Government ID, Smart Cards, Identification and Authentication

Card issuers will benefit from one-stop shop for EMV migration and smart card solutions

Monday, June 25, 2007

Datacard Group and Aconite Technology have joined forces to offer customers complete EMV migration and smart pre-paid card solutions, including transaction processing, scripting, key generation, key storage and clearing data validation. Together Datacard Group and Aconite will deliver solutions and expertise in the following three areas: EMV Migration, Smart Pre-Paid and Enterprise card management. The companies will jointly market these EMV migration and smart card solutions; firstly in the UK and mainland Europe with plans to roll out to Asia Pacific and the Americas in the second half of 2007.


Datacard Group Announces Relationship with Aconite

Card issuers will benefit from one-stop shop for EMV migration and smart card solutions

MINNETONKA, Minn.–Datacard Group, the world leader in secure ID and card personalization solutions, and Aconite Technology, a leading provider of EMV and smart card software and consulting, today announced they have joined forces to offer customers complete EMV migration and smart pre-paid card solutions, including transaction processing, scripting, key generation, key storage and clearing data validation.

These solutions bring together both companies best-in-class products: Datacard® Affina® Issuance and Affina® Enterprise software solutions and Aconite’s EMV Script Processor (ESP), EMV Transaction Enabler (TRxE) and Pre-Paid Value Manager (PPVM). Together Datacard Group and Aconite will deliver solutions and expertise in the following three areas: EMV Migration, Smart Pre-Paid and Enterprise card management.

“Combining our expertise in these key solutions supports our global commitment to innovation and our strategy to provide our customers with turn-key, market leading solutions,” said Bob Beer, director of smart card marketing from Datacard Group.

“Aconite’s expertise in scripting, authorization and pre-paid solutions will complement and strengthen our market position in both EMV migration and the development of smart card solutions for our customers,” concluded Beer.

“This relationship reflects the synergy between our respective product offerings and positions us to respond to the strong demand for integrated and comprehensive EMV and smart card solutions,” said Patrick Regester, EVP of Sales & Marketing at Aconite. “Together, we provide all the pieces of the puzzle that card issuers need to facilitate EMV migration and enable them to enter the pre-paid smart card market quickly and cost effectively.”

At whatever stage a card issuer maybe with their EMV migration, be it early stage functionality or advanced development of their smart card offerings, the combined solutions are designed to integrate easily with existing host systems. With enhanced business solutions such as EMV scripting offline risk management and support for pre-paid cards, card issuers will be able to maximize their existing investments, and capitalize on new market opportunities with minimum disruption and risk to their business.

The companies will jointly market these EMV migration and smart card solutions; firstly in the UK and mainland Europe with plans to roll out to Asia Pacific and the Americas in the second half of 2007.

About Datacard Group

Datacard Group offers the world’s best-selling secure ID and card personalization solutions. The company’s portfolio includes systems for high-volume card issuance, card delivery, secure ID issuance and passport production, plus extensive service and supply offerings. Datacard Group serves customers in more than 120 countries (www.datacard.com).

About Aconite

Aconite delivers smart card payment solutions and consulting expertise to card issuers and processors around the world, providing a rapid and cost-effective route to smart card deployment and the delivery of innovative card payment solutions to new and existing markets. (www.aconite.net[end] 

SML Group Ltd announced the launch of its new “ViziT” RFID item visibility solutions for the retail apparel and item tracking applications.

The ViziT solutions include a range of RFID/EAS enabled paper and woven labels, as well as tickets and sticker that can be attached to garments and stacked items. Using the SML ViziT IT cloud based data management software also provides for semi automated inventory control, as well as improved loss prevention by triggering alarms and item identification at the store exit.

read more »

MasterCard introduced a road map focused on advancing the U.S. electronic payments system. The map, which includes the path for migration from magnetic stripe to EMV technology available on chip cards, will serve as the foundation for the next generation of products and services.

read more »

Digital security provider Gemalto has launched Dexxis EMV instant issuance card product, designed to streamline and speed up banks’ migration to EMV by bringing card issuance processes in-house.

read more »

Global Industry Analysts Inc. released a report forecasting the outlook on the global smart card market to reach 10.9 billion units by 2015.

GIA credits the growth driven largely by major initiatives in the financial, government and security sectors, with the telecom sector at the way ahead of the pack as the largest end-user. Increasing usage of contactless technology, newer applications and mandatory EMV migration across countries are also major drivers boosting the global market for smart cards.

read more »

Visa has announced that more than 1 million EMV chip-enabled cards have been issued by U.S. financial institutions as of December 31, 2011.

Just 18 months ago there were no Visa-branded EMV chip cards issued in the U.S. according to Visa’s Stephanie Ericksen, who attributes the sudden growth to U.S. issuers accepting Visa’s EMV and mobile payments road map.

read more »

Japan’s Fukumi Corporation has opened the world’s first physical shop for NFC tags, applications, starter kits and printing and encoding services in Yaesu, Tokyo.

read more »