Aconite, a leading provider of software and consulting services for managing applications in smart cards and mobiles today announced, along with its partner Proxama, the launch of a Mobile Prepaid solution.
This new mobile proposition extends the capability of the solution Aconite recently implemented for the South African Transit project. Customers can use the new range of NFC mobile phones in the same way as contactless chip cards to transact with contactless acceptance devices, such as those being deployed in South Africa's public taxi-buses.
Aconite's Prepaid Value Manager (PVM) solution can be implemented alongside any existing payment infrastructure to handle the complex processing needed to support the 'on-card' value used in EMV based contactless products. These products can be issued on regular chip cards or on mobile phones and other token types ('smart devices').
For the South African transit solution Aconite PVM was integrated with Traderoot Africa's Universal Pre-paid Issuing Platform (UPIP) solution to provide an end-to-end system that facilitates offline payment authorisation without incurring any credit risk.
Aconite has now incorporated technology partner Proxama's powerful NFC wallet application to provide a combined software solution to support innovative smart payment products together with marketing services features such as coupons and loyalty applications.
Aconite is now integrating its smartcard lifecycle management system in the solution to manage the OTA (Over The Air) enablement and post-issuance download of applets to the secure elements in NFC-enabled mobile phones.
Aconite will be demonstrating this unique solution with our partner Traderoot Africa in Sandton, South Africa at 'Cards Africa', March 23rd-24th, and in Hong Kong, at 'Cartes Asia', on the Datacard booth, March 29th-31st.
Patrick Regester, Aconite's SVP Sales & Marketing, said "This deployment builds on solutions implemented with our partners, Traderoot and Proxama, and demonstrates the next logical step in the use of contactless applications for ticketing and general retail payments now that NFC mobiles aree becoming more readily available"
Gary Cook, Traderoot Africa's Director of Sales, said: "NFC is viewed as a natural extension that enhances our current pre-paid contactless solutions from both an acquiring and issuing perspective"
Proxama's CEO and Founder, Neil Garner, commented: "We are delighted to be working with Aconite and Traderoot Africa on the development of an innovative solution to enable mobile phone users to make contactless prepaid transactions and ticket purchases. By employing NFC technology for this solution, it will allow companies to extend their customer interfaces in uses such as proximity marketing. This is one of the first of many mass market uses of NFC we will be delivering in the coming months that will offer tangible customer benefits and turn the potential NFC has promised into the reality of a powerful consumer proposition."