>> World First for Gemplus and Mobilix as Subscribers Reload Air Time Over The Air
G‚menos,
7 June 2000
Gemplus, the world No.1 provider of smart card based solutions, with partners Mobilix and PBS, has developed a revolutionary system for the purchase of air time by credit card via a mobile phone. Danish operator Mobilix?s customers can now reload their mobile phones with air time Over The Air, directly from their bank/credit card account.
Since November last year, Mobilix has been running a pilot scheme whereby more than 100 customers have been able to reload air time Over The Air (OTA) with new menu options on their mobile handsets. After a successful trial run, with customers declaring that the OTA payment system is as efficient and as effective as the ?physical? Dankort system, Mobilix has now launched the first commercial service of this kind in the world.
The user interface, developed by Gemplus, is based on SIM ToolKit technology. The service is available anytime, anywhere via new, user-friendly menus on the SIM card. Since it is based on the international EMV standard and is endorsed by Dankort, Eurocard, Mastercard and VISA/Dankort, the new service will accept any payment card.
Transaction security is guaranteed by standard Dankort security procedures and the enhanced security advantages of the SIM card. No sensitive data is transmitted over the Mobilix network. The customer?s credit card number is registered confidentially with Mobilix where it is linked to the customer?s mobile phone number and SIM card. The customer merely enters a four digit PIN code to launch the transaction. The transaction is secure and invisible, taking no more than 10 seconds to complete, whereupon the customer receives notification in the form of an enhanced SMS text message.
This solution is available at Mobilix? sales outlets where a new SIM card costs 100 DKK. An agreement is signed and, as soon as this document has been registered by Mobilix, the payment service is activated Over The Air via SMS. The new service will target approximately 700,000 Danes for whom pre-payment is the preferred method of controlling air time consumption. Purchasing air time directly from a mobile phone is a fresh alternative to the scratch card solutions currently available. <<
- Eric - |
