News

Electronic money, payment systems and financial markets software provider TAS Group will officially reveal its new Card 3.0 platform at CARTES 2013. The modular card management platform enables financial institutions to design, issue and manage payment cards and other digital products quickly and securely.

UK-based traffic technology company Siemens has received a 5-star Recognised for Excellence award at the 2013 UK Excellence Awards, presented annually by the British Quality Foundation to recognise business performance improvement. Siemens has used the European Foundation Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence model as a key framework to assess its business excellence, understand its strengths, identify areas for improvement and drive a culture of continuous improvement. The company’s score, measured agai

Prior to turning the UK Highways Agency into a government-owned company, the Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a consultation asking for the public’s views on the proposed structure and accountability of the new company, along with input on how the new watchdog, and a separate new organisation that will monitor the performance of the agency, should be run. Turning the Highways Agency into a government-owned company will improve efficiency and reduce running costs, with taxpayers expected to ben

San Francisco Bay Area's popular 511 service is set to expand its traffic speed network. Coverage, now mostly limited to state roadways and interstates, will be expanded to include additional state roadways, major arterials, expressways and connectors. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), which runs the 512 service, assembles data from a variety of sources – Caltrans, CHP, and other partners – to provide the most accurate and reliable information about incidents and traffic disruptions in th

Videalert’s new digital CCTV system for the enforcement of stopped vehicle offences has received Manufacturers Certification as an approved device for wide area network (WAN) deployments by the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT). This is the first system to achieve this accreditation, which makes it easy for local authorities to introduce the enforcement of illegal parking outside schools, where vehicles stop or park on zig-zag lines.

Britain cannot meet its future transport needs without HS2, according to new evidence published by the government. Even with over US$80 billion of planned transport investment over the next six years the country’s railways will be overwhelmed. The strategic case for HS2 sets out in detail the need for a new railway line to provide the vitally needed extra capacity. Central to the case is new data that reveals the true extent of the crisis facing the UK rail network and the impact alternatives to buildin

PlascoTec has developed two special coatings - PlascoSAM and PlascoSLIDE - for lamination plates which it says will reduce wear and improve anti-stick performance “drastically”, thus allowing coatings card manufacturers to reduce production costs. PlascoSLIDE reduces the adhesion of foils (PC, PVC, PET- G) as well as unwanted residues from the lamination process on the lamination plate surface, improving product quality and cutting the need for cleaning during production. Meanwhile PlascoSAM has high ha

As the number of smart phone and tablet users continues to soar, consumer purchasing behaviour will change and consumers will increasingly opt for the convenience of contactless cards and NFC-based payments in the next three to five years. This is one of the findings of a new study into retail payment technology trends, commissioned by CARTES Secure Connexions Event and Payments Cards & Mobile, which also revealed that difference stakeholders have different priorities when it comes to the next generation of

Spire Payments has launched the only Linux-based PCI 3.x and SRED-compliant PoS terminals, covering wireless and mobile PoS devices, from fixed countertop to PIN pads. The SP range has been designed to be fully PCI PTS 3.x compliant, including the use of open standards and the adherence to SRED.

Zebra Technologies Corporation is to complete its ZXP Series direct-to-card printer range at CARTES by launching a new standard printer, the ZXP Series 1. The entry level machine is designed for low volume printing needs – and at the same time, Zebra has announced enhancements to its ZXP Series 3 card printer for improved printer performance.

Brazil may be hosting the world in the upcoming FIFA World Cup but this autumn CARTES Secure Connexions Event 2013 will be hosting Brazil as Guest of Honour Country in recognition of its growing importance in the marketplace. Brazil has become a hotbed of innovation in the secure transactions industry, thanks to a long tradition of technology and industrial development supported by a tech savvy populace, said Isabelle Alfano, CARTES Events Director. “Brazil has the best combination between local industria

Biometric ID management solution specialist GenKey has bought Ghanaian software provider ClaimSync. The move gives the Dutch firm a stronger foothold in Africa’s burgeoning digital health market, with ClaimSync offering hospitals and insurers a next generation platform for digitising and processing medical records and claims. “We will be able to combine GenKey’s biometric ID management and unique biometric claim validation solution with ClaimSync’s electronic medical claim handling system”, says Mich

California-based biometric identity verification specialist DigitalPersona has bought Identity Stream, whose focus is using biometrics to ensure positive identification in banks and other financial institutions. Identity Stream’s software is currently marketed with Temenos – a relationship that will continue - as T24 Biometrics and provides “one touch” identification for any transaction in the TEMENOS T24 core banking system. The solution identifies customers and employees by scanning their fingerprints an

The economic value of our digital identities is growing fast and could reach 1 trillion euros in Europe by 2020, according to estimates from the Boston Consulting Group. Digital identities boost economic efficiency, help focus research and marketing efforts while spurring the creation of personalized products and services that, in turn, drive revenues. For consumers, the benefits are compelling as products and services are tailored to their needs and requirements, says the report.

Reader maker Access IS has two new readers on show at CARTES 2013 - a 2D barcode reader with contactless NFC/RFID reading, and a full mpage, multi-illumination passport reader. The LSR118 is a 2D barcode reader with contactless NFC/ RFID reading (and writing) capability for integration into access gates, ticket machines and kiosks.