Atos Worldline, the European expertise of Atos Origin in electronic payments and transactions, has received the EMVCo Level 1 Contactless Approved Interface Modules certification for its Xenta contactless reader.
It thus is the first terminal provider worldwide to receive this certification.
The Level 1 Type Approval process tests compliance with the electromechanical characteristics, logical interface, and transmission protocol requirements defined in the EMV Specifications. The test was performed by the FIME European Test Center in Caen (France).
The Banksys XENTA contactless reader is an add-on module that enables contactless payment on the trusted XENTA terminal for attended retail applications. The solution supports MasterCard PayPass, Visa payWave and eventually all major contactless payment schemes initiated by contactless cards and mobile phones using the Near Field Communication (NFC) standard. Banksys XENTA terminals already installed for traditional payment applications can easily be upgraded with the XENTA contactless reader.
The XENTA contactless reader combines several assets to accelerate market adoption. It can be seamlessly affixed on existing XENTA terminals. The elegant external module is easy to plug, while remote upload of the reader's software stands for a durable solution in the future, whenever the NFC specifications evolve.
The design and location of the 'landing zone' makes payment by contactless card or cell phone very convenient. Transaction speed is actually enhanced by the integrated nature of the solution, reducing communication time between the reader and the terminal to a few milliseconds.
The renowned Banksys security is reflected in the design of the XENTA contactless solution. The absence of USB or serial interface between the reader and the terminal makes it impossible to intercept transaction details during processing. The software driving the reader resides on the security processor inside the terminal, allowing to perform logical security controls.
"Contactless payments are gaining more and more success around the globe", says Dirk De Cock, CEO of Atos Worldline in Belgium. "Atos Worldline has carefully followed the evolution of this payment technology and we are very proud to be the first terminal provider to receive this certification. Thanks to our add-on module, merchants who already possess a XENTA terminal can easily accept contactless payment applications, without making expensive investments."
The XENTA contactless reader was presented at the Cartes 2008 tradeshow. Pilot projects are currently ongoing in several European countries. The XENTA contactless reader will be available as from October 2009 as an add-on for new and existing terminals already deployed in the field.