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Submit a speech idea for the Contactless Intelligence Spring Conference 2011

Submit an Abstract to speak at CISC 2011

XThe organisers of the 5th Contactless Intelligence Spring Conference (CISC) are delighted to open the call for papers for next year’s event which is to be held in London on April 14th, 2011. We therefore invite potential speakers to submit an abstract for consideration, especially those individuals with extensive experience in the practical application of contactless technology, those at the forefront of implementation and roll-outs, market analysts and end users/regional councils that have (or are currently implementing) a cutting-edge case history.

In order to receive speaking priority as well as presence in the conference panel sessions, papers should be submitted by 30th September 2010 to Contactless Intelligence Programm Director Susan Hicks susan.hicks@contactless-intelligence.com

Please note that although we highly encourage submissions from the international community, contributions must be submitted in English.

Successful contributions will be evaluated on the basis of relevance (please note the conference themes below), content, originality and expertise/experience of the speaker. New case histories, especially when presented by implementers of contactless technology (or jointly with the prime supplier/integrator), will be favoured, as will speeches from top-level company or organisational representatives. N.B This should not dissuade submissions by those with specialist technical knowledge, or those leading research efforts.

Submissions must provide the following information:

• Speaker’s name
• Speaker’s position
• Speaker’s company/organisation
• Speaker’s short biography approx. 200 words
• Speaker’s photo
• Speaker’s full contact details (address, email, telephone)
• Proposed title of the presentation
• Summary of the presentation (max 200 words).

Acknowledgement will be provided on receipt.

Taking place for the 5th time in 2011, the Contactless Intelligence Spring Conference delivers the latest in contactless activity, providing participants with unparalleled access to implementers from all over Europe: Retailers, transport operators, vending and event location, This one day event will take place in the Hilton Tower Bridge, London on April 14. The Contactless Monkey Awards (CMA’s)are presented at the end of the day to companies, organizations and retailers who have done the most to embrace and implement contactless technology in their operating practices.

Themes at the CISC 2011 include:

• Contactless & NFC applications: Which application is driving which market and why?
• Contactless & NFC cities: Which cities and regions have invested most in contactless technology? Which pilots have been implemented? Large scale roll-outs in the last 12 months?
• Contactless & NFC implementations: Which implementations have been most successful? What are the criteria?
• Contactless & NFC markets: What are the most exciting markets worldwide? What can be learnt from mature markets?
• Contactless technology: What is the next big thing in hardware and software? How relevant will be the development of Apps?
• Contactless industry dynamics: How can players best collaborate? What are the best examples in the industry?

For more information please visit www.c-i.tv/events or email Susan Hicks at susan.hicks@contactless-intelligence.com

Social Media is an unavoidable topic for the UK.

Interesting video from Simply Zesty, a UK-based online PR and social media firm, who has put together a cool little film based on social media-related figures for the UK. See it below.

KASIKORNBANK, AIS and Gemalto Bring NFC to Mobile Users in Thailand

Gemalto have announced it will provide its Trusted Services Management (TSM) service to support the launch of Near-Field Communication (NFC) applications in Thailand. The service is the first pan-Asian deployment for Gemalto’s certified TSM center in Taiwan. This pioneering project has Gemalto partnering with KASIKORNBANK, the country’s second largest bank, and with Advanced Info Services (AIS), the nation’s largest telecommunications operator.

Mobile NFC opens up an entire new dimension in digital freedom for Thai consumers, transforming their mobile phones into contactless devices for touch-and-go applications, such as payment at retail outlet partners. Since starting in July 2010, selected customers simply collect their phone from KASIKORNBANK to enjoy mobile NFC services. Gemalto is entrusted with the management and preparation of sensitive user information from KASIKORNBANK to operate secure over-the-air (OTA) personalization services that enable mobile subscribers to gain access to NFC payments and AIS services.

“With the ubiquitous nature of mobile phones, we are always looking for innovations to improve our offerings to our customers,” commented Mr.Suvit Arayawilaipong, Vice President Product & Service Development, Advanced Info Service Plc. ”This is the first OTA provisioning service that is offered from outside the country. It allows NFC to be deployed in Thailand smoothly and securely. With Gemalto we are working with a partner that we can trust.”

Mr. Art Wichiencharoen, Senior VP of Retail and SME e-Business, KASIKORNBANK, added: “Leveraging Gemalto’s experience, we are able to make NFC payment easy to use. We have a simple user interface on the phone that guides a user to some 40 retail outlets where they can immediately perform mobile NFC payments like for food, entertainment and grocery shopping. They will appreciate this fast and fuss-free new means of payment.”

“With KASIKORNBANK and AIS we are able to bring the convenience of mobile NFC sooner and in a secure manner to Thai consumers,” stated Mr Tan Teck-Lee, President, Gemalto Asia. “Gemalto’s TSM services are designed to be implemented securely across national borders and this will help countries to overcome local barriers to NFC implementations. Gemalto is clearly the partner of choice, having the most extensive experience in NFC launches and numerous pilot programs active across the world.”

Little Chef is the first restaurant group to fully adopt contactless in UK

It’s all happening at once isn’t it. First the C-op, then AMT Coffee and now Little Chef have announces that it will also be deploying a contactless payment system using Barclaycard technology across all 173 Little Chef roadside restaurants, including its Coffee Tempo brand and Burger King franchises.

Following successful rollouts of contactless by Barclays and Barclaycard in London across establishments such as EAT. and Subway, Little Chef’s adoption will see the technology implemented in all of its outlets. It is the first UK restaurant group to fully embrace contactless.

Little Chef is positive that contactless will improve the overall experience for its guests by making the payment process as efficient as possible. The contactless payments system is live now and will be promoted to customers with a full range of Point of Sale material in all restaurants. The restaurant chain has opted for Barclaycard’s own technology and had new machines installed to support this where required.

Tracey Mulligan, Interim Managing Director, Little Chef said: “We’re constantly working on improving our offer within Little Chef. As well as food and service, technology plays a big part in improving the customer experience and making our offer relevant to today’s busy traveller.  We believe that contactless is an important part of the future of payments and are committed to embracing it in its early stages.”

“The rollout at Little Chef is a significant development in the progress of contactless. The technology fits just as well in a restaurant as it does in a coffee shop or retailer, and the nature of Little Chef’s business means that its customers are looking for a quick and convenient pit stop.” said Stuart Neal, Head of UK Payment Acceptance, Barclaycard. “It is also encouraging to see contactless being established outside of central London, meaning that our eight million contactless cardholders across the UK can make full use of the technology.”

Barclays and Barclaycard are the leading providers of contactless debit and credit cards and terminals in the UK. Since September 2007, they have issued over 26,000 contactless terminals.

AMT Coffee completes its national roll-out of contactless payment systems using Barclaycard technology.

Today’s unveiling of the new AMT Coffee bar in Marylebone, London’s fastest growing rail station, by Adrian Shooter, Managing Director of Chiltern Railways, marks the 65th branch to adopt contactless – a payments system that will allow customers to purchase goods quicker.

AMT say that a successful trial of contactless saw almost a thousand customers use contactless cards within a few weeks. Previously the length of time card transactions took deterred AMT Coffee from accepting cards at its bars located in airports and rail stations nationwide, however, the speed of contactless persuaded the customer-driven coffee company to implement card payments at all of its outlets. AMT Coffee also recognised that the costs associated with handling small change transactions easily outweighed the small transaction fees charged by Barclaycard.

Jon Hassall, Chief Operating Officer at AMT Coffee said: “Before April this year, none of our branches accepted debit or credit cards but the speed of contactless persuaded us it was a must have for a coffee retailer in busy railway stations. We recognise the importance of a flawless customer experience for today’s busy commuter. Contactless is an important part of the future of payments and AMT Coffee is committed to embracing it.”

Stuart Neal, Head of UK Payment Acceptance, Barclaycard, commented: “AMT Coffee’s customers are looking for a quick and convenient pit stop and by adopting contactless it means that they don’t have to leave the platform to get cash for refreshments. The rollout is a significant development in the progress of contactless and it is encouraging to see contactless being established outside of central London, meaning that our eight million contactless cardholders across the UK can make full use of the technology.”

AMT Coffee is already seeing that contactless is making the payment process more efficient and improving the overall experience for its customers, with them enthusiastically commenting on the ease of purchase.

·         “I’m fed up of the ATM in Oxford station hardly ever working – I’m going cashless.  At least I can buy my coffee with paywave”

·         “The contactless payments are fab”

Barclays and Barclaycard are the leading providers of contactless debit and credit cards and terminals in the UK. Since September 2007, they have issued over 25,000 contactless terminals, enabling retailers to manage transactions quicker and easier.

Contactless allows customers to make purchases of £15 or less, without the need to enter a PIN or enter their card into a payment terminal. Once the card has been held over the contactless terminal, the transaction uses a secure network to automatically add the purchase to the customer’s credit card bill or debit it from their current account.

You can see John Hassall from AMT coffee speak about how they are adapting to contactless technology in our film “Mobile Transactions in practice” in standard definition at C-ITV (parts 1-3) or in a single viewing in HD here.