Tech Notes

The ETA’s Technology Innovation Award - TIA

This year was a banner year in regard to applicants and finalists in regard to the Technology Innovation Award (TIA). The finalists included ChargeAnywhere, Apriva, and First Data. Apriva was nominated for their Payment Engine SDK, First Data for it’s GO-Tag, and CHARGE Anywhere® for their Mobile Payment Solution with Signature Capture. All were worthy of the award but the CHARGE Anywhere® nomination won out in the end.

There was much debate over which nominee should win according to the guidelines set forth. The ETA’s Technology Innovation Award (otherwise known as the TIA - pronounced tea-ah), recognizes companies whose creative use of technology significantly advances the use of technology for their company and the payments industry as a whole. When the technology committee evaluates companies for the award, it considers a few points, such as does the product use technology in an innovative fashion, increase standardization, promote customer usability, increase profitability, make significant advances for the payment industry, and has it demonstrated tangible results in the marketplace.

This year’s award winner, CHARGE Anywhere®, rose above the others in consideration, but that hasn’t always been the case. A couple of years ago, an evaluation group formed from members of the ETA’s Awards and Recognition Committee and the Technology Committee, decided to not award the TIA, not because of the lack of interesting technology, but because those technologies had yet to be proven in the industry. According to the nomination:

“CHARGE Anywhere’s new Windows Mobile Payment Application with Signature Capture is the latest mobile software in the POS market. With Signature Capture, mobile merchants no longer need to obtain signatures on paper receipts. All receipts will be securely stored online in an included transaction manager. Merchants will be able to view, email, and print these receipts to challenge chargebacks among other things. Now merchants no longer need to print receipts and store them. This service is available on all touch screen Windows Mobile 5.0+ devices.”

This year’s choice was more difficult with a number of well-deserving products. According to Drew Freeman, “This was the toughest one to choose!” and I wholeheartedly agree. Congratulations to CHARGE Anywhere® for winning the 2009 Technology Innovation Award and to the other nominees as well. - Jim Richards

Standardizing 2D bar codes for mobiles

NeuStar is doing something important – attempting to standardize the 2D bar code for mobiles.  Watch this carefully as it has standards are badly needed in mobile commerce and payments.  - George Peabody

iPhone adds Bluetooth for more than headsets

Apple’s demonstration today of its betaiPhone OS 3.0 has a significant enhancement for payments and retailing - Bluetooth discovery.  In earlier versions, there was no programmatic access to the iPhone’s Bluetooth radio.  That’s all changed.  From peer to peer communications like exchanging busienss cards via Bluetooth, now add a link between the iPhone and a grocer’s multi-lane terminals via a ROLLCOMM style connection is possible.  Here’s a link to a Live Blog description of the new OS 3.0 features. Tough news for Palm’s Pre and not great news for RIM either.  Except for the fact that the ATT network seems to be overloaded in many metro areas.  — George Peabody

Nielsen survey underscores rapid adoption of mobile data services

This Nielsen survey underscores how the mobile internet and messaging continue to grow in importance for consumers.  Given their improved user experience (iPhone) and constant presence in each consumer’s pocket, moving ATM, POS terminal and marketing functions into these devices is a compelling opportunity for the payments industry.

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