Tuesday May 2, 12:28 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Elcotel, Inc.
Elcotel and Gemplus To Deliver Cashless ATM To Recharge Wireless Phones From Grapevine Terminals
New Grapevine(TM) Terminals To Interface With Gemplus Smart Card Readers, Delivering Secure Internet Payphone Access To Today's Consumers
MIAMI BEACH, Fla., May 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Elcotel, a leading provider to the public communications market, and Gemplus, the world's leading provider of smart card solutions, today announced a joint technology agreement that integrates Gemplus' GemCore(TM) smart card reader technology into Elcotel's new Grapevine(TM) payphone terminal.
The Grapevine terminal combines traditional payphone capabilities with sponsor paid advertising and content, e-commerce and personalized information for the Internet for such applications as shopping for tickets and flowers, recharging debit cards automatically, retrieving e-mail in an airport, and making a restaurant reservation with a speed dial. During the next twelve to sixteen months, Gemplus and Elcotel will work together to deploy smart card-enabled Grapevine terminals throughout the U.S. The incorporation of smart card technology into the Grapevine terminals further extends both their functionality and flexibility while providing consumers with the security necessary to conduct their business via the Internet.
During CardTech/SecurTech in Miami, May 1 - 4, 2000, Gemplus (Booth #404) will be showcasing cashless ATM and e-Commerce transactions from the Grapevine public Internet appliance with Gemplus-supplied smart cards.
``The combination of smart card technology with Elcotel's new Grapevine terminal represents an exciting opportunity to incorporate the inherent benefits of smart cards into today's rapidly growing and changing public access communications industry,'' said Remy de Tonnac, president, Gemplus America. ``We are pleased to team with Elcotel to bring smart card-enabled technology to the next generation of public communications.''
Introduced by Elcotel in March, the Grapevine(TM) network terminal combines traditional payphone capabilities with sponsor-paid advertising and content, e-commerce and personalized information services from the Internet. It employs a sponsor-paid business model that will allow public communications providers to significantly enhance revenue potential while reducing operating expenses, enable sponsors to deliver their messages to precisely targeted audiences, and satisfy the growing need of millions of consumers for valuable information whenever, wherever and however they need it.
``Gemplus and Elcotel have now reached an agreement to deploy Gemcore(TM) card readers in Grapevine(TM) public Internet appliances,'' said Mike Boyle, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Elcotel. ``Elcotel's new line of wallmount and desktop Grapevine(TM) wired non-PC public terminals offer payment and identification capabilities for both rechargeable debit cards and credit cards. Applications like these make Gemplus and Elcotel leaders in delivering a better experience for cardholders in the public communications market.''
Later this year, Elcotel will be offering its public e-Commerce services to a broad base of public users around North America. Together with the benefits of Gemplus' broad range of smart cards, Elcotel will enable the fast and easy deployment of globally interoperable e-Commerce purchase options and payment systems through Grapevine(TM) terminals.
About Elcotel
Elcotel, Inc., based in Sarasota, Florida, is a leader in providing public access telecommunications networks and management services for both domestic and international wireline and wireless communication networks. The company designs, develops, and manufactures an extensive line of domestic and international wireless and wireline public communications terminals and back- office network management software. Elcotel is the leading application service provider to the public communications market. Visit Elcotel's corporate website at www.elcotel.com.
About Gemplus
Gemplus S.A. (www.gemplus.com) is the world's leading provider of plastic and smart card-based solutions (by units sold, source: Dataquest 1998). Gemplus sells magnetic stripe cards, memory and microprocessor-based smart cards, smart contactless cards, electronic tags and smart objects. The company designs and markets software, development tools and readers. Gemplus also provides consulting, training and personalization services to deliver the industry's most comprehensive and flexible card-based solutions to its developers, distributors, partners, and customers.
With sales of over $US 817 million in 1999, Gemplus employs almost 6,000 people in 16 manufacturing facilities, 7 R&D centers and 41 sales and marketing offices located in more than 30 countries around the world. Founded in 1988, Gemplus has successfully implemented portable and secure smart card- based solutions to simplify applications such as public and wireless communications, financial transactions, loyalty, transportation, education, healthcare, identity, physical access control, pay TV, electronic commerce, Internet security, logical access control and information technology.
(C) 2000 Gemplus. Gemplus is a registered trademark of Gemplus. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
(C) 2000 Elcotel,Inc. Elcotel, Inc. is a registered trademark of Elcotel. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE: Elcotel, Inc. |
