Mar 12, 2003 (The Australian Financial Review - ABIX via COMTEX)
The switch by Australian companies to Internet ordering systems is being driven by customer demand. Dowd Corporation, for example, which supplies corporate apparel, made the change because the requirements of its customers, which include National Australia Bank, Westpac Bank and Australia Post. Electronic procurement generally is becoming more widespread. In addition, Australian companies are turning to third-party logistics suppliers to organise ordering and distribution, sharing information electronically on a level not seen previously.
Publication Date: 13 March 2003
DOWD CORPORATION: YAKKA PTY LTD: IBM CORPORATION: CSC CONSULTING PTY LTD: DAWSON CONSULTING: BOOZ-ALLEN AND HAMILTON INCORPORATED: MANHATTAN ASSOCIATES: WOOLWORTHS LIMITED - ASX WOW: FOSTER'S GROUP LIMITED - ASX FGL: INCITEC LIMITED - ASX ICT: LION NATHAN LIMITED - ASX LNN
By Mark Lawson
All copyright subsisting under the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth) resides in us.
No part of the copyright materials may be reproduced, re-used, re-transmitted, adapted, published, broadcast or distributed for any commercial purposes whatsoever without our prior written permission.
News Provided by COMTEX (http://www.comtexnews.com)
M2 PRESSWIRE-24 September 2001-TREMA: Trema expands e-solution offering with launch of Finance eKIT v1.3; Expanded instrument coverage; Enhanced offering for corporate treasuries and financial service providers (C)1994-2001 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD
RDATE:24092001
London -- Trema today announced the launch of Finance eKIT v1.3, a web-based treasury solution for corporates and financial service providers that use Trema's core application, Finance KIT. Valeo, the global automotive equipment supplier, will pilot Finance eKIT v1.3.
Finance eKIT, a web-enabled treasury product suite, extends Finance KIT's base of sophisticated treasury, risk and cash management and financial accounting features to corporate intranets and the Internet.
With Finance eKIT v1.3 instrument coverage is expanded making it possible to perform dealing and reporting through a web browser for almost all of the instruments available in Finance KIT.
Reaffirming Trema's commitment to Open Standards and Object Oriented Design, Finance eKIT v1.3 now uses the comKIT API (the Finance KIT Application Programming Interface). This enables deals to be transferred to Finance KIT in exactly the same way as if they were input directly into it, ensuring uniform key-figures and reporting for a consolidated view, regardless of transaction source.
Robert Wennerstr'm, Director Corporate Sales, comments, "We currently have several customers live with Finance eKIT Dealing 1.2 including ABB Sweden, and Skanska Sweden. Valeo is the pilot for Finance eKIT Dealing v1.3. We feel that with improved scalability and administration, Finance eKIT version 1.3 extends the dual capability already possible with version 1.2, offering corporate treasuries with centralized dealing capabilities and financial service providers with a secure route to a combination of treasury services and technology platforms."
Notes to Editors
About Trema
Trema Group is a premier provider of strategic technology solutions and management consulting services to the financial industry. Trema's clients include key players in the financial markets, including banks, corporate treasuries, investment management firms and central banks in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America. Trema's clients include ABB, AEGON, Aventis, BAe Systems, BMW Group, Ericsson, European Central Bank, ING Investment Management, Johnson Controls, Pharmacia, SEB, Unilever and Volvo. Founded in 1992, Trema has an international staff of over 300 and has offices in Abu Dhabi, Boston, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Johannesburg, London, Prague, Singapore, Sophia Antipolis, and Stockholm.
Trema's flagship product, Finance KIT, is a straight-through processing treasury, risk and asset management system. To expand the capability of Finance KIT to remote and mobile users, Trema offers Finance eKIT, a suite of web-enabled modules that provides enhanced functionality for organizations using Finance KIT, and Finance mKIT to provide wireless access to key Finance KIT functionality through a mobile phone. Trema Transaction Hub Service is a new centralized solution that links Trema Finance KIT with web-based FX dealing services provided by banks.
For more information on Trema, please visit www.trema.com
CONTACT: Robert Wennerstrom, Trema Group Tel: +46 8 406 1100 e-mail: robert.wennerstrom@trema.com Claire Vicker/Tom Coombes, Cognito Tel: +44 (0)20 7376 9775 e-mail: claire.vicker@cognito-europe.com
((M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data prepared by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).
M2 PRESSWIRE-6 October 2000-NORWEB TELECOM: Launch of new Unified Messaging service (C)1994-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD
RDATE:09102000
Norweb Telecom is today unveiling the latest service to be added to its expanding e- & m-commerce product portfolio. Unified Messaging, being previewed at TMA2000, is designed specifically for business people on the move. It combines Unified Messaging (UM) with a Personal Number (PN) for the ultimate message and contact management service.
Andrew Parker, Marketing Director at Norweb Telecom says: "This is a unique service from Norweb Telecom and is one of the first integrated UM and PN services to be launched in the UK. Small and medium size businesses are looking for services that allow them to work smarter and we're delivering innovative solutions to meet this demand."
Unified Messaging is the complete message and contact management service.
It provides a single 'inbox' for voicemail, fax and email messages, so instead of checking numerous systems for your messages you can access them all in one mailbox, either over the Internet or any phone. The service includes text to speech conversion so emails are converted to text and read out to you over the phone.
Unified Messaging also offers a personal number for fax and phone calls so users can be contacted on a single number whether at the office, working from home or on the move.
Norweb Telecom has formed a partnership with Teligent Ltd, a leading provider of intelligent network systems, to develop the solutions which will be rolled out to customers and resellers by December.
Teligent's UK Marketing Manager, Ken Pritchard says: "Teligent works on the principle that business people need more flexibility in the way they communicate to reflect changing business practices. Working on the move and from home is normal practice for thousands of people, and we're working with Norweb Telecom to develop solutions that facilitate this kind of practice."
Notes to editors
Norweb Telecom delivers voice and data telecommunications solutions for its target small and medium sized enterprises customer base in North West England, the Midlands, and nationally through specialist sector teams and indirect sales channels.
Teligent is a specialist provider of intelligent network systems to telecoms and Internet network operators, that offer turnkey solutions for INAP based Service Control Point, Intelligent Peripheral and pre-INAP Service Node. Teligent is fast becoming a world-leader in advanced telecommunications solutions and has managed to establish itself as a major supplier to leading telecommunications operators in the UK and throughout Europe.
CONTACT: Caroline Broadhurst, Norweb Telecom Tel: +44 (0)1625 575 592 e-mail: caroline.broadhurst@tdm.co.uk WWW: http://www.norwebtelecom.com Ken Pritchard, Teligent Tel: +44 (0)1442 283 800 e-mail: kwp@teligent.co.uk WWW: http://www.teligent.se
((M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data prepared by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 23, 1998--
New UK site sees 75 percent increase in production capability
Motorola, Inc.'s Cellular Infrastructure Group's (CIG) new $140 million GSM infrastructure manufacturing facility at Groundwell West, Swindon, UK -- the most advanced facility of its kind in the world -- will receive a Royal visit today when it is formally opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Groundwell is Motorola CIG's worldwide flagship manufacturing headquarters for digital (GSM) cellular communications infrastructure, a market that has enjoyed spectacular growth since the first GSM network was brought into service in 1991. As of July this year there were 100 million subscribers worldwide, with an estimated take up of 120 million by the end of the year. Global mobile penetration is currently at 16.5 percent but industry estimates suggest that by 2004 that figure will have risen to between 50-60 percent.
Groundwell manufactures exclusively GSM infrastructure and exports to over 40 countries worldwide. With a production area the size of three football fields, Groundwell increases Motorola CIG's GSM manufacturing capability by 75 percent. The state of the art production lines run continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to meet a demand that has consistently exceeded industry forecasts.
With future subscriber figures set to hit the one billion mark in the new millennium, Motorola CIG's new 315,800 sq. ft. facility is designed for expansion to one million sq. ft., and will be Motorola CIG's development base for the next generation of mobile communications networks referred to as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone Systems).
European-developed GSM technology has been adopted worldwide, and the largest single market for GSM is now China, with some ten million subscribers. This year alone, Motorola CIG has won infrastructure orders worth $1.1 billion(1) including the world's largest ever single order for GSM equipment -- a $500 million contract from the Turkish operator Telsim.
The investment in Groundwell is further testament to the commitment by American owned Motorola Inc. to keep production of digital cellular infrastructure in the United Kingdom. The Swindon-based infrastructure division has contributed significantly to UK worldwide exports, and has received the Queen's Award for Export Achievement for two consecutive years.
Adrian Nemcek, corporate vice president and general manager for Motorola's European Cellular Infrastructure Group, said: "GSM technology has proven itself in the marketplace as the dominant digital standard. It is the core technology underlying the next generation of mobile communications products embracing the internet, the wireless corporate enterprise, and satellite communications."
"Groundwell's flexible design will enable the new generation of cellular solutions to be built alongside and in conjunction with current and future digital technologies, ensuring a healthy future for our customers, our employees and our international business."
Motorola Background:
Motorola is a global leader in advanced electronic systems and services. It creates software-driven products that provide integrated customer solutions and Internet access via wireless and satellite communications, as well as computing, networking, and automotive electronics. Motorola also liberates the power of technology by providing essential digital building blocks in the form of embedded semiconductors, controls and systems. Sales in 1997 were $29.8 billion.
(1)Announced contracts only
WASHINGTON, DC -- The following information was released by the office of Texas Rep. Lamar Smith:
Chairman Smith: Child pornography may be the fastest growing crime in America, increasing an average of 150% per year.
The Justice Department estimates that there are now more than one million pornographic images of children on the Internet. The Department also estimates that one-third of the world's pedophiles involved in organized pornography rings worldwide live in the US.
Since the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) created the CyberTipline 12 years ago, electronic service providers have reported eight million images and videos of sexually exploited children.
The number of reports to NCMEC's CyberTipline of child pornography, child prostitution, child sex tourism, child sexual molestation, and online sexual enticement of children increased from about 4,000 in 1998 to 102,000 in 2008, an average increase of 200% per year.
H.R. 1981, the Protecting Children from Internet Pornographers Act, enables law enforcement officials to successfully locate and prosecute those who want to hurt our children.
Often, the only way to identify a pedophile who operates a website or exchanges child pornography images with other pedophiles is by an Internet Protocol address.
Law enforcement officials must obtain a subpoena and then request from the Internet Service Provider the name and address of the user of the IP address. Unfortunately, ISPs regularly purge these records, making it difficult if not impossible for investigators to apprehend child pornographers on the Internet.
H.R. 1981 directs Internet Service Providers to retain Internet Protocol addresses to assist federal law enforcement officials with child pornography and other Internet investigations.
This is a narrow provision that addresses the retention of only the Internet Protocol addresses the providers assign to their customers. It does not require the retention of any content. So the bill does not threaten any legitimate privacy interests of Internet users.
Some Internet Service Providers currently retain these addresses for business purposes. But the period of retention varies widely among providers, from a few days to a few months. And providers will even change their own retention periods from time to time. The lack of uniform data retention impedes the investigation of Internet crimes.
H.R. 1981 requires providers to retain these records for 18 months. This mirrors an existing FCC regulation that requires telephone companies to retain for 18 months telephone toll records, including the name, address and telephone number of the caller, plus each telephone number called and the date, time and length of the call.
In effect, this bill merely applies to the Internet what has applied to telephones for decades.
Without the identity of the perpetrator, law enforcement officials cannot track down pedophiles, so they continue to threaten our children.
The Justice Department describes a disturbing trend in child pornography - that pedophiles who document their sexual abuse of children will only exchange images with other pedophiles who do the same. The result is that people who may have previously only viewed these images now have the incentive to sexually abuse children and produce their own images.
Data retention enables law enforcement officials to catch the abusers and save the children being abused.
Critics contend that data retention is unnecessary because current law already requires ISPs to preserve records at the request of law enforcement agents for 90 days. But ISPs can only preserve the information they still have. By the time investigators discover the Internet child pornography and make the request under this provision, the provider has often already purged the Internet Protocol (IP) address records.
Both Democratic and Republican Administrations have been calling for data retention for a decade.
In January, the Justice Department testified that short or even non-existent retention by providers frustrate criminal investigations.
Every time a provider purges its IP address records, it erases forever the evidence needed to save a child.
In hearings before the Committee this spring, both Attorney General Holder and FBI Director Mueller testified that data retention is invaluable to investigating child pornography and other Internet-based crimes.
H.R. 1981 also creates a new federal offense allowing for federal prosecution of any person who conducts a financial transaction knowing that it will facilitate access to child pornography.
This bill strengthens protections for child witnesses and victims, who are often subjected to harassment and intimidation throughout the trial period. The bill allows a federal court to issue a protective order if it determines that a child victim or witness is being harassed or intimidated and imposes criminal penalties for violation of a protective order. And the bill increases penalties for child pornography offenders in cases that involve children less than 12 years old.
Parents, who once relied on the four walls of their homes to keep their children safe, are now faced with a new challenge. The Internet has unlocked the doors and opened the windows.
The Internet has proved to be of great value in many aspects of our lives. But it has also become a virtual playground for sex predators and pedophiles to distribute child pornography images and encourage others to engage in child pornography.
CORPORATE IT UPDATE-(C)1995-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS
20 June 2011 - Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iBookstore has started offering the case studies catalogue of Canada-based Ivey school of business, the Financial Times reports.
Over 500 cases published by Ivey are available at a price of CAD3.99 (USD4.06/EUR2.85) each through iTunes. Ivey, which publishes over 200 new cases a year, will add newer cases regularly.
Ivey Publishing's director Paul Beamish said the move was part of the business school's attempts to offer easy access to its cases to everyone. Ivey hopes the cases available through iTunes would attract the attention of a wider audience.
Ivey is the first of the big case publishers to use iTunes to make its cases available to a wider audience, but other business schools and universities have successfully published other types of teaching materials on the Internet.
((Comments on this story may be sent to info@m2.com)).END.PUB430>PDJune 20, 2011>JNCORPORATE IT UPDATE.PRICEDATENOT APPLICABLE.DAY
Byline: Kathleen Koster
Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials audited the popular burrito chain, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., which fired hundreds of illegal workers as a result. Using Chipotle as a cautionary tale, employers cannot turn a blind eye to illegal workers, as Chipotle allegedly did - one woman claims she gave the company two false social security numbers when applying for positions within the company.
As federal and state governments crack down on workers unlawfully employed in the United States, employers should take extra care that they are covering all of their bases lest they be subject to large fines or even jail time.
Even though only the federal government can regulate immigration, some states, like Arizona, passed even more stringent immigration laws, when the state last year notoriously approved SB 1070. Though court rulings have prevented key provisions from implementation, the Arizona controversy took enforcement of federal law a step further.
"One of the biggest legal challenges to the Arizona law is: Can a state pass immigration laws, or is the Federal government the exclusive body to regulate in the arena of immigration?" questions Bruce A. Larson, associate at the Irvine, Calif., office of Fisher & Phillips LLP.
Experts believe the Arizona case most likely will end up before the Supreme Court, at which time employers will have a better grasp on whether states can regulate or enforce immigration laws.
As it currently stands, the Department of Homeland Security confirms that more than 238,000 employers now use E-Verify, an Internet-based system that allows employers to authenticate information reported on an employee's Form I-9, or Employment Eligibility Verification, to determine eligibility to work in the United States.
In all cases, employers must have a properly completed I-9 form for all current employees and must retain I-9s for former employees for either one year after termination or three years after hire, whichever is later. Thus, the onus for complying with federal employment verification law lies solely with employers - a disconcerting reality, given that I-9 audits have increased in recent years.
"In one way, yes, [E-Verify] gives [employers] a tool to make sure they're not hiring someone illegally, but it's not failsafe, and if something does happen, all the consequences go to the employer. In that way it gets a little bit tricky," says Shannon Hickey, an office administrator and legal assistant for a criminal, immigration and personal injury firm, who has extensive experience in dealing with the nuances of immigration laws and enforcement, and who adds that she's previously lost co-workers who failed the E-verify test, a very "personal thing, because they were part of the family and part of our crew."
On a professional level, "the law just makes everything a little bit more complicated," she adds.
There's a lot more paperwork, for one. Forms are constantly being updated, and an HR/benefits manager who is required to E-Verify - either by state law or company policy - needs to relentlessly monitor the DHS website. There are multiple retraining opportunities through webinars, but for the most part, employers are responsible for updates.
"The verification process is even more complicated for the employer because you're not supposed to be involved in it," Hickey says. "The main point is not to discriminate even though the law is set up to discriminate."
Don't act on doubts alone
Federal law states that employers must verify an employee's eligibility to work no more than three days after hire.
"For HR managers, when [a new hire] comes in that's the first thing we do, because [a company] could get stuck between a rock and a hard place," Hickey says. "You have to get it done right away, and if you don't, then you're in real trouble."
And what happens when a red flag is raised during the verification process? "Handling a ... red flag is very tricky, and there are very strict guidelines that have to be followed when that happens. Basically, the employer has to take a step back and do everything through this government process and these forms," Hickey says.
Among those government processes and forms are "no-match" letters, officially known at the Social Security Administration as "Employer Correction Requests." When an employer receives a no-match letter, it means that the Social Security number the employer provided for an employee doesn't match SSA's records.
SSA recently has begun sending no- match letters again, after the practice was suspended in 2007 due to legal challenges. However, the new letter specifically details that the employer cannot use the letter to take an adverse employment action, like firing the employee. Rather, an employer can only inform the employee to go to a local SSA office to resolve the situation.
Unfortunately, the revamped letter does not tell an employer what to do if an employee does not take care of the no-match problem. Experts recommend discussing the letter with the employee, making sure to document the conversation by having him sign a document attesting that he saw the letter and was told to address the situation. Further, explain to him his rights and that the employer can't make any termination decisions until they hear from the government.
Larson recommends employers give an employee up to 90 days to address a "no match" situation, being careful to document all steps in the process to show a good faith effort to comply.
An H1-B employee is a worker who is eligible to work in the United States under a temporary work visa. When hiring an H1-B employee, employers should follow traditional processes, but instead of a Social Security number, enter a work visa ID, and reverify the ID once the expiration date comes up.
If an employer is audited and caught knowingly hiring undocumented workers, then they could face six- or seven-figure fines, or even jail time.
Byline: DAVID PHELPS; STAFF WRITER; MEGAN NICOLAI
For one hour on two days in April last year -- the noon hour, to be specific -- the newspaper and magazine websites of 27 publications, along with TMZ.com, were ad-free, except for a link to the Chipotle Facebook page, where viewers learned they were getting a break from junk advertising and junk food.
Designed to stress Chipotle's commitment to additive-free meat, organic produce and small family farmers, the advertising strategy was the work of Compass Point Media, part of the Campbell Mithun ad agency, which bought up all the ad space on those websites for that hour on behalf of Chipotle.
The move demonstrates the length to which marketers will go into the ever-growing, ever-changing digital and social world to get their brands in front of potential customers -- and perhaps the sales that go along with it.
For Chipotle the "Junk Free Lunch" worked.
"We saw same-store sales increase 9 percent last year. We more than doubled the number of Facebook fans," said Chris Arnold, director of communications for the popular Denver-based fast food chain, noting that not all of those results could be directly traced to the Junk Free Lunch campaign. "It was a good program for us."
Evolving at warp speed
Digital and social marketing have been around a good part of the decade, but only in recent years has it begun to accelerate at mind-boggling speeds.
Evolving technology -- think smartphones that seemingly add a new "G" monthly and tablet-based devices like the iPad -- has revolutionized the way advertisers can reach consumers. It's like putting a laptop in someone's pocket.
Ad agencies have taken notice and responded in kind.
Campbell Mithun, which used a Twitter contest last month to select six interns for the summer, expects the digital media billings by Compass Point Media to increase by 67 percent this year.
"We have a Facebook specialist. We have a content specialist. We have a listening specialist," said Chris Wexler, Compass Point's group planning director. "The market is so complex. But we're not looking for clicks. We're talking about moving products off shelves."
At Colle+McVoy, digital work has grown from 5 percent of total output to 40 percent in five years. In the past year alone, the Minneapolis agency added 15 digital specialists to its workforce, bringing its total of specialists to 50.
The digital team at Periscope exceeds 40, up more than a third from three years ago. Indeed Periscope last week launched an integrated marketing campaign for Papa Murphy's Pizza that, in addition to print, television and radio, includes two advertisements on YouTube as well as entries on Papa Murphy's website and Facebook page urging consumers to "Join the take n' bake revolution."
"The iPhone changed everything in 2007," said Periscope's Doug Nichols. "The iPad changed everything again. We're seen huge growth across all sectors."
Feeling guilty
Even smaller agencies are enjoying the fruits of the digital marketplace.
Morsekode, a marketing agency in Bloomington, is planning on doubling its 19-employee workforce in a time when many small marketing agencies are closing up shop. In 2010 alone, Morsekode's revenue grew by more than 40 percent.
"We keep seeing other agencies close and feel guilty, because we're not experiencing any of that here," said Mark Morse, founder and the Morsekode agency principal.
Part of its success is based on the agency's dedication to incorporating digital marketing into campaigns, now possible because of an in-house division of Morsekode called Brand Motion.
Brand Motion, which began in 2008, is a digital media production department within the agency that has the capacity to produce video content, design Adobe Flash-animated websites, and develop apps for clients.
The use of video and websites is a proven method for increasing customer interest in a product, said John Purdy, clinical professor at the University of St. Thomas Communications and Journalism Department.
"Using video can allow for more of an emotional bond for a consumer," Purdy said. "Videos can have scenery, setting, maybe some plot. It's like the move from print to television advertising."
A Forrester Research report called the rise in online video-consumption "profound," concluding that 60 percent of Internet users watch some form of video whenever they surf the Web, up from 41 percent in 2007.
Not everyone's convinced
But for some companies, the jury is still out on the social media aspect of digital marketing. A survey of marketers by the World Federation of Advertisers and the research firm Millward Brown found that only 23 percent of respondents were convinced that they were getting a good return on their social media investment while 18 percent said the return was average and 9 percent described their return as poor.
Nonetheless, all but one of the 24 surveyed marketers said they expect to increase their time and money spent on social media in the coming year.
But social media advertising is only one aspect of the digital marketing world.
Morsekode, for instance, applied its technical savvy to a new mobile scan-tag campaign for EcoWater systems, the manufacturer of Whirlpool products. Customers soon will be able to use their smartphone to scan a Microsoft scan tag, which will then pull up a micro-website on their phone where they can read product information, use the interactive online rebate, watch videos featuring the product or read customer reviews.
"It really takes a lot of weight off of the sales personnel in the store," Morse said. "A lot of clients are becoming interested in this technology and leveraging it."
"We've been very happy with the content Morsekode has developed and the traffic they've generated for us so far," said Marty Christiansen, vice president of retail sales for St. Paul-based EcoWater Systems.
Does the rapid growth in digital advertising mean the beginning of the end for more traditional print and broadcast avenues?
Not really, said Compass Point's Harvin Furman, the director of market investments. "For years we've been hearing how digital will kill TV, but last year TV consumption was at an all-time high."
Wexler agreed.
"The last telegraph was sent in 2009," he said of the 19th-century breakthrough communications technology. "It takes a long time for media to die."
Megan Nicolai is a University of Minnesota student on assignment for the Star Tribune.
David Phelps - 612-673-7269
Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, announces the world's first UICC-embedded software application compliant with Mobile MasterCard[R] PayPass™ M/Chip 4, the brand new MasterCard payment specification designed for mobile near field communications (NFC). The software application and the UICC have both successfully achieved the compliance assessment and security testing certification in accordance with MasterCard's highest chip security requirements.
This major breakthrough paves the way for mass commercial rollouts of NFC payment across the world. In the UK, Gemalto is already partnering with a global, first-tier financial institution and a world leading mobile operator, to implement the new MasterCard certified mobile payment application and carry out the solution's first mass commercial roll out.
Gemalto's software application embeds the Trusted Service Management interface for PayPass. This feature enables mobile account issuance and over-the-air management. Its user-friendly handset interface makes mobile NFC payment extremely convenient, for example enabling consumers to easily manage the new payment means and check transaction history. It also allows consumers to define their mobile Personal Identification Number (PIN), a code of their choice, through their phone. The mobile PIN is a new cardholder verification method used notably to secure operations such as account top-up from the mobile phone.
The Gemalto mobile NFC payment application can be configured so as to cover all card portfolios including debit, credit and prepaid. In the latter case, the software application enables consumers to top-up their prepaid accounts directly from their mobile phone - the utmost convenience for prepaid customers. "We are pleased to collaborate with Gemalto to broadly expand the use of mobile payment services," commented James Anderson, vice president, Mobile, MasterCard Worldwide. "Leveraging the interoperability of MasterCard PayPass, Gemalto's effort will enable cross-border mobile NFC payment, adding ease to the fast-paced lifestyles of more and more consumers across the world." "This new certification from MasterCard makes Gemalto the first on the market for this mobile product and will enable banks and wireless operators to offer a secure, innovative and convenient payment means to their entire customer base," added Jean-Claude Deturche, senior vice-president of mobile financial solutions at Gemalto. "Gemalto is committed to supporting its customers in their large scale deployments of mobile NFC payment, with a complete mobile contactless offer." About Gemalto Gemalto (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO) is 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.
Gemalto is at the heart of our evolving digital society. The freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain, and work-anytime, anywhere-has become an integral part of what people want and expect, in ways that are convenient, enjoyable and secure.
Gemalto delivers on the growing demands of billions of people worldwide for mobile connectivity, identity and data protection, credit card safety, health and transportation services, eGovernment services and national security. We do this by providing solutions that leverage Gemalto's secure software and services for governments, wireless operators, banks and enterprises to help them achieve their goals, enabled by a wide range of secure personal devices. Gemalto is the world leader for electronic passports and identify cards, smart banking cards, two-factor authentication smart tokens for online protection, Subscriber Identification Modules (SIM) and Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (UICC) in mobile phones. Moreover Gemalto delivers on emerging applications related to the 'Internet of things' by supplying wireless modules and Machine Identification Modules (MIM) for Machine-to-Machine communication.
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, blog.gemalto.com, or follow @gemalto on Twitter.
Keywords: Finance, Financial Institutions, Gemalto, Investing, Investment, Software.
This article was prepared by Telecommunications Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Telecommunications Weekly via VerticalNews.com.
IRVING, Texas -- CEC Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:CEC) today announced that it will host a conference call with investors on Thursday, November 4, 2010, to discuss financial results for the third quarter ended October 3, 2010. The conference call will begin at 3:30 p.m. Central Time and will be broadcast live over the Internet. A press release, including financial statements, will be released after the market closes on Thursday, November 4, 2010.
Investors have the opportunity to listen to the call live on the Internet at http://www.chuckecheese.com. To listen, please go to the web site at least fifteen minutes prior to the start of the call to register, download and install any necessary software. For those who are not able to listen to the live broadcast, a replay of the call will also be available shortly thereafter and continue for a minimum of ninety days.
CEC Entertainment, Inc. operates a system of 546 Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants in 48 states and 6 foreign countries or territories, of which 500 are owned by the Company. Additional information on CEC Entertainment, Inc. can be obtained by accessing its homepage at http://www.chuckecheese.com.
MBNA is Testing Microchip-Based Visa Cards at its Corporate Headquarters
WILMINGTON, Del., July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Visa U.S.A., MBNA America Bank, N.A., and De La Rue Card Systems have begun to test a multi-function smart card, providing a "snapshot" of how microchip-based bankcards for consumers are likely to take hold in the United States. The program is the nation's first to combine credit, stored value and loyalty functions on a single smart card.
The Visa smart card, to be issued by MBNA, the largest independent credit card lender in the world, will place the functions of several traditional bankcards onto a single microchip, giving consumers access to two payment products -- Visa Smart Credit and Visa Cash stored value or "e-cash" with public key encryption for secure transactions. The new card will also contain a loyalty application that enables cardholders to accrue frequent-shopper points and redeem them for rewards with designated merchants at MBNA's corporate headquarters.
The cards will feature advanced microprocessors developed by De La Rue, known for its high-end, multi-function chip cards. The first public key application of Visa Cash in the United States, the cards have a feature-rich loyalty function allowing up to nine different reward programs. The rewards and award thresholds of the loyalty applications can be easily changed to target different cardholders. De La Rue is also providing complete card management and transaction collection for MBNA.
MBNA will test the multi-function Visa smart card with its on-site food and merchandise vendors, which serve more than 2,000 MBNA people. Cardholders can earn frequent-shopper points for all chip-based purchases they make from merchants, and can redeem their points for discounts on merchandise at the point of purchase. In addition, cardholders can receive free merchandise after they have purchased a designated number of items. For example, when a customer buys three entrees at one of the company's dining facilities, a fourth entree can be immediately awarded at no cost.
Unlike most popular closed system programs, the pilot makes use of open architecture and standards which will allow the program to easily be adapted and used elsewhere.
"MBNA's goal is to evaluate this emerging technology's potential to enhance the value of our core credit card products," said David Nelms, MBNA vice chairman. "This may be accomplished by combining different payment methods onto a single card platform or by using the power of the integrated circuit chip to provide more flexible rewards programs, which afford greater benefit to cardholders, affinity groups, merchants, and card issuers."
"The value proposition for smart cards in the United States is being refined as financial institutions such as MBNA evaluate how multi-function smart cards can enhance the services they offer to their customers," said Diana P. Knox, senior vice president of chip products for Visa U.S.A. "With our nation's low-cost telecommunications infrastructure, payment with traditional magnetic-stripe bankcards is accomplished very efficiently today, so it is the value-added services that will increase the value of and demand for smart cards."
"An ambitious test, the MBNA pilot will demonstrate the potential of smart cards in the United States," said David Stonely, president, De La Rue Card Systems, North America. "The future of smart cards lies in sophisticated, multi-function chips like the ones to be used in this pilot. Advanced smart cards promise merchants and issuers tremendous marketing and customer retention opportunities and offer consumers a new level of convenience and financial flexibility."
As the world's best way to pay, Visa is the preferred payment brand and the largest consumer payment system worldwide with more volume than all other major payment cards combined. Visa plays a pivotal role in advancing new payment products and technologies to benefit its 21,000 member financial institutions, their cardholders and the global economy. As the leader in emerging technologies, Visa has more than 70 smart card programs in 31 countries and on the Internet, with 22 million Visa chip cards, including 8 million Visa Cash cards. Visa is pioneering SET Secure Electronic Transaction(TM) programs to enable and advance Internet commerce. Visa's 642 million cards, generating more than US$1 trillion in annual volume, are accepted at over 15 million worldwide locations, including more than 400,000 ATMs in the Visa Global ATM Network. Visa's Internet address is www.visa.com.
De La Rue Card Systems is the world's leading supplier of bank-issued payment cards, specializing in card integration and customer solutions for banking, telecom, PayTV, retail, transport, health and identification markets. De La Rue, with a 1997 revenue of $1.2 billion, has supplied almost 400 million magnetic stripe and micro-processor based smart cards each year and has produced over 500,000 point of sale terminals worldwide. De La Rue's Internet address is www.delarue.com.
MBNA Corporation, a bank holding company and parent of MBNA America Bank, N.A., a national bank, has $50.2 billion in managed loans. MBNA, the largest independent credit card lender in the world, also provides retail deposit, consumer loan, and insurance products.
SOURCE Visa
-0- 07/06/98
/CONTACT: Greg Jones of Visa, 650-432-2753; or Peter Frank of MBNA, 302-432-1353; or Catherine Zipf of De La Rue, 703-803-3647/
/Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com or fax, 800-758-5804, ext. 943138/
/Web site: http://www.delarue.com/
/Web site: http://www.visa.com/
CO: Visa ST: Delaware IN: CPR FIN SU: PDT
JH-KA -- SFM021 -- 3321 07/06/98 09:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
