Trintech is showcasing its new PayWare OpenPOS Linux architecture designed to run a range of secure PIN-based and chip card payment applications over point-of-sale (POS) terminals, at the CeBit 2002 technology show held in Hannover this week.
The new open source architecture, with embedded Linux and ARM technology, will enable Vars (value added resellers), system integrators and OEM partners to run in-store applications, such as PINPads and PIN-enabled POS terminals, and applications in unattended environments, such as kiosks and ATMs.
A key feature of OpenPOS, says Trintech, is its ability to dramatically reduce the transaction time of secure PIN-based smart card payments. The architecture performs the encryption tasks required by debit card programmes in milliseconds, significantly shortening the overall transaction time for cardholders at the point-of-sale.
The payments company plans to target OpenPOS at the estimated 18 million POS terminals installed worldwide that are due to be upgraded to incorporate new chip functionality. In Europe, higher encryption requirements of the EMV standard are expected to be fully adopted in Europe by 2005.
John Harte, EVP and general manager of Trintech's ePOS division, says: "The move to embedded Linux is a very significant development for the POS industry as it signals a move away from proprietary and incompatible vendor and industry standards to a more widely available, open source development environment."
He says a broad range of open source software, including the embedded Linux real-time operating system from Lineo, is immediately available for the OpenPOS platform.