
May 21, 2012 15:45 ET

Blackhawk Network
Sixth Annual Hawk Awards Winners Announced

PLEASANTON, CA--(Marketwire - May 21, 2012) - Blackhawk Network, a leading provider of prepaid and financial payment products, has announced the winners of the company's sixth annual Hawk Awards, recognizing exceptional achievement among companies and individuals in the prepaid arena.
"Throughout the years, the prepaid industry has continued to grow thanks to the contributions of our many partners that we have the honor to work with," said Talbott Roche, President, Blackhawk Network. "The Hawk Awards provide us the opportunity to recognize and celebrate their commitment to innovation and growth, which we continue to see in the prepaid industry."
The following leaders were honored at the Hawk Awards annual ceremony:
Best Card Design: jcpenneyThe Best Card Design Award honors the most eye-catching and inventive card in the prepaid category. jcpenney's fashion-forward, new gift card is a complete redesign of its original card. The card's imagery of a shopper with her colorful shopping bags is artistic, refreshing and hip.
Best Promotional Program The Best Promotional Program honors the best marketing and promotional campaigns executed by card and alliance partners.
  • Card Partner: iTunesIn December, Apple launched a stocking stuffer event offering consumers $5 off $30 iTunes multipacks in select locations. The promotion was supported with a two-page circular and in-store wobblers. During this promotion, sales of $30 multipacks dramatically increased.
  • Alliance Partner: Kroger C-Quad FuelKroger convenience store banner Turkey Hill aggressively promoted all telecom handsets for December 2011 - January 2012. With the purchase of handsets, customers received a discount off fuel purchases. Handset sales increased 10 times, and wireless airtime sales jumped from double-digit losses to positive growth, which continues today.
Most Innovative Product or Service The Most Innovative Product or Service Award honors the most inventive and refreshing product or service in the prepaid industry.
  • Card Partner: SephoraSephora has truly revolutionized gift card giving and receiving. With the company's focus on e-gifting and mobile payments, gifts cards are more convenient to give and receive than ever.
  • Alliance Partner: SafewaySafeway launched its Employee PayPower program in October 2011, encouraging its employees to join the General Purpose Reloadable (GPR) movement. Safeway employees get to use this Visa-branded GPR card with no upfront purchase fee, free reloads at Safeway stores, free direct deposit, and no monthly fees while an employee. 
Best Overall Prepaid Program: Lowe's Companies, Inc.The Best Overall Prepaid Program recognizes a top notch, ground-breaking program by a partner company. Lowe's was honored for its incredible dedication to increasing awareness and sales of prepaid products. Lowe's is celebrating its one-year anniversary offering prepaid products in its stores.
Industry Achievement: BI-LOThe Industry Achievement Award honors the individual or organization that made the greatest contribution to the advancement of the gift card industry. BI-LO was honored for its unprecedented dedication to its prepaid programs. In early 2011, BI-LO relaunched its Gift Card Mall 2.0, adding more than 11 touch points in each of its 207 locations. It has included gift cards in its fuelperks! programs, running more than four double fuel points promotions. In addition, BI-LO has expanded its prepaid options to GPR and telecom products while supporting marketing efforts with attention-grabbing visuals and displays.
Sponsor Innovations in Prepaid The Sponsor Innovation Award is a peer-recognized award honoring innovation among Summit sponsors.
  • Industry Innovation Award: ABnoteNear Field Communication (NFC) is quickly transforming the mobile device into the wallet of the future. ABnote has developed a collaborative TSM/NFC mobile wallet platform that provides its partners the ability to manage the deployment of closed or open loop prepaid programs directly to their customers' NFC-enabled phones. The program allows for the provisioning of multiple secure credentials directly to the ABnote Wallet on the NFC-enabled mobile device from a centralized TSM, regardless of what type of NFC-enabled mobile device is in customers' hands.http://www.abnotena.com/pg-NFC_Wallet.html
  • Most Innovative Prepaid Product: Gift Card ImpressionsGift Card Impressions created an innovative way to "dress up" a gift card with the Happy Birthday Gift Box Reveal. This custom gift card packaging solution drove a 20 percent increase in sales for the retail partner and was recently selected by the Greeting Card Association as one of three finalists for a Louie Award in Product Innovation, marking the first time a gift card holder has been named a finalist. The product was selected out of more than 900 submissions from 180 countries.
About Blackhawk NetworkBlackhawk Network, a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., is a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses. The company's Gift Card Mall™ offers the industry's most popular prepaid gift card and telecom products from leading brands. Gift Card Mall, with access to 165 million unique customer visits each week, is available through a network of leading grocery stores, big box, convenience, pharmacy, specialty stores and Internet retailers including GiftCardMall.com. Blackhawk Network's business solutions include reward and incentive programs that offer choice and flexibility through a wide array of card brands, custom designed Visa® prepaid cards and fulfillment options. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Blackhawk Network Inc. has offices in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Mexico and the United Kingdom. For more information about Blackhawk Network visit www.blackhawknetwork.com and www.giftcardmall.com.



Jersey Mike's mobile rewards program signs up 200K in a month





May 21, 2012
Jersey Mike's mobile rewards program signs up 200K in a month
Jersey Mike's Subs' new Sub Club Rewards Program yielded 200,000 members nationwide in one month.
The loyalty program was launched in April and allows customers to earn free subs and receive other special offers.
The program incorporates a cardless alternative to membership identification and accumulation of points and rewards. Members are offered the option to sign up using a traditional membership card with barcode (credit card size or keychain tag in the shape of a surfboard) or a mobile member ID tag and sticker that utilizes Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. In that case, when the tag or sticker is tapped to a reader at the register, a member is easily identified and points are added to their membership.
www.mobilemarketingprofits.com







EMV Chip Cards Seen Lowering Retailer Costs


ePaymentNews                     13 new results for NFC Mobile Payment
DLI Introduces its New Rugged Mobile Tablet with Exclusive 5-in-1 Mobile ...
Embedded.com
DLI unveils its new 9000 rugged tablet and 5-in-1 mobile payment module option. Designed by DLI, this exclusive 5-in-1 payment module includes a magstripe, debit pin pad, contactless payment (NFC™), EMV™, and barcode scanning.
See all stories on this topic »
NFC Forum Chairman Koichi Tagawa to Deliver Opening Keynote at NFC Solutions ...
MarketWatch (press release)
At the event, industry leaders will come together to discuss a broad range of uses for NFC-enabled devices in both payment and non-payment applications, and during the unique "open conference" final day, attendees will present their own mini-sessions ...
See all stories on this topic »
EMV Chip Cards Seen Lowering Retailer Costs
Supermarket News
To qualify, terminals must be enabled to support EMV (both contact and contactless) chip acceptance, including mobile contactless payments based on NFC technology, along with mag-stripe cards. Retailers would still be required to have an initially PCI ...
See all stories on this topic »

Supermarket News
Tyfone Announces NFC Design Breakthrough Associated Patents and Licensing
MobilityWire (press release)
Tyfone (www.tyfone.com), a mobile financial and security solutions provider, today announced the issuance of two US Patents supporting a breakthrough design solution that is required to miniaturize a NFC antenna for use in mobile environments, ...
See all stories on this topic »
Smartphone Payment Methods At Maverik Stores
Convenience Store Decisions
Maverik convenience stores is one of 30 merchants that plans to use the NFC payment system this summer. This summer, customers in Salt Lake City, Utah and Austin, Texas will be able to buy products at convenience stores with a wave of their smartphones ...
See all stories on this topic »
LG Optimus Elite officially available on the Virgin Mobile network
Technology Bloom News
One of the features that will likely stand out on the Virgin Mobile network is that the new handset comes with NFC, which can be used as a payment solution if you would rather leave your money in your pocket. One issue with the near field communication ...
See all stories on this topic »

Technology Bloom News
Vizibility adds NFC to business ID
NFC World
By Sarah Clark • nfcworld.com • 21 May 2012, 17:01 The company's new "NFC Mobile Wallet Cards" contain a link to an online profile of the cardholder which, as well as standard contact details, can also include a full personal profile, video bios and ...
See all stories on this topic »

NFC World
CorFire™ Expands Management Team
Virtual-Strategy Magazine
Before joining CorFire, Zalewski served as president at Aikon Consulting, LLC, has played an integral role in many of the first NFC and pre-NFC (RFID) mobile payments trials and pilots and helped create a Trusted Service Manager joint venture in 2006.
See all stories on this topic »
Meridian Health JV unveils low-cost RhythmTrak ECG device
mobihealthnews
New Jersey-based healthcare system Meridian Health's joint venture, iMPak Health announced its next low-cost mobile health device, a Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled credit card sized ECG device that pairs with NFC-enabled smartphones and tablets ...
See all stories on this topic »

mobihealthnews
Identive Introduces Cloud-Based NFC Tag Management
RFID-Ready (press release)
Identive Group, Inc., a provider of products and services for the identification, payment and NFC mobility markets, has announced the release of its cloud-based NFC tag management platform, which allows advertisers, retailers and organizations in the ...
See all stories on this topic »

RFID-Ready (press release)
Jersey Mike's mobile rewards program signs up 200K in a month
QSRweb.com
Members are offered the option to sign up using a traditional membership card with barcode (credit card size or keychain tag in the shape of a surfboard) or a mobile member ID tag and sticker that utilizes Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.
See all stories on this topic »
NCR adds NFC to hotel check-ins
NFC World
The kiosk allows guests to identify themselves by scanning a printed or mobile-delivered reservation confirmation barcode, via mobile acoustic keys or with an NFC mobile phone. "The low-profile kiosk can be placed on counters or table tops throughout a ...
See all stories on this topic »

NFC World
ZTE launches Sim-based NFC mobile device in Turkey
Telecompaper (subscription)
ZTE has launched its Sim-based NFC mobile device that enables bank and toll payments in Turkey. Launched in January this year and available on Turkcell T11 (also known as the ZTE Racer II), the service is supported by Turkey mobile operator, Turkcell.
See all stories on this topic »



Acculynk Gives Online PIN Pad a Facelift

May 21, 2012 02:07 PM Eastern Daylight Time 


Cosmetic Changes Increase Online PIN Pad Use at Checkout by Consumers
ATLANTA--()--Acculynk, provider of PaySecure, the industry standard for online PIN debit, today announced a user-experience upgrade to their patented graphical PIN pad.
“The new version of the online PIN pad has a smarter look and leverages the latest graphic standards for both web and mobile”
“The new version of the online PIN pad has a smarter look and leverages the latest graphic standards for both web and mobile,” said Nandan Sheth, President & COO, Acculynk. “With the upgrade to the graphical user interface, average conversion rates have increased 10 percent. Prior to this new version going live, the average PaySecure conversion rate for PIN submission was 55 percent, much higher than point of sale.”
The latest Acculynk online graphical PIN pad can be viewed at www.acculynk.com/demo.  Let me save you a click...

 From a technical and security standpoint, the PIN pad has not changed. The PIN is not captured by the merchant, nor is it transmitted over the internet.
A separate TSYS Mercator Advisory Group study conducted last year found that 57 percent of consumers surveyed prefer to use their debit card 54 percent expressed interest in their financial institution providing a secure method for online PIN entry .
With Acculynk’s PaySecure, online shoppers using their debit card online are asked to enter their PIN on a graphical PIN-pad at the merchant checkout, and only need their existing bank-issued PIN to complete the transaction. The cardholder uses the mouse to click on a number and the PIN pad re-scrambles as each digit is selected. The PaySecure PIN pad can be customized with the card issuer’s logo and debit card design. There are no hardware devices, passwords, enrollment, or redirection to another website for payment.
Consumers can use their debit card and PIN at over 3000 merchant sites including Sears, Western Union and K-Mart.
About Acculynk
Acculynk secures online transactions with a suite of software-only services backed by a patented authentication and encryption framework that provides greater security for issuers, EFT networks, merchants and payment processors. Acculynk’s PaySecure®utilizes a graphical PIN-pad for the secure entry of a consumer’s PIN online and is available to merchants through existing acquirer relationships, enabling speedy implementation. PaySecure is currently enabled on over 3,000 merchant websites. Acculynk has partnerships with 11 EFT networks to process PaySecure transactions and with six leading payment processors, and is certified with PULSE, First Data and Master Card, among other key industry leaders. Visit http://www.acculynk.com.




Survey Says: Consumers Prefer Online Banking to Traditional Branch Banking


Consumers Prefer Online Banking to Traditional Branch Banking (via PR Newswire)
PRINCETON, N.J., May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- More than half of consumers prefer to do their banking online and nearly half would do all of their banking online if they could. This was a key finding of the national consumer survey on retail banking trends conducted by Rosetta, an independent brand…

How Apple and iPad Plan to Take Over the Cash Register in Retail

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 16:  A customer purchases...
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 16: A customer purchases the new iPad which went on sale around the world on March 16, 2012 in New York City. Simply called the iPad, the new tablet replaces the iPad 2 and features a high-pixel-count 'retina display'. Hundreds of people waited in line all night to be the first in the flagship Apple Store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
Blogs2 new results for NFC Mobile Payment
How Apple and iPad Plan to Take Over the Cash Register in Retail ...
By Lory
It is not unlike a near-field communication (NFC) payment center, which allows users to swipe their mobile device over an NFC-enabled terminal to pay for an item instead of having to pass a credit card through a magnetic runner.
PadGadget
Oakland gets NFC parking • NFC World
By Mike Clark
The near field communication news source – NFC, contactless, mobile payments, RF SIM, RFID and more. Skip to content. Home · About NFC World · Advertise with us · Contact us · Got a tip? Tell us! News · Front page · Applications » ...
NFC World



Making a Case for "Alternative Credit"


The Case for “Alternative Credit” (via Credit.com)
Unless they are in trouble, most people don’t wake up in the morning thinking about credit. Not even me, and I’ve spent much of my career immersed in it. But for most people, credit is an afterthought, and that’s unfortunate given the impact it has on our lives. Credit is now at a crossroads.…

Global Keyless Vehicle Access Control Systems Industry


Global Keyless Vehicle Access Control Systems Industry (via PR Newswire)
NEW YORK, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Global Keyless Vehicle Access Control Systems Industry http://www.reportlinker.com/p0552749/Global-Keyless-Vehicle-Access-Control-Systems-Industry.html#utm_source=prnewswire…

Vizibility Introduces the First Mobile Business Card for the New Mobile Wallet


Vizibility Introduces the First Mobile Business Card for the New Mobile Wallet (via PR Newswire)
SANTA CLARA, Calif., May, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Vizibility Inc., provider of the online identity management platform for professionals and the enterprise, today announced the first-ever NFC Mobile Wallet Card as a standard feature for premium subscriptions. The NFC (Near Field Communication) beta…

Trunkbow Announces First Quarter 2012 Financial Results


Trunkbow Announces First Quarter 2012 Financial Results (via PR Newswire)

BEIJING, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Trunkbow International Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: TBOW) ("Trunkbow" or the "Company"), a leading provider of Mobile Payment Solutions ("MPS") and Mobile Value Added Services ("MVAS") in the PRC, today announced financial results for its first quarter ended…

Frost & Sullivan Reveals Four Big Predictions for the ICT Industry in 2012


Frost & Sullivan Reveals Four Big Predictions for the ICT Industry in 2012 (via PR Newswire)
LONDON, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Frost & Sullivan study outlines four big predictions that could potentially have a significant impact on the industry throughout the next 12-18 months: Machine-to-Machine (M2M), social network infrastructure, web-based platform and vertical markets entry…

Roshan and Western Union Launch International Mobile Money Transfer Service in Afghanistan


Roshan and Western Union Launch International Mobile Money Transfer Service in Afghanistan (via PR Newswire)

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Roshan, Afghanistan's leading total communications provider, and Western Union, a leader in global payment services, have today jointly launched the Western Union Mobile Money Transfer service in Afghanistan that enables Roshan's M-Paisa customers to…

Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day Highlights: Robert Half International, Kirkland's, MasterCard, American Express and Visa


Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day Highlights: Robert Half International, Kirkland's, MasterCard, American Express and Visa (via PR Newswire)

CHICAGO, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Zacks Equity Research highlights Robert Half International (NYSE:RHI) as the Bull of the Day and Kirkland's, Inc. (Nasdaq:KIRK) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on MasterCard Inc. (NYSE:MA), American Express (NYSE:AXP…

DLI Introduces its New Rugged Mobile Tablet with Exclusive 5-in-1 Mobile Payment Module


DLI Introduces its New Rugged Mobile Tablet with Exclusive 5-in-1 Mobile Payment Module (via PR Newswire)

LAPORTE, Ind., May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- DLI, a leading manufacturer of rugged tablets, in-vehicle computers, and mobile POS devices today announced the release of the DLI 9000 Rugged Mobile Tablet. DLI unveils its new 9000 rugged tablet and 5-in-1 mobile payment module option.  Designed by DLI…

Discover Announces Fixed-Rate Private Student Loans

2011 10 06 - 1237 - Washington DC - Occupy DC
2011 10 06 - 1237 - Washington DC - Occupy DC (Photo credit: thisisbossi)

Discover Student Loans Adds Fixed-Rate Loans for Undergraduate, Health Professions, Law, MBA and Graduate Students
RIVERWOODS, Ill.--()--Discover Student Loans, one of the largest originators of private student loans in the United States, announced today new fixed-rate loans for undergraduate and graduate students with rates as low as 6.79 percent APR.
“For students who want the convenience and simplicity of knowing what their monthly payments will be, Discover’s new fixed-rate loans are a great option”
While Discover continues to offer competitively priced variable rate loans with initial rates as low as the prime rate -- currently 3.25 percent APR -- the new fixed-rate loans provide predictability with a set interest rate for the life of the loan. Discover's fixed-rate loans are designed to have rates comparable to unsubsidized Stafford and PLUS Loans without the up-front origination fees of up to 4 percent.
Like all Discover Student Loans, fixed-rate loans:
  • Have zero origination fees
  • Are backed by 24/7 customer service
  • Come with a 0.25 percent Auto Debit Reward
  • Require no payments while students are enrolled in school at least half-time
  • Are forgiven in the event of the primary borrower’s death or permanent disability
“For students who want the convenience and simplicity of knowing what their monthly payments will be, Discover’s new fixed-rate loans are a great option,” said Steve Olszewski, senior vice president of student loans for Discover. “Our mix of fixed- and variable-rate loans gives borrowers the ability to choose a loan that better meets their unique circumstances.”
As a responsible lender of private student loans, Discover encourages students and their parents to seek out all available grants, scholarships and free financial aid before taking student loans. Discover also advises students to consider federal student loans and to compare all the features of federal and private student loans to see which loans best fit their needs. Discover requires school certification to help prevent students from borrowing more than they need and disburses funds directly to schools so tuition bills get paid on time.
DiscoverStudentLoans.com has tools and information to help students and parents with each step of the process – from exploring financial aid to repaying student loans. Students can apply at DiscoverStudentLoans.com for fixed- or variable-rate loans for undergraduate, health professions, law, MBA and graduate programs.
For more information, visit DiscoverStudentLoans.com or call 1-877-728-3030 anytime to speak with a student loan specialist.




AJB Guides Petroleum Merchants with EMV Payments


Enables petroleum retailers to easily integrate EMV-ready payment cards with their fuel dispensers
TORONTO--()--AJB Software Design, Inc., a leader in integrated payment solutions, today at the NACStech conference, announced that it has completed more than 100 EMV Chip and PIN integrations with petroleum retailers and other merchants throughout Canada and the United Kingdom. AJB assists merchants to certify EMV transactions; reducing fraudulent transactions at the pump, lowering PCI compliance costs, and enhancing customer service.
“AJB’s extensive experience with EMV adoption provides customers with expert knowledge that allows us to implement EMV solutions in the most efficient manner possible.”
AJB’s FIPay (Flexible Integrated Payment System) software provides merchants with the ability to enable an EMV transaction, and is the foundation for quickly enabling EMV transactions on hardware already located at merchants locations. AJB’s EMV software applications are PA-DSS certified allowing solutions to meet all aspects of the EMV security standard. FIPay enables merchants to connect locations, banks and other points of service components in the payment authorization process.
“We make it easy for retailers to adapt to new payment technologies and market changes, including the need for merchants to migrate from magnetic stripe cards to EMV chip and PIN based transactions,” said Pat Polillo, Vice President Sales at AJB. “AJB’s extensive experience with EMV adoption provides customers with expert knowledge that allows us to implement EMV solutions in the most efficient manner possible.”
“AJB is a dependable organization with a proven track record, demonstrating nimbleness and exceptionally fast time to market,” said Tomas Levi, Director of Global Payment Planning & Strategy at Gilbarco Veeder-Root. “AJB listens to its customers. Once we provided training and information about our solution they were able to implement EMV with minimal support, while adding substantial value to Gilbarco and our customers.”
AJB’s exposure to EMV began in 2005 when EMV was being rolled out in the United Kingdom. From 2005-2006, AJB deployed EMV-based credit card and debit card solutions for a number of UK resident customers. It has since drawn upon its UK experience and has been providing Canadian merchants with a seamless transition from their current magnetic strip technology to EMV chip and PIN technology.
About AJB Software Design, Inc.
AJB is a leading provider of payment integration software solutions. Twenty percent of North America’s Top 100 retailers and 10 percent of the top global retailers by sales volume, rely on AJB products and services. Founded in 1994, AJB has over 140 global clients, and its software makes it easy to connect the components required for real-time payment processing. AJB enables retailers to quickly comply with new standards and payment types, including mobile, EMV and other emerging forms of payment. In addition, it allows banks and POS vendors to easily integrate their products with retailers, petroleum and convenience stores. AJB simplifies integration with existing systems; solutions are scalable, multi-channel and platform independent. For more information, visit www.ajbsoftware.com.




NFC Forum Chairman Koichi Tagawa to Deliver Opening Keynote at NFC Solutions Summit, May 22



NFC Forum Track on May 23 Will Highlight the State of the Technology; Forum Chairman Will Also Address NFC Meetup Group May 23
WAKEFIELD, Mass.--()--The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, announced that Forum Chairman Koichi Tagawa will be the opening keynote speaker May 22 at theNFC Solutions Summit taking place in Burlingame, California. Mr. Tagawa will address the plenary attendees on the topic "NFC Momentum: Beyond the Killer App."
“This is an exciting time for NFC technology, with commercial rollouts increasing and many more NFC-enabled devices hitting the market”
The NFC Solutions Summit, May 22-24, is a comprehensive North American showcase for the high-growth NFC technology, and it is jointly presented by the NFC Forum and the Smart Card Alliance. At the event, industry leaders will come together to discuss a broad range of uses for NFC-enabled devices in both payment and non-payment applications, and during the unique "open conference" final day, attendees will present their own mini-sessions on any NFC-related topics.
The NFC Forum is also presenting a special conference track at the Summit on May 23, entitled "State of the Technology." The sessions, which open the NFC Technology Track, will be hosted by NFC Forum Director Debbie Arnold, who will moderate a Q&A session at the end of the track. The presentations include:
  • "NFC Forum: Furthering the Adoption and Use of NFC" -- Koichi Tagawa, NFC Forum and Sony Corporation
  • "NFC Forum: Putting NFC Forum Specifications to Work" -- Gavin Shenker, Visa Inc.
  • "State of the NFC Market" -- Jeff Miles, NXP Semiconductors
In addition to the NFC Forum speakers, a number of Forum member companies are involved in the NFC Solutions Summit as exhibitors and sponsors, and even more member organizations have sent attendees to the conference.
"This is an exciting time for NFC technology, with commercial rollouts increasing and many more NFC-enabled devices hitting the market," said Koichi Tagawa, chairman of the NFC Forum. "We are pleased to partner with the Smart Card Alliance on this high-profile event. It provides a great opportunity for us to bring everyone up to date on the proliferation and diversity of new NFC solutions for both consumers and businesses around the world."
"Organizing the event in cooperation with the NFC Forum was a great decision," said Randy Vanderhoof, Executive Director of the Smart Card Alliance and Conference Chairman. "Our goal of balancing the technical aspects of the NFC marketplace with a wide variety of business solutions that are emerging in North America was achieved by having the NFC Forum partnering with us."
Further demonstrating the high level of interest in NFC, a recently established NFC Meetup group is hosting a panel discussion during the NFC Solutions Summit, in which Mr. Tagawa will also participate. He will discuss the status of NFC implementation in Japan, and the importance of standards for successful adoption worldwide. The panel takes place May 23, 6-8 p.m., at the Burlingame Hyatt.
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 (http://www.nfc-forum.org) 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, Intel, MasterCard Worldwide, NEC, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Inc., NXP Semiconductors, Renesas Electronics Corporation, Samsung, Sony Corporation, STMicroelectronics, and Visa Inc.



Tyfone Announces NFC Design Breakthrough Associated Patents and Licensing

Image representing Tyfone as depicted in Crunc...
Image via CrunchBase


Patented innovations lead to antenna integrated MicroSD with no external boosters and plastic card-like read distance

PORTLAND, Ore., May 21, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Tyfone (www.tyfone.com), a mobile financial and security solutions provider, today announced the issuance of two U.S. Patents supporting a breakthrough design solution that is required to miniaturize a NFC antenna for use in mobile environments, including, but not limited to MicroSD cards, such as Tyfone's next generation SideTap(TM) NFC card. This latest design works with any smartcard secure element, across multiple mobile devices and on any NFC reader without the need for cumbersome external booster antennas or after-market battery covers.
Tyfone, with its growing portfolio of trailblazing intellectual property, continues to be the recognized global leader for innovation in bringing the power and independence of smartcard based secure elements and integrated NFC into MicroSD and other form factors. The newest design brings MicroSD with NFC on the same playing field as standard MicroSD cards, with the same yield and cost to manufacture. Tyfone's latest design not only elevates the NFC performance and user experience of self-contained MicroSD solutions to the desired commercialization standards, but also is equally applicable and beneficial to the miniaturization requirements of any NFC deployment form factor.
The two U.S. Patents supporting this new design are: US 7,954,716, entitled "Electronic Transaction Card Powered by Mobile Device" with an effective filing date of February 22, 2005; and US 7,961,101, entitled "Small RFID Card With Integrated Inductive Element" with an effective filing date of August 8, 2008. Tyfone previously announced a Taiwan patent supporting this advanced design: I336449 "Electronic Transaction Card," with an effective filing date of February 22, 2005.
One of several independent claims from an issued patent reads -- "A memory card compatible with a memory card slot in a mobile phone, the memory card including nonvolatile memory accessible by the mobile phone, and a point-of-sale interface to communicate with a point-of-sale terminal, wherein the point-of-sale interface receives power from the mobile phone." Other claims and patents address additional form factors.
"To meet area constraints of mobile devices and especially that of form factors such as MicroSD, the 13.56MHz radio frequency antenna has to be significantly smaller in size compared to the size used in plastic cards," said Anantha Chandrakasan, professor of EECS at MIT. "The smaller antenna size however reduces both the available energy for the radio interface circuitry and the read distance to a point-of-sale terminal."
In accordance with Tyfone's patented inventions and new MicroSD design, the point-of-sale interface is powered by the phone enhancing both the available energy as well as the read distance. Tyfone's cutting edge inventions mitigate the need for cumbersome external booster stickers or after-market battery covers, making the next generation SideTap NFC MicroSD solution extremely consumer friendly, compatible with multiple devices and operating systems. Tyfone's inventions work with any smartcard chip across multiple mobile device platforms and with any NFC reader.
"Since 2004, Tyfone along with its partners has been defining and developing a wide range of technology innovations to enable mobile commerce," said Prabhakar Tadepalli, chief operating officer of Tyfone. "Part of the payoff of our hard work is delivering these patented products to market and overcoming scaling challenges, eliminating the last barrier to global NFC implementation."
The next generation SideTap MicroSD design with integrated NFC antenna is available for manufacturing in high volumes and is compatible with existing MicroSD manufacturing processes with very high manufacturing yield. To empower the industry and advance the commercialization of these technologies, Tyfone is making its patents and the self-contained MicroSD solutions available for licensing. Interested parties are invited to register at http://www.tyfone.com/license . For those interested in commercialization of the self-contained MicroSD, performance data comparing it to other solutions will be made available after registration.
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(R) platform and its companion SideTap(TM) 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 http://www.tyfone.com .
SOURCE: Tyfone





CorFire's Jon Squire and Tom Zalewski to Present at NFC Solutions Summit

ePaymentNews      6 new results for NFC Mobile Payment
CorFire's Jon Squire and Tom Zalewski to Present at NFC Solutions Summit
MarketWatch
MarketWatch (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
MarketWatch (press release)
Zalewski will speak on NFC mobile payments in a pre-conference workshop on Monday, May 21. The session will look at how NFC mobile payments work, how they are provisioned to consumers' mobile devices and how they are accepted through the merchant ...
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Tyfone Announces NFC Design Breakthrough Associated Patents and Licensing
MarketWatch (press release)
This latest design works with any smartcard secure element, across multiple mobile devices and on any NFC reader without the need for cumbersome external booster antennas or after-market battery covers. Tyfone, with its growing portfolio of ...
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ZTE SIM-based NFC mobile device to be used for toll payments in Turkey
telecomlead.com
Telecom Lead Asia: Chinese gear maker ZTE said its SIM-based NFC mobile device will be used for toll payments in Turkey. Utilizing Turkcell T11 (ZTE Racer II), the toll payments service will be supported by Turkcell, mobile operator in Turkey.
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telecomlead.com
Identive launches cloud-based NFC tag management platform
NFCNews
Identive Group has released a cloud-based NFC tag management platform that enables advertisers, retailers and organizations to deliver targeted content and services to customers' NFC-enabled mobile devices. Designed for the education and hospitality ...
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Digicel Launches World's First Fully Inclusive NFC Capable Mobile Wallet ...
MarketWatch (press release)
NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga, May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Digicel Pacific Limited, a mobile network operator across the Pacific and a division of the Digicel Group, has deployed VeriFone mWallet services and NFC-enabled payment systems to offer its ...
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LG Optimus L7 Review By 3G.co.uk
3G.co.uk
Quickly change your profile using the Tag+ sticker and NFC facility. It's easy to see that LG has concentrated on the handset's design. The chassis is slim and solid, and feels classy thanks to that front covered in glass. It also resists scuff well.
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