Green Dot Launches Prepaid MasterCard Tailored for Older Americans

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January 26, 2012 08:30 AM Eastern Time 

Green Dot Will Launch AARP Foundation Prepaid MasterCard®

Card Targeted to the Needs of Older Americans and Those Receiving Federal Benefits Such as Social Security

MONROVIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Green Dot Corporation (NYSE: GDOT), a provider of widely distributed, low-cost banking and payment solutions to a broad base of U.S. consumers, is working with AARP Foundation and MasterCard to launch the first prepaid card tailored to older Americans. The AARP Foundation Prepaid MasterCard from Green Dot (the “Card”) is ideal for direct deposit of paychecks and federal benefit payments, especially given new Federal requirements that all Social Security recipients obtain payments electronically as of March 1, 2013.

“We are proud to work with the AARP Foundation to offer a dedicated prepaid card program that gives older Americans a highly efficient way to receive their government benefits”

The Card launch online and at Walgreens stores is planned for mid February, with rollouts to more Green Dot retail partners throughout the year. The FDIC insured Card, serviced by Green Dot, has an introductory $0 purchase price and the monthly fee can be waived each billing cycle (regularly $5.95) when (1) at least $250 is direct deposited, or (2) at least $1000 is loaded, or (3) at least 30 qualifying purchases* are posted. Cardholders also have the option of a linked savings account that allows the transfer of funds directly from the Card. The Card and savings account are issued by The Bancorp Bank, Member FDIC.

"Nearly twenty million people age 50+ do not have adequate financial resources. Lack of access to well-designed money management and savings vehicles can keep older underbanked consumers from accumulating sufficient savings and retirement funds,” said Jo Ann Jenkins, AARP Foundation President. "In support of our charitable mission, we worked with Green Dot on its development of a prepaid debit card that offers older Americans a convenient and safe payment method at a low cost. Our combined efforts have resulted in a market-leading card by Green Dot that provides strong consumer protections, asset-building features, and innovative programs that can help move people to greater financial stability."

"We are proud to work with the AARP Foundation to offer a dedicated prepaid card program that gives older Americans a highly efficient way to receive their government benefits," said Steve Streit, Green Dot’s CEO.

For more information please visit www.AARPFoundationCard.com.

*Qualifying purchases include completed transactions where you are paying for goods and services with your card.

This Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank pursuant to license by MasterCard International Incorporated and may be used everywhere Debit MasterCard is accepted. The Bancorp Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: TBBK), Member FDIC and is FDIC insured. Additional services provided by Green Dot Corporation. MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated.

The royalties paid by Green Dot to AARP Foundation in connection with the program are used by AARP Foundation to further its charitable purposes.

About Green Dot Corporation

Green Dot is a publicly traded (NYSE:GDOT) bank holding company regulated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The Company provides widely distributed, low cost banking and payment solutions to a broad base of U.S. consumers. Green Dot's products and services include its market leading category of General Purpose Reloadable (GPR) prepaid cards and its industry-leading cash transfer network which are available directly to consumers online and through a network of approximately 58,000 retail stores nationwide where 95% of Americans shop. Green Dot is headquartered in the greater Los Angeles area. For more details, visitwww.greendot.com.

About AARP Foundation

AARP Foundation is AARP's affiliated charity. The Foundation is dedicated to serving vulnerable people 50 and older by creating solutions that help them secure the essentials and achieve their best life. AARP Foundation focuses on: hunger, housing, income and isolation as key mission areas. The Foundation envisions: 'a country free of poverty where no older person feels vulnerable.' Foundation programs are funded by grants, tax-deductible contributions and AARP. For more information about AARP Foundation, please log on towww.aarp.org/foundation.

Debit or Credit? Javelin says Consumers Face Conflicting Messages About Payment Choice

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Javelin’s 2011 Consumer Payments Behavior Report Examines How Financial Institutions Lost the Initial Public Relations Battle Related to the Durbin Amendment

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Javelin Strategy & Research’s latest report examines how recent debit card regulations have transformed market incentives for payments, creating a confusing environment for consumers. For years, banks and merchants have actively encouraged debit card use, and 73% of consumers report that they are satisfied with the debit card option. Now, debit card issuers are facing a combined $12.2 billion loss due to revenue-pinching regulations. On the one hand, many FIs are reacting by steering consumers toward more profitable credit cards. On the other hand, most merchants will benefit from Durbin-driven reductions in interchange fees and are encouraging debit card use. However, small-ticket merchants have seen their costs for debit acceptance rise significantly, and these merchants often encourage the use of cash or other payment options rather than more costly debit cards. As a result, consumers are facing a bewildering onslaught of mixed messages about which payment option to use.

“The full effects of Durbin remain to be seen”

FIs especially took a big public relations hit in the last quarter of 2011 when they lost the opportunity to educate their customers about these new regulations, then attempted to impose measures that consumers felt were punitive. As a result, 70% of consumers believe that recent debit card regulations will actually benefit banks, whereas only 30% believe that the regulations will benefit merchants.

“Consumers love their debit cards, but the majority would choose different payment options if they were charged a fee for using debit,” said Beth Robertson, Director of Payments Research at Javelin. “Our data shows that if FIs implemented debit card fees, 32% of consumers would choose cash as their payment option, 25% would pay with a credit card and 26% would switch to another bank that didn’t charge for debit cards. Banks should improve their messaging and educate consumers about new regulations so consumers can understand the effects of their payments choices.”

“The full effects of Durbin remain to be seen,” said James Van Dyke, President of Javelin. “The recession led many people to turn away from credit cards in favor of debit and prepaid cards as ways to control debt, but this trend seems to be slowing as the economy stabilizes. Today, there are more conflicting pressures on payment choice than ever before. Stakeholders should monitor payment trends and identify profitable ways to influence the payments mix.”

Javelin’s report Evolution in Consumer Payments Behavior: How the Durbin Amendment and the Economy Are Driving Payment Changebased on survey data collected from more than 3,200 consumers, examines consumers’ attitudes toward various payment options and scenarios. The report outlines the specific strategies FIs, merchants and payments providers should use to navigate the changing environment and provide consumers with the information they need to make informed payments decisions.

Selected Key Findings from Evolution in Consumer Payments Behavior:

• Cash is the most regularly used payment option: 79% of consumers report that they had made cash purchase within the past seven days.
• 90% of consumers claim they would require a discount of 3% or more to switch to another payment option.

• 72% of underbanked consumers indicate that they most frequently use cash for any type of purchase. Just 6% of these consumers use prepaid cards most frequently.

For additional details or to purchase Javelin’s report, Evolution in Consumer Payments Behavior: How the Durbin Amendment and the Economy Are Driving Payment Change, click HERE.

New, Free GoPayment Credit Card Reader Now Available

Maximize Sales on the Go While Protecting Customer Card Data

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intuit Inc.’s (NASDAQ:INTU) newly designed GoPayment card reader is now available for free at GoPayment.com.

The GoPayment card reader increases the accuracy of each card swipe and offers best-in-class, end-to-end encryption to protect a customer’s sensitive card data. Intuit redesigned the card reader based on customer feedback asking for a professional, easy-to-use way to process payments wherever they are.Designed for small businesses and anyone who sells products or services on the go, the new GoPayment card reader is a compact, cylinder-shaped device that fits into the audio jack of a mobile phone or tablet. It works with the GoPayment app to help users maximize sales by quickly and accurately swiping a credit or debit card instead of entering data manually.

“What I like about the new reader is pretty simple,” said Dennis McGrath, owner of BBQ2U Cateringin San Diego. “It’s sleek and fits on my smartphone – even with the case on it. The groove is angled, so swiping the credit card feels more natural. The new design helps it fit snugly on my phone so it doesn’t swivel when I’m swiping a card.”

GoPayment helps users never miss a sale by easily processing payments on their smartphone or tablet. It’s ideal for mobile retailers or service providers, such as caterers, photographers, hair stylists, locksmiths and landscapers. It’s affordable with a free app and card reader with competitive, pay-as-you-go pricing. Click here to watch a video about how GoPayment helps real business owners maximize sales. To learn more, go to: GoPayment.com.

Resources:

• GoPayment user videos (http://Intuit-GoPayment.com/uservideo)
• GoPayment Press Kit (http://about.intuit.com/about_intuit/press_room/press_kit/gopayment/)
• GoPayment Blog (http://blog.gopayment.com/)
• GoPayment on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/#!/IntuitGoPayment
• GoPayment on Twitter (http://twitter.com/gopayment)
• Learn more about how Mobile is Changing Intuit’s Customer’s Lives (http://network.intuit.com/videos/1239064890001/)

About Intuit Inc.

Intuit Inc. is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses; financial institutions, including banks and credit unions; consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including QuickBooks®,Quicken® and TurboTax®, simplify small business management and payment and payroll processing, personal finance, and tax preparation and filing. ProSeries® and Lacerte® are Intuit's leading tax preparation offerings for professional accountants. Intuit Financial Services helps banks and credit unions grow by providing on-demand solutions and services that make it easier for consumers and businesses to manage their money.

Founded in 1983, Intuit had annual revenue of $3.9 billion in its fiscal year 2011. The company has approximately 8,000 employees with major offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and other locations. More information can be found atwww.intuit.com.

Mobile Payments Going Mainstream at CARTES in North America

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Two-day long tracks on mobile payments; more than 80 speakers and a sold-out roster of 100 exhibitors

CARTES in North America 2012

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Just what combination of technology convergence, business partnerships and consumer acceptance points will finally drive the widespread adoption of global mobile payments is at the center of the agenda at the CARTES in North Americaexpo & conference, March 5-7, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nev.

“As we continue to focus on innovation and developing technologies like NFC, we’ll be able to further enhance the consumer experience—from search to purchase opportunities, to instant rebates, to e-commerce.”

With the advent of Google Wallet and a new mobile phone payment system from ISIS as well as global wireless carriers supporting standards for Near-Field Communication (NFC)-based payments, 2012 is poised to be the year that new mobile payment technology moves into the consumer mainstream. CARTES in North America will host two day-long tracks, March 5-6, on Global Mobile Payment & Services Initiatives, featuring speakers from the United States, Canada and Europe addressing topics ranging from deploying NFC payments and the changing business case for banks, to retailer adoption, consumer acceptance and security.

Tim Jefferson, managing director of The Human Chain, will present a keynote address on Mobile Payment and NFC on March 5 and chair the day’s Global Mobile Payment track. “Making payments via a smart phone really represents a threshold for wider adoption of a whole host of new NFC-driven mobile smart technologies connecting companies with their customers,” said Jefferson.

Other mobile payments highlights on March 5 include platinum sponsor ABnote presenting a session on “A Pathway Approach to Deploying NFC Payment”, and gold sponsor MasterCard Worldwide speaking on “The Commercial Launch of Mobile Payments Using NFC-Enabled Phones.” “Today, people want the freedom to pay in a way that best fits their needs and lifestyles with a simple tap, click or touch,” said James Anderson, Senior Vice President, Mobile and Emerging Payments at MasterCard. “As we continue to focus on innovation and developing technologies like NFC, we’ll be able to further enhance the consumer experience—from search to purchase opportunities, to instant rebates, to e-commerce.”

In addition, Canadian-based Ipsos will present the results of a consumer survey on mobile payments during the session, “Are Consumers Ready for Mobile Payments?”

Security is the focus of the CARTES in North America Global Mobile Payment and Services Track on March 6. Dawood Khan, a partner at Red Mobile in Canada will chair this track which features nine sessions on “The Mobile: A Trusted Environment?,” “Certificates & Standardization,” and “Secure Identity on the Mobile Device.”

The first CARTES in North America expo and conference will bring smart technologies, m-commerce and digital security authorities and leading technology providers to Las Vegas, Nevada for 70 conference sessions on topics ranging from NFC, mobile payment and EMV Deployments to trust, privacy and IT security. The event will feature technology and application demonstrations by a sold-out roster of100 conference exhibitors.

CARTES in North America is produced by Comexposium. Sponsors and exhibitors include ABnote, American Express, 3M, CPI Card Group, HID, MasterCard Worldwide, Oberthur, Renesas, Thales, Verifone. Event partners include the BayPay Forum, Eurosmart, NFC Forum, GlobalPlatform, Global Prepaid Exchange, The Human Chain, The MULTOS Consortium, OATH, SIMalliance, The Smart Payment Association and WIMA NFC USA.

Follow the conversation on CARTES in North America via Twitter and on Facebook. Accredited members of the media are invited to register for free at http://www.cartes-northamerica.com/Forms/Press-Accreditation. For more information on CARTES in North America, visit www.CARTES-northamerica.com.

About CARTES

The CARTES Network encompasses the leading international and regional exhibitions and conferences devoted to smart technologies. From its beginnings in Paris in 1985, CARTES has grown to become the world number one security and payment event, gathering 450 exhibitors and 20,000 visitors from 142 countries. Since 2010, CARTES exhibitions and conferences have taken place in Asia and are now being introduced in North America. CARTES events are organized by COMEXPOSIUM, the leading French professional trade fairs organizer, offering a high level of service and premium quality standards for exhibitors and visitors.

Shazam Offers 1% PIN Debit Rate through Adaptive Payments

Discount rate of 1% for PIN debit transactions for all merchants that use Pentagon offered

DES MOINES, Iowa and FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The SHAZAM network today announced that it has launched the Adaptive Payments Pentagon mobile point-of-sale (POS) payments application. Pentagon is a mobile payments platform, which allows merchants to accept PIN debit, signature debit and credit transactions using iPhone® and Android® mobile phone and tablet devices. SHAZAM will roll out Pentagon to its nearly 1,500 community financial institutions and their merchant customer base.

The technology behind the Pentagon mobile payments application is unique to the marketplace as it uses Adaptive Payments'5DSecure™  five factor-dual channel authentication technology to authenticate PIN debit transactions quickly and securely. The Pentagon solution breaks new ground by being the first and only solution to use the consumer's phone for PIN capture and using Adaptive Payments' patent pending, outside-of-band authentication technology. The PIN is captured in a second channel and is never stored virtually with the cardholder's card data or personal information. Security is a hallmark for Adaptive Payments and Pentagon is no different. In addition to accepting PIN debit, Pentagon uses 3DES to encrypt the magnetic stripe right at the read head. The transaction produces a Regulation E-compliant receipt that is delivered to consumers via SMS text message. Pentagon also captures and stores an image of the signed receipt.  

"Payments are rapidly evolving from traditional card-present and card-not-present situations to more mobile and online environments," said Mike Hollinger, SHAZAM President and CEO. "Consumers expect to be able to shop any time and at any place. There is also an expectation to be able to shop safely and securely without fear of fraud or identity theft. Not only does Pentagon make payments more accessible to more consumers and merchants, but it does so without compromising on end-to-end security, providing peace of mind to all stakeholders."

"The mobile payments space is becoming crowded with many look-alike payers but Adaptive Payments stands alone. Unlike other mobile payment providers that disintermediate existing relationships, Pentagon is "an open platform" specifically designed to be accessible to all financial institutions and merchant acquirers, allowing them to use the product without changing processors and to customize it to make Pentagon their own," said Shashi Kapur, Adaptive Payments CEO. "What's more, we are creating additional differentiation by processing PIN debit and encrypting the mag stripe at the read head. We are also announcing today a discount rate of 1% for PIN debit transactions for all merchants that use Pentagon. Our confidence in the security of our authentication technology, combined with our ultra modern and lower cost processing environment enables us to price PIN debit using Pentagon very aggressively." 

"We continue to look for safe and secure ways to expand PIN debit transactions and Pentagon does just that," stated Hollinger. "Adaptive Payments is delivering a significantly lower cost for PIN debit. Pentagon is a win for all stakeholders by lowering fraud risk for financial institutions and merchants, making card-based payments accessible to more merchants, and enabling cardholders to conduct secure PIN transactions anywhere they shop. Merchants of all types and sizes will be able to quickly, cost-effectively, and securely accept electronic payments anytime, anywhere using their mobile phones."

Merchants that are interested in Pentagon can find more information athttp://www.adaptivepayments.com/PentagonRegistration.php

About Adaptive Payments

Based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Adaptive Payments is a payment authentication company that enables easy, safe, secure and authenticated transactions to occur using the cardholder's PIN or other data that is known to the cardholder to authenticate debit and credit transactions. The company has developed payment solutions for internet sales, money transfer, bill payment, prepaid top up, mobile overdraft opt in and mobile payments. These products are delivered across all payments card acceptance channels. All Adaptive Payments' solutions feature "5DSecure" five-factor authentication using two unique channels for authentication separating the sales and personal data from the secure PIN or other authentication token.

About SHAZAM

The SHAZAM network was founded in 1976 and is one of the last remaining member-owned and -controlled EFT networks and processors in the industry. SHAZAM provides innovative and state-of-the-art EFT services to community financial institutions in 30 states. SHAZAM is a single source provider for ATM processing, debit and ATM card processing, card authorization services, merchant processing, Automated Clearing House (ACH) services and information security solutions.

SOURCE Adaptive Payments

Freescale and INSIDE Secure Revolutionize the Prepaid Meter

January 24, 2012 07:00 AM Eastern Time 

Prepaid meter reference design enables secure purchase and reload of energy credit balance using smart phones or contactless smart cards

DistribuTECH 2012

SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: FSL) and INSIDE Secure today announced a secure prepaid utility meter reference design with near field communication (NFC) connectivity that OEMs can use to quickly and cost-effectively bring to market electricity meter products. The reference design, based on the Freescale Kinetis MK30 microcontroller (MCU), provides the first NFC-based, prepaid meter with the ability to securely reload energy credit balances.

“Through our collaboration with Freescale, we have been able to combine our leading security and connectivity solutions to protect prepaid meters while providing a more convenient way to load energy credits and deliver valuable usage information to utilities.”

Utilities in many countries require a sophisticated payment infrastructure to facilitate the utility payment process while preventing fraud. Secure prepaid meters, such as this reference design developed by Freescale and INSIDE Secure, address this need by adding sophisticated smart card security mechanisms that have been proven in the banking industry. Products based on this reference design are protected from fraud because they employ a VaultIC^TM security module and NFC technology to safely load energy credits from a smart card or an NFC-enabled phone.

“The global need for prepaid metering solutions and robust security is rapidly increasing, especially in emerging markets,” said Bruno Baylac, director of Freescale's Metering, Medical and Connectivity Solutions business. “By partnering with INSIDE Secure we are not only bringing advanced security features but also innovative contactless technology, enabling the design of simple, tough mechanical meters that are virtually tamper-proof.”

“In many parts of the world, prepaid electricity meters offer the best solution for controlling energy distribution, but providing adequate security to prevent fraud has always presented challenges,” said Christian Fleutelot, general manager of the Vault-IC SAS business unit and executive vice president for digital security at INSIDE Secure. “Through our collaboration with Freescale, we have been able to combine our leading security and connectivity solutions to protect prepaid meters while providing a more convenient way to load energy credits and deliver valuable usage information to utilities.”

Tweet this: @Freescale and INSIDE Secure announce a secure prepaid utility #smartmeter reference design with NFC connectivityhttp://ow.ly/8AXcZ

The reference design features INSIDE Secure’s VaultIC™ 460 and NFC (MicroRead^® 3.4) chipset. The VaultIC^™ 460 security module provides comprehensive security functions such as mutual authentication, verification and generation of certificates, encryption/decryption and managing secure storage of cryptographic keys. It is FIPS140-2 Level 3 ready. NFC connectivity is implemented using the MicroRead^® controller and Open NFC protocol stack.

The system is powered by the Freescale MK30X256 32-bit MCU (built on the ARM^® Cortex^TM-M4 core), which operates up to 100 MHz with 1.25 DMIPS/MHz. The firmware is based on Freescale’s MQX™ real-time operating system. The built-in segment LCD controller displays all standard metering values at the push of a button.

The secured prepaid meter reference design is being demonstrated by Freescale and INSIDE Secure during the DistribuTECH Conference & Exhibition, January 24-26, in booth 131 in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. The reference design also will be demonstrated in the Freescale booth during the Smart Metering UK & Europe Summit 2012 conference and exhibition being held in London January 26-27.

Paying for Public Transit in Philadelphia: as Simple as Tapping a Credit Card or Waving a Smartphone

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January 24, 2012 08:05 AM Eastern Time 

ACS, A Xerox Company, Helps Philadelphia Install One of the Nation’s First Open Fare Payment Systems for Public Transit

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Riding on any Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) vehicle soon won’t require passes, farecards, tokens or cash. As part of a $122.2 million contract with ACS, A Xerox Company (NYSE: XRX), passengers will instead be able to digitally pay their fare with a quick tap or wave of their “contactless” credit or debit card or even their smartphone. SEPTA will be one of the first in the country to offer riders the ability to travel and pay this way.

“This new system will allow commuters to spend more time where they want to be and less time getting there or waiting in line”

Passengers riding any of the buses, subways, trolleys or the regional rail trains on the SEPTA system will be able to use this modernized open payment fare collection system. During the three-year implementation, ACS will design, install, integrate and operate one of the country’s most sophisticated transit payment technology systems. The contract also includes two five-year options for continued operations.

“This next generation payment system will offer an extraordinary level of convenience, speed and accuracy for customers,” said SEPTA general manager Joseph M. Casey.

The new system will allow passengers to pay their fares using a card many already have in their wallets. It will be more secure due to strict banking industry standards, and more convenient and simpler than fare payment options available elsewhere. It also will allow for seamless travel throughout the entire SEPTA network and provide the capability for future integration with other transit authorities in the region.

For the first time ever, the New Payment Technology will provide SEPTA with precise, real-time business intelligence on all services with the ability to better manage resources, modify services and respond to customer needs.

“This new system will allow commuters to spend more time where they want to be and less time getting there or waiting in line,” said Dave Amoriell, chief operating officer, Transportation and Local Government Solutions, ACS.

Working with New Jersey Transit, The Metropolitan Transit Authority (NY) and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, ACS, was the first to demonstrate that complex, regional fare collection systems can accept regular contactless credit and debit cards. Rider satisfaction surveys showed the majority of riders liked the new payment technology and most preferred it over the current cash, coin, and ticket-based transit payment system.

The ACS team consists of local partners including PRWT, which will provide customer care support; Parsons Transportation Group, which will provide design, engineering and construction support services; and Temple University, which is conducting software development.

ACS systems and services are used by more than 1,000 municipal, regional and national operators in 400 cities worldwide to run more than 150,000 pieces of equipment that enables 50 million passengers per day to use buses, trolleys, tramways and trains. ACS-deployed solutions include more than 50,000 smart card readers on buses, faregates, turnstiles, and other fare collection devices. ACS is the largest provider of transportation services to governments worldwide, with projects in 35 countries.

RapidNFC Launches ScanStrength NFC Tag Performance Index

RapidNFC, a leading provider of NFC tags, stickers and products has launched ScanStrength, an independent scan performance index.

RapidNFC Logo

ScanStrength reduces a little of the unknown when choosing NFC tags.

London, UK (PRWEB UK) 12 January 2012

RapidNFC has launched ScanStrength, an independent NFC tag scan performance index. ScanStrength is designed to help RapidNFC customers make more informed decisions about the range of available NFC tags and products.

ScanStrength grades NFC tags and products from 1 to 10 based on their relative scanning distance performance. The NFC tag being evaluated is placed into a specially designed low relative permittivity testing rig. RapidNFC then test the scanning distance using three of the most popular NFC enabled mobile phones from Nokia, Samsung and BlackBerry. To ensure accurate and reliable results, the tests are performed a set number of times with differing phone orientations and using multiple copies of the same NFC tags or product. Results are then collated and a ScanStrength relative performance index from 1 to 10 is applied.

The difference in NFC tag performance was both significant and surprising. Additionally, none of the phones consistently provided better results than the others. There was, however, a clear winner with the new NXP NTAG203 chip, which performed better than any other in almost every test.

Phil Coote, RapidNFC's CEO commented, 'For a large number of our customers, NFC technology is new and unknown. The RapidNFC ScanStrength Index was created to try and reduce a little of that unknown and give our customers a helping hand in the decision making process.'

All ScanStrength grades are available on the RapidNFC store and will be updated regularly as new products arrive.

About RapidNFC
Launched in 2011, RapidNFC is a leading NFC retailer providing friendly and knowledgeable advice on a range of high quality, reliable and tested NFC tags, stickers and products.

Contact :

Sandy Low
RapidNFC
17 Shorts Gardens
London WC2H 9AT

Tel: 020 7836 8566
Email: press(at)rapidnfc(dot)com
Web: http://rapidnfc.com

Global Industry Study Reveals How New Technologies and Social Change Will Combine to Transform Travel by 2020

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‘From Chaos to Collaboration’, a new research study commissioned by Amadeus, challenges the travel industry to overcome the uncertainty and stress of modern-day travel through the application of new technologies and innovations

Augmented reality, gamification*, intelligent passenger records, long range biometrics and the rise of the wellbeing agenda to drive change in the next decade and beyond, heralding a new era of industry and travel collaboration

MADRID--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A major new global study released today outlines how transformative technologies and evolving social values and trends will combine to establish a new era of collaborative travel over the next decade and beyond.

The report, ‘From chaos to collaboration: how transformative technologies will herald a new era in travel’, demands increased partnership across the travel industry, in turn removing the stress, uncertainty and chaos that is usually associated with traveling in the 21^st Century, as well as providing much richer, deeper and more personal travel experiences at the same time.

Developed by The Futures Company, a leading global foresight and futures consultancy, and commissioned by Amadeus, a leading travel technology partner and transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry, the report details a clear qualitative shift where service-users become partners rather than customers and where context is as important as the transaction. Of course at the heart of this new era of collaboration is a set of discrete ‘enabling’ technologies and innovations.

Based on extensive research and input from key industry experts – including technologists, leading travel industry representatives, social trends experts and futurists – as well as quantitative traveler research in Brazil, China, Russia, Spain, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States, the study explores six key areas in which future technology and innovation could be deployed.

Key findings

1. The next generation of experience: Travel is increasingly about depth rather than breadth of experience. Technologies such as augmented reality, gamification mechanisms and smart mobile devices will transform the travel experience
2. Automatic transit: Checking in could become the exception rather than the norm, with the rise of faster and more efficient identity management systems. Chips, biometrics, long range fingerprinting and near field communications (NFC) can be deployed in a more integrated way to fast-forward how people move around
3. Payment with memory: All data on payments made before and during a trip will be integrated, acting as a digital memory of expenditure and activity for individuals, groups and travel industry operators. Intelligent passenger records, ‘digital breadcrumbs’ and contactless technologies could be used to personalize and bundle services, delivering higher value and more profitable relationships
4. Intelligent recommendation: As technologies make it easier for people to tag and review all aspects of travel experiences, travelers will be more influenced by peer groups and expert curators. The prospect of personal travel guides and mobile tour representatives will give travelers the tools they need to enrich their experience
5. Taking the stress out of travel: The wellbeing agenda and changing demographics will place greater emphasis on removing travel stress. Intelligent luggage tags and tickets will give greater reassurance while m-Health (mobile-Health) applications will allow travelers to manage and monitor their health and wellbeing as if they were at home
6. The business tourist: Continued emphasis on work-life balance and wellbeing at work may see the rise of the business tourist, which will demand speed and efficiency as well as a home-away-from-home

Eberhard Haag, Executive Vice President, Global Operations, Amadeus, said, “Over the next decade, there is a significant opportunity to redefine how the industry delivers and packages services to meet changing traveler needs. Key to this is more intelligent information exchange, a willingness to challenge the status quo and greater two-way partnership between travelers and travel players. We are committed to stimulating debate within the travel sector about how the world is changing, what travelers will increasingly expect and how the industry can evolve in a way that secures growth and profitability for our customers’ future success.”

Andrew Curry, Director and Co-author, The Futures Company said, “We wanted to avoid making techno-centric assumptions about the future of travel – and painting a picture of flying cars and intelligent robots in a world that is otherwise unchanged from today. You can’t make an intelligent or realistic prediction about the effect of technology without considering infrastructure, systems and business models, as well as social values and trends. We hope that this study will challenge, provoke and stimulate thinking around how we will all be traveling in the future.”

To download a copy of the report, please visit: www.amadeus.com/blog from January 11, 2012.

* Gamification refers to the application of game design thinking to non-game applications to make them more engaging. Gamification can potentially be applied to any industry and almost anything to create engaging experiences, converting users into players. Several industry experts have identified gamification as one of the most important trends in technology.

NFC Forum Members to Showcase Revolutionary Retail Solutions at NRF Event in New York, Jan. 16-17

Jan. 12, 2012, 10:22 a.m. EST

INSIDE Secure, Kovio, and ViVOtech Demonstrate Products in Booth #1951, ARTS Pavilion

WAKEFIELD, Mass., Jan 12, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The NFC Forum today announced that three of its members -- INSIDE Secure, Kovio, and ViVOtech -- are demonstrating applications that will change the way consumers with NFC-enabled mobile phones interact with the retail community. The NFC Forum is a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which gives retailers and manufacturers unique one-to-one marketing and loyalty-building opportunities at the point of sale and throughout the retail environment.

NFC technology is sparking a wide variety of innovations in retail, as well as areas such as access control, gaming, healthcare and wellness, hospitality, loyalty, marketing, mobile payment, mobile social media, and pairing of consumer electronics devices. The demonstrations highlight the broad range of NFC use cases that specifically benefit retailers, and they are being held in Booth #1951 of the ARTS Pavilion at the Annual Convention and Expo of the National Retail Federation (NRF) taking place at the Jacob Javits Center in New York.

INSIDE Secure, a Sponsor Member of the NFC Forum, with a seat on the Board of Directors, will demonstrate a product authentications service for the retail world. Kovio Inc., an Associate Member, will show how its NFC products and services will enable a completely new paradigm in the consumer's direct interaction with brands and retailers by enabling personalized, instantaneous, and contextual experiences at point of purchase and point of use. Kovio will also demonstrate the integration of its NFC products in item-level product packaging for shopper marketing, location-based advertising, and brand authentication. ViVOtech, Inc., an Associate member, will show its mobile marketing software platform, ViVOtouch, which allows merchants to deliver personalized offers, content, loyalty and prepaid cards in real time to shoppers' mobile phones. Offers and loyalty rewards can be redeemed with a single tap along with payment at a contactless point-of-sale terminal, redeemed visually via bar codes and coupon codes, or in the cloud. The personalized content is based on location, time, context, and user profile, helping drive consumers' behavior throughout their paths to purchase.

"NFC technology is an enhancement to the payment experience that finally brings direct benefits to the retailer and the consumer alike," said Debbie Arnold, NFC Forum Director. "Our NFC Forum member solutions are at the vanguard of this revolution, and we look forward to sharing them with NRF attendees."

"NFC is a backbone of mobile innovation in retail," said Richard Mader, Executive Director of the NRF's Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS). "We are very pleased that select NFC Forum members will be demonstrating ground-breaking mobile applications in the ARTS Pavilion that have the potential to revolutionize interactions between consumers and retailers."

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, Intel, MasterCard Worldwide, Microsoft Corp., NEC, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Inc., NXP Semiconductors, Renesas Electronics Corporation, Samsung, Sony Corporation, STMicroelectronics, and Visa Inc.

SOURCE: NFC Forum