Retailers will be able to maximise their smart card technology, thanks to a new agreement between Comms XL and Smart Technology Solutions (STS).
Comms XL is now able to integrate with SmartNS, the smart card enablement framework from STS, to support any smart card application and access a much wider range of EMV accredited PIN pads.
Retailers need to build on their initial investment and look to the future of their POS environment as cards become more intelligent. Smart cards, which may include Government ID, loyalty, contactless and e-Purse, need to be able to communicate with multiple systems from numerous providers and increasingly on a global scale. SmartNS works by delivering a "Smart Card Enablement Layer" that supports and integrates any smart card application through any point of interface.
Cameron Olsen, VP business development, STS comments, "With the SmartNS framework it doesn't matter what happens to smart cards in the future, as we can simply write the application to deal with new card types. Everything we develop is as a flexible software solution, which keeps hardware costs to a minimum for the retailer and upgrades simple and straightforward."
Wendy Dobson, sales director at Comms XL, explains, "Retailers have invested heavily in Chip and PIN and now want to get the most value they can from that investment. Working in conjunction with STS, we are able to offer that flexibility and sustainable infrastructure going forward, regardless of the type of smart card, connectivity or reader technology."
Comms XL now has the ability to write its own card applications using the SmartNS framework or use existing key kernels, such as STS' Emvelink, which is compliant with EMVCo's multiPIN Pad process. Emvelink is an EMV Level 2 kernel for credit and debit card processing in software. Emvelink processed the first POS transaction in the UK Northampton trial and is integrated into the software of several global solution providers.
Comms XL is a Transaction Network Services (TNS) company, providing retailers with a comprehensive and highly flexible payments and card processing solution, from the transaction at the point of sale to processing the information with card issuers and acquiring banks.