Industry giants develop Asian mobile electronic network<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (AFP): Standard Chartered Plc. of Britain and U.S
\nsoftware giant Microsoft Corp. teamed up with world leaders in
\ncellular communications Monday to spearhead the development of
\nmobile electronic services in Asia.<\/p>\n
Mobile phone leaders Motorola Inc., LM Ericsson Telefon AB of
\nSweden, Nokia Corp. of Finland and 10 other groups will be part
\nof the 15-group alliance.<\/p>\n
Led by Standard Chartered Bank, the Asia Mobile Electronic
\nServices Alliance (AMESA) would produce a multi-function bank
\ncard that will give users access to a whole range of electronic
\nservices, officials said.<\/p>\n
\"It is the world's first cross industry partnership for cross
\nborder mobile electronic services,\" AMESA project manager
\nNicholas Fung Ho Chung told a news conference in Singapore.<\/p>\n
The alliance, which also includes credit card giant Visa
\nInternational, would give customers in Asia access to banking,
\nInternet commerce, bill payment, trading and information, using
\nsmart card technology.<\/p>\n
Services accessed would run into billions of dollars and \"the
\nsky is the limit for us,\" Fung said, adding the alliance would
\nkeep its door open for new participants, including other banks.<\/p>\n
Smart card transactions are now typically carried out at fixed
\nterminals such as computers or multi-media kiosks.<\/p>\n
\"By combining the convenience and flexibility of the smart
\ncard and the mobile phone, the bank card will enable customers to
\naccess a whole range of electronic services,\" a statement issued
\nat the news conference said.<\/p>\n
The services would be commercially available beginning in the
\nsecond half of 2000 in Hong Kong and Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"The two economies were chosen because they are the cutting
\nedge of the information technology revolution in the region,\"
\nsaid Mervyn Davies, Standard Chartered group executive director
\nfor Hong Kong, China and Northeast Asia.<\/p>\n
Davies, speaking in a video conference from Hong Kong, said
\n\"this is the first time 15 industry leaders have come together,
\neach one bringing with it, expertise in infrastructure,
\ntechnology, services and a wide market reach.\"<\/p>\n
The others in the alliance include Singapore
\nTelecommunications Ltd.'s mobile phone unit SingTel Mobile,
\nInternet unit SingNet and postal services arm Singapore Post.<\/p>\n
The alliance also comprises IT firm Gemplus Technologies and
\nHong Kong mobile phone operator SmarTone and Hong Kong Post.<\/p>\n
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Open
\nUniversity of Hong Kong and the National University of Singapore
\nwill conduct research and development and market surveys and run
\npilot tests.<\/p>\n
Standard Chartered, with 250 offices located in all of Asia
\nexcept North Korea, will provide the regional financial
\ninfrastructure and introduce new financial services to AMESA's
\ncustomers.<\/p>\n
SingTel Mobile, SingNet and SmarTone would bring to the
\nalliance their extensive mobile and Internet networks.<\/p>\n
Gemplus with its smart card expertise and Microsoft with its
\nrecent smart card for Windows will provide the multi-function
\nsmart card technology based on Visa's \"open platform.\"<\/p>\n
Open platform allows card issuers flexibility on operating
\nsystems for transactions, said Fung, head of chip card and e-
\ncommerce in Standard Chartered's consumer banking group.<\/p>\n
Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia will lend their cutting edge
\nmobile communications technology and provide the handsets while
\nHong Kong Post and Singapore Post and their certification
\nauthorities will provide domestic and cross-border electronic
\nidentification services.<\/p>\n
Davies said the smart card's ability to store and process
\nlarge amounts of information securely would in time make it an
\nintegral part of people's lives.<\/p>\n
\"The mobile phone with increasingly interactive features, with
\nits web browsing makes it the perfect device to perform the
\nmulti-function card. It will enable customers to have easy access
\nto a whole range of services and transactions anytime, anywhere,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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