USTT
Jointly Providing e-Port(TM) Networking Systems for Intelligent Vending
WAYNE, Pa., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ --
USA Technologies Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: USTT), today announced it has
entered into a strategic teaming agreement with IBM (NYSE: IBM), and among the
first combined USA Technologies/IBM contracts was to provide Intelligent
Vending systems for two vending industry leaders -- including a global vending
equipment manufacturer and a large US based vending management company.
USA Technologies further announced it had already begun to deliver the
first combined USA Technologies/IBM end-to-end e-Port networking solutions to
Automatic Products International, a global leader in the manufacture of glass-
front vending machines, and to The Continental Group, one of the largest
vending management companies in the United States.
USA Technologies, IBM and APi will feature various e-Port Intelligent
Vending networking solutions at the National Automatic Merchandising
Association Annual Exposition 'NAMA', the world's biggest vending industry
trade show, being held in Chicago this week.
The teaming agreement with IBM is three-fold. First, the companies will
jointly mobilize intelligent systems for vending machines, and in the near
term, they intend to extend these combined offerings into other point of sale
(POS) terminals and home networking applications. Second, to jointly offer to
the market a combination of products and services that will deliver an end-to-
end solution, combining USA Technologies' unique e-Port embedded computing
technology and networking system, together with IBM's systems integration,
application development, security architecture, wireless hosting capabilities,
and e-business consulting expertise. The third component of the agreement
calls for IBM to train and mobilize wireless e-business sales professionals in
the sale and implementation of the e-Port device and associated networking
technology along with IBM services.
"USA Technologies sees this as IBM moving quickly into the over $38
billion U.S. vending marketplace, using a combination of our technology and
their global experience in systems integration, consulting, and wireless
expertise," said Stephen P. Herbert, President and Chief Operating Officer,
USA Technologies, Inc. "We also consider it validation that our cashless
microtransaction and interactive media e-Port technology could fundamentally
change the vending and POS industries as we know them. IBM's participation is
an acknowledgement that the vending and POS industries will gain more benefits
from networking. With IBM, a global Information Technology giant as a
partner, we could have the capability to deliver our combined solution in any
scale, to any customer, located anywhere in the world. This alliance
compliments an already comprehensive partnering strategy that includes other
IT and telco giants, OEM partners, and distributors. This strategy, along with
an aggressive Intellectual Property campaign, could allow USA to dominate the
market with superior marketing, distribution and executional capability -
while likely creating formidable barriers to entry for competition," he said.
Under the agreement, IBM Global Services will also provide the up-front
consulting for companies exploring industry-specific wireless scenarios. IBM
can build and run the wireless infrastructure through application development,
systems integration, security architecture and wireless hosting. In some
instances, IBM may also take the lead and handle the project management and
implementation of the combined e-Port solution, depending on the scale of the
project and size of the customer.
APi, a USA Technologies OEM Partner, manufactures and ships a wide variety
of vending machines including hot beverage, cold beverage, refrigerated and
frozen food and ice cream vending merchandisers worldwide. Using USA
Technologies' e-Port(TM) cashless transaction systems and IBM Global Services
integration services, APi is providing its customers with intelligent cashless
vending and inventory control capability.
"USA Technologies' e-Port system gives vending machine merchandisers the
ability to be connected by a fast efficient network," said Jim Radant, Vice
President, Marketing, Automatic Products International. "These networked
machines will allow customers to conduct cashless transactions with the swipe
of either a credit card, bank card, or check card. Each machine will be able
to communicate daily sales data back to the vending operator, as well as
provide interactive media via a small display screen at the point of sale.
The e-Port system represents leading edge technology that offers consumers a
more convenient payment system, and vending operators the benefit of greater
operational and audit efficiencies," he said.
The Continental Group also welcomed the new e-Port solution for its unique
remote audit and operational advantages, and the benefits it brings customers.
"The e-Port solution gives our owners/managers nationwide the tools to provide
clients absolute accountability, virtually no machine downtime and improved
sales from credit cards," said Gwen Bachmeier, Vice President of Sales and
Marketing, The Continental Group. "e-Port features assist in controlling
cash, while offering customers the opportunity to conveniently use credit
cards at vending machines that are monitored at all times to assure maximum
uptime," she said.
e-Port is a technology that could enable the networking of vending
machines, gas pumps, office equipment and almost any kind of point-of-sale
terminal -- enabling the locations to act as interactive, commerce enabled
kiosks. The technology could enable the conversion of unattended points of
sale into intelligent "store fronts", connected to the Internet, and capable
of communicating operational data to operators, as well as conducting cashless
micro-transactions via credit cards, smart cards, and other forms of mobile e-
commerce. It can come fitted with an LCD screen that features interactive
media/advertising at point of sale, giving location owners the ability to
communicate with and improve the buying experience of consumers, promote
products, provide free access to web based media such as news, sports and
weather and possibly generate incremental revenues from interactive media.
"We believe e-Port gives USA Technologies' customers such as APi and
Continental a competitive edge to win major accounts by offering the
operational benefits of networking, and by providing consumers the opportunity
to make unattended cashless purchases from their machines, including the
consumers preferred method of payment - credit cards," said Mr. Herbert.
"Having IBM behind the rollout of this new technology gives our customers
confidence that they can quickly leverage these benefits via broad executional
capability and rapid integration into their legacy systems and business
processes," he said.
About USA Technologies:
USA Technologies is recognized as a leader in cashless micro transactions,
associated financial/network services and interactive media technology. USA
Technologies provides credit card activated and other cashless/mobile commerce
systems. USA Technologies is an IBM (NYSE: IBM - news) Business Partner and an
inaugural member of the Sprint (NYSE: FON - news) Enabling Application Service
Provider Program for e-commerce. It has also established partnerships with a
number of global IT, multimedia, and telecommunications companies including
Marconi Online Systems, RadiSys Corporation, DoubleClick Inc., and Xerox
Corporation. Visit the USA Technologies home page at www.usatech.com.
About Automatic Products International, Ltd.
Established in 1949, APi is recognized as the global leader in the
manufacture and sale of glassfront snack and confection vending merchandisers.
APi manufactures a wide variety of machines, including hot beverage, cold
beverage, refrigerated and frozen food and ice cream vending merchandisers.
APi sells the merchandisers to vending operating and foodservice companies via
a worldwide distribution network. APi currently has customers in over 45
countries worldwide. The company headquarters are located in St. Paul,
Minnesota. Visit the APi web site at www.automaticproducts.com.
About The Continental Group:
The Continental Group is a national resource for employee vending and food
services. It provides single source management to meet the needs of
organizations that have multiple locations throughout the continental USA.
The Continental Group is a nationwide company comprised of America's elite
vending operating companies. The member-operators have been selected based on
their integrity, professionalism, financial strength and reputation in the
industry. The Continental Group's combined revenues exceed $700 million and
today it employs over 4,000 people. There are over 40 operating branches,
serving 40,000 locations nationwide. The Continental Group is one of the
largest vending management companies in the U.S.
Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act:
With the exception of the historical information contained in this release,
the matters described herein, contain forward-looking statements that involve
risk and uncertainties that may individually or mutually impact the matters
herein described, including but not limited to product acceptance, economic,
competitive, governmental, whether its pending patents will be granted or
defendable, validity of intellectual property and patents of USA, the ability
of USA to commercialize its developmental products, technological and/or other
factors, which could cause actual results or revenues to differ materially
from those contemplated by these statements.
Automatic Products Contact:
Jim Radant - Vice President of Marketing
Phone: 651-224-4391
e-mail: jradant@automaticproducts.com
The Continental Group Contact:
Bud Kice - President
Phone: 760-728-5650
e-mail: bkice@tgcllc.org
Investor Relations Contact:
Ira W. Miller
IW Miller Group Inc.
Phone: 949.833.9001
USA Technologies Contacts:
George R. Jensen, Jr., Chairman & CEO
Stephen P. Herbert, President & COO
Phone: 800-633-0340
e -mail: sherbert@usatech.com
MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here
tbutton.prnewswire.com
SOURCE USA Technologies Inc.
-0- 10/24/2001
/CONTACT: Jim Radant, Vice President of Marketing of Automatic Products,
+1-651-224-4391, jradant@automaticproducts.com; or Bud Kice, President of
The Continental Group, +1-760-728-5650, bkice@tgcllc.org; or Ira W. Miller,
Investor Relations of IW Miller Group Inc., +1-949-833-9001; or George R.
Jensen, Jr., Chairman & CEO, or Stephen P. Herbert, President & COO,
sherbert@usatech.com, of USA Technologies, +1-800-633-0340/
/Company News On-Call: prnewswire.com
/Web site: usatech.com
(USTT IBM)
CO: USA Technologies Inc.; Automatic Products International, Ltd.; The
Continental Group; IBM
ST: Pennsylvania
IN: CPR
SU: JVN
*** end of story *** |
