
December-2009
Innovation Awards, which was organized for the first time by Istanbul Chamber of Industry, have gone to the prize holders, in a ceremony held on the 15th of December, 2009 at WOW Convention Center.
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May - 2009
Transportation leg of the "City Card Framework System", which is a product of SmartSoft's two-year R&D efforts, was introduced to the press by Kahramanmaras ..
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April - 2009
Nowadays, with contactless cards being used widespread, banks have started to reach wider range of customers by doing city card and transportation projects. After credit cards migrated to chip, banks have started chip..
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February - 2009
One of the SmartGroup companies, SmartWay, has started a new era by a new generation card management system "OCEAN", which meets all the card payment system demand of the banking sector.
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January - 2009
Over 50,000 Turkish Cardholders Empowered by EMV Instant Issuance proving system scalability and demonstrating security best practice.
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Thanks to MasterCard® OneSmartT program, Bank Asya customers in Turkey can use a single card for both contact and contactless payments, perform secure remote transactions, and pay to cross the Bosphorus bridges.
Waterloo, Belgium, July 1, 2008 -- MasterCard and Bank Asya have launched Asyacard DIT - a multi- application chip and PIN card, combining the power of MasterCard EMV OneSmart features with an integrated municipal toll and transit application to create one of the world's most versatile and advanced chip cards. The card also offers the additional benefits of MasterCard® PayPassT contactless technology.
MasterCard OneSmart program helps banks to develop new chip-based added value applications quickly and easily. Using the AsyaCard DIT, Bank Asya customers can pay at over 109,000 merchant locations worldwide as of 1Q2008, using MasterCard PayPass contactless technology with a simple tap. The card also includes MasterCard® Chip Authentication ProgramT (CAP), a secure two-factor authentication technology, which allows customers to securely access online account information. The PC-connected version of the
CAP personal card reader for AsyaCard DIT also enables cardholders to securely top-up offline balances for
PayPass payments and to securely interact with public transport applications.
Bank Asya's innovative approach of putting toll and transit functions onto contactless smart cards has allowed them to seize the opportunity offered by the Kahramanmaras Public Transportation Project, a municipal initiative in Eastern Turkey. AsyaCard DIT owners can also use their cards on the tolls on motorways and bridges, including the two bridges over the Bosphorus Straight in Istanbul that connects Europe and Asia.
With the full support of MasterCard and using the leading edge technologies offered by Turkish payment software provider, SmartSoft, Bank Asya issued a unique card that has this many built-in features for the first time. AsyaCard DIT holders can also receive their cards immediately in the banks' branches (instant issuance), avoiding the usual wait for a card to arrive.
"This highly innovative multi-solution from Bank Asya proves that MasterCard OneSmart program brings real value to payment card products," said Toni Merschen, Group Head Chip at MasterCard Worldwide, "It's great to see that banks in Turkey are now reaping the rewards of the effort that they all put into migrating to chip and PIN (EMV) technology."
Bank Asya's Executive Vice President Mustafa Buyukates said "Bank Asya continues to provide its valuable customers with a variety of new and exiting products with the motto 'Different Solutions for Different Expectations'. While we examine carefully the needs of our customers through different distribution channels, we serve our client base with the latest technological developments in the banking sector and will continue to follow the developments in the credit card technology and provide these services to 'ease the customers' life'."
About MasterCard Europe
MasterCard Europe is the entity responsible for managing MasterCard Worldwide's business in Europe - for Europe. With headquarters in Waterloo, Belgium, MasterCard Europe works with 51 European countries organized administratively into three customer areas, incorporating the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), mature markets and the developing markets of Europe, stretching as far afield as the eastern border of Russia. Through its network of local offices, MasterCard Europe can understand and meet the diverse needs of customers in the very different types of markets throughout Europe, enabling people to do business in their own way in their own language.
Through MasterCard Worldwide, MasterCard Europe offers its European customers and consumers access to leading payment services throughout the world. MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 18 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercard.com
About the MasterCard® OneSmartT Program
OneSmart is a program that leverages the technical superiority of Chip [applications, complex data, and encryption] to provide the best possible solutions for cardholders. By extending our transactional and security expertise, we bring additional value to MasterCard brands for banks and cardholders a like.
About Bank Asya
Bank Asya is a leading Turkish bank that provides a wide range of banking products and services to its commercial and retail customers with number of issued credit card reached over 1.000.000 individual card members. Bank Asya provides banking services through its network of 124 Bank Asya branches located primarily in Western and Southern Turkey. Bank Asya also offers its services through alternative distribution channels such as ATMs, call centre and internet banking.
About SmartSoft
SmartSoft is a software development company located in Istanbul, Turkey, specializing in chip card sdoftware development technology. Dedicated completely to EMV, payment technologies and smart card software, it has developed a wide range of products, most of which are approved by global card brands, to support issuing and accepting institutions to manage their card business. SmartSoft is monitoring EMV and chip-based standards very closely and is dedicated to excellent product quality, end to end / innovative solutions (contactless,instant issuing) and customer satisfaction.
We are pleased to inform that SmartSoft has finalized one more EMV L2 kernel project with an US terminal vendor and got the official certification letter from EMVCo after passing all tests in the first attempt of type approval tests. Certification has been received as multi configuration kernel allowing to be used in more than one terminal configuration without requiring a new certification. New version of SmartSoft EMV/Contactless Level 2 Kernel application supports the last version of EMV/Contactless standards and is certified by EMVCo version 4.2.a. It is also compliant with last version of PCI/PED standards in terms of PIN and data security. Canada Interac domestic EMV specifications are also supported in this version of implementation.
SmartSoft has been giving EMV/Contactless Level 2 Kernel porting and certification services since 2002 for lots of terminal vendors ranging through Kiosk to Validator manufacturers. The expertise of SmartSoft on EMV is not only for Level 2 Kernel services but coversa wide range of product spectrum including terminal applications development, testing tools and back office systems as well.
SmartSoft has participated both as an exhibitor and a speaker in the event intended for finance and banking sectors, which was organized by Interpromedya and held on May 25 at Suleyman Demirel Cultural Center. Sector participants have enthused over General Manager Murat G. GUZEL's speech in which he shared his views on the prepaid systems, debit and prepaid card implementations while citing SmartSoft's highly successful projects in these areas.
At the “BTHaber Lets You Speak as the Market Debates” panel, SmartSoft Director Erdal YAZMACI has elaborated on the fraud prevention solutions developed by SmartSoft while specifically emphasizing the importance of security in card payment systems in retail banking. Mr. YAZMACI predicted, “As the use of prepaid banking cards expands, so does the use of prepaid cards, which were initially developed by SmartSoft for transportation sector, in campuses, parking lots, water and electric meters; therefore, this technology will enable banks to organize campaigns in these segments.”


SmartGroup Brought Together Architects of Card Technology at CardSmart Bosphorus
Newest trends in card technology were discussed by local and international experts at CardSmart Bosphorus Conference…
Second CardSmart Bosphorus Conference was held on 6 May 2010 at Istanbul Point Hotel Barbaros. Members of finance and card technology sectors were brought together in this conference where wide variety of topics from development of card payment systems in Turkey to new generation card technology and from internet-based payment systems to security features embedded into smartcard payment systems was addressed.
Just as last year’s conference, second CardSmart Conference has also drawn great attention with participation of great number of local and international speakers and participants. BKM (Interbank Card Center) Assistant General Manager Pelin KABALAK, TURKCELL Mobile Finance Department Manager Ali SALCI, SmartSoft Director of Chip Payment Solutions Division E. Ozgur ALTUNTAS, PLASTKART General Manager Ali YILDIZ, TUBITAK (The Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey) Smartcard Operating System (AKIS) Project Manager Mustafa BASAK, SmartSoft Director of Payment Processing Solutions Division Ahmet AKGUN and VISA Senior Relationship Manager Osman INEGOL were among the participating speakers from Turkey. Meanwhile, international speakers representing MASTERCARD, ORACLE and GEMALTO have shared the latest developments in card technology around the world.
SmartSoft General Manager Murat G. GUZEL, who had delivered the keynote address at the conference, stated that Turkey has been making important progress and breaking new ground in card and payment systems. “We have banking know-how. Our goal is to make Turkey an R&D center” remarked Mr. GUZEL, indicating that today in terms of technological advancement, banking sector in Turkey is 10 years ahead of the United States and 5 years ahead of Italy. Murat GUZEL also pointed out that prepaid cards would be further developed in 2010 while mobile payment systems would materialize after the second half of 2011.
In her speech, BKM (Interbank Card Center) Assistant General Manager Pelin KABALAK called attention to the speed of development in the card payment sector in Turkey. Ms. KABALAK has also remarked that total number of credit cards issued was 16 million in 2002; it has reached a total of 44.4 million in 2009 while credit card turnover has totaled 82.5 billion euros.
One out of five users in Turkey will have NFC compatible cell phones
Pointing to serious increase in the number of ATMs, Ms. KABALAK has stated that total number of ATMs was 12,857 in 2003; it has reached a total of nearly 35,670 in 2010. Ms. KABALAK reminding that Turkey is the third country that had adopted EMV standard in Europe went on to say:
“Very rapid change is at issue here. First, we have transitioned from magnetic stripe cards to EMV chip cards, and then to contactless cards. Surveys conducted for NFC (Near Field Communication), which seems to be the near future alternative for payment systems, demonstrate that 90 percent of survey participants will purchase NFC compatible cell phones. Majority of survey participants have indicated that they would change their GSM operators because of NFC while 1/3 of survey participants have indicated that they would change their banks. It is predicted that, by 2014, 20 percent of all cell phone users in Turkey will own a NFC compatible cell phone.”
“Data security level has reached 90 percent”
MASTERCARD Product Development Project Manager Sebastian POCHIC, who was another quest speaker at the conference, has shared pilot studies conducted by MASTERCARD on home banking security features with the conference participants. “Customer pilot studies on MasterCard Security Channel are expected to be completed in 2010 and it will be actualized in 2011” remarked Mr. POCHIC, indicating that MasterCard SecureCode® will allow users to perform all their banking transactions securely from their homes.
In his speech, ORACLE Security Product Director Michael BUERGER has also shared studies conducted by ORACLE on card fraud and developments achieved in this area with the conference participants. Mr. BUERGER pointed out that only a few years ago the main goal was to ensure IT security whereas today infrastructure security has gained importance, and thus data security level has reached 90 percent.
We are pleased to inform that SmartSoft has finalized one more EMV L2 kernel project with an US terminal vendor and got the official certification letter from EMVCo after passing all tests in the first attempt of type approval tests. Certification has been received as multi configuration kernel allowing to be used in more than one terminal configuration without requiring a new certification. New version of SmartSoft EMV/Contactless Level 2 Kernel application supports the last version of EMV/Contactless standards and is certified by EMVCo version 4.2.a. It is also compliant with last version of PCI/PED standards in terms of PIN and data security. Canada Interac domestic EMV specifications are also supported in this version of implementation.
SmartSoft has been giving EMV/Contactless Level 2 Kernel porting and certification services since 2002 for lots of terminal vendors ranging through Kiosk to Validator manufacturers. The expertise of SmartSoft on EMV is not only for Level 2 Kernel services but coversa wide range of product spectrum including terminal applications development, testing tools and back office systems as well.
VendorSmart April 14, 2010, Grand Hyatt Hotel, was held. SmartSoft at the meeting, the speaker of MasterCard and Gemalto great interest.
Strong Authentication solutions to secure both e-Banking & e-Commerce and EMEA customer’s experience
Connected authentication solutions, opening the doors to new and enhanced online banking services and growth revenue for banks
Gemalto
e-Banking and e-Commerce market trends in Europe
Solutions deployed and on field across Europe
Speaker: Philippe Regniers
Customers’ cases: The UK (Barclays success story) and French experiences (Groupe Banques Populaires & Caisses d’Epargne - BPCE) Product Focus: EZIO Optical reader and EZIO Display Card, portability and trendiness, the keys to customer’s acceptance
Product Focus: EZIO Connect reader, enabling secure online subscription
Speaker: Pierre Heinrichs
SmartSoft
Smartnet CAP/DPA
Speaker: E. Özgür Altuntaş
MasterCard
Bank@Home Solutions
Speaker: Sebastien Pochic


This year, CardSmart Bosphorus Macedonia was performed for the first time by SmartGroup at Stone Bridge Hotel in the 12th of March, 2010.
The meeting where "Payment Technology Innovations in the World" issue was discussed by the chiefs of the sector has attracted great interest. Some of the solutions discussed at the meeting are PALMARIS SmartInstant (Instant Issuance System), PALMARIS SmartNFC (Near Field Communication Migration System), PROCEED (EMV Prepaid Card Management System), ORIGO (Online Chip &Card Applications and EMV Script Management System), ORIGO Smartnet Bank@Home (Chip Management and EMV Scripting System in online banking), ORIGO SmartSecure CAP/DPA (Online banking EMV security solutions) in addition to OCEAN (payment processing solutions).



SmartSoft is Completed MasterCard Accreditation as a Training and Consultancy Service Provider
2006 EPCA/ECR Award Winner will provide technical expertise to banks for chip implementation
SmartSoft is delighted to announce that it has become a MasterCard-accredited vendor for providing guidance to issuers and acquirers who are preparing for contact chip implementation. SmartSoft will also deliver technical support during execution of chip and contactless migration projects.
With its history of supporting issuers during their chip and contactless migration, SmartSoft is delighted to now extend its professional training & consultancy services to the MasterCard accreditation level. SmartSoft had already successfully co-operated with MasterCard Worldwide in the delivery of one of its first end-to-end contactless transportation solutions.
SmartSoft has also demonstrated technology leadership with its implementation of several cutting-edge systems to support MasterCard chip products. These product range includes PALMARIS SmartInstant (Instant Issuance System), PALMARIS SmartNFC (Near Field Communication Migration System), PROCEED (EMV Prepaid Card Management System), ORIGO (Online Chip &Card Applications and EMV Script Management System), ORIGO Smartnet Bank@Home (Chip Management and EMV Scripting System in online banking), ORIGO SmartSecure CAP/DPA (Online banking EMV security solutions) in addition to OCEAN ( payment processing solutions).
Chip Payment Solutions Director, Özgür ALTUNTAŞ commented "We are very happy to see the technology of MasterCard expanding rapidly and we are glad to support their technologies with our solutions and services as fast they develop."
SmartSoft training materials are updated in line with MasterCard requirements, and SmartSoft EMV consultants participated in a training program with MasterCard. As a result of this program, SmartSoft becomes an accredited consultancy and training company for MasterCard contact technologies.
Partner Management Director, Erhan SEÇKİN also commented "Becoming accredited by MasterCard has been a natural evolution for us. We have not needed major training sessions because of our extensive experience with MasterCard technologies developed over the last several years."
Christian DELPORTE, Head of Chip Engineering at MasterCard commented: “We are pleased that SmartSoft, a recognized consultancy company in the smart card arena, has matched our criteria and been accredited as part of the MasterCard Vendor Accreditation Program for contact technology. SmartSoft has demonstrated its expert knowledge of chip technologies applicable to MasterCard-branded products in the course of our accreditation process. We trust that our customers will benefit from the guidance and technical support services delivered by SmartSoft. MasterCard will inform its customers about the accredited companies via the MasterCard OnLine™ website.”
OCEAN application aroused great interest in the industry in our organization realized at Oracle LinkPlus Partner Hub in the 4th of March, 2010.
OCEAN is a payment processing solution that enables payments any time, any place, with any device. Its modular and flexible architecture, OCEAN provides the industry with a complete solution for, issuing and acquiring financial institutions, processors - service provider, retail, private, and corporate banks. OCEAN solutions, build on a common framework designed for high speed transaction processing and efficient management of card products to cover any financial institution’s business needs. Flexible architecture allows customers to build and manage several products on a single platform.
Single OCEAN installation may support processing og more than one institution, running different products, using different currencies on different locations and timezones.



MasterCard Southeast Europe while announcing that MasterCard PayPass card has surpassed 1,000,000 milestone, distributed its first MasterCard® PayPass™ awards in Turkey during a ceremony.
SmartSoft, drawing attention with the projects conducted with MasterCard®, was deemed worthy of “The Most Innovative MasterCard® PayPass™ Product Support Award in Turkey”.
SmartSoft, which has broken much new ground in developing creative solutions for the banking sector, with its innovative approach, is one of the leading developers and implementers of smartcard technology in the world.


The Innovation Awards, organized for the first time by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry, were awarded to its recipients in a ceremony held on the December 15, 2009 at the WOW Convention Center.
SmartSoft, who passed a severe evaluation process in six categories, stood out expressly with the innovations realized in the category of human resources amongst the largest holding companies of Turkey and was honored by an award in the Human Resources category. As a result, it was noted by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry that the company, who provides services to a competitive sector such as banking industry, has internalized innovation, by not only being a pursuer of constant technological developments but also by having a mission to guide.
SmartSoft has included one more ring into its awards chain with the ISO Innovation Award. The awards won by SmartSoft or won by the organizations SmartSoft has provided products/services are as follows:
. The "Excellence in Payment Innovation" Award from EPCA in "Most Innovative Software Product" category in 2006
. Finalist in Sesames Awards in Transport category among 223 companies (one of the first three companies) in 2008
. The "Best Cash Displacement Initiative" category in the scope of "Visa Europe 2009 Best Card & Payment Sector Awards" in 2009 with AsyaCard DIT, Bank Asya's innovative contactless credit card (Service provider: SmartSoft).
. The 2009 "Best New Credit Card Product Launch" Award for Bank Asya's AsyaCard DIT, contactless credit card at the Cards & Payments Organization (Service provider: SmartSoft).
SmartSoft provides high technology focused services and products for more than a hundred customers over five continents with a team of 100 young and dynamic employees, where 70% is composed of engineers and twenty domestic and foreign business associates. The company that was founded in 2001 by three young, entrepreneurial engineers, currently led by our CEO Ayse Nil SARIGOLLU and keeps expanding through the global markets as being one of the pioneer companies in the chip card software industry through participating systems that supports employee's personal development and rewards their innovative creativity and capacity. Our company has completed its infrastructure study of 360-degree Human Resources Application, which has not yet been executed in Turkey; however, plans to put into practice by 2010.
A New ERA With A New Generation - Card Pack by SmartSoft
A New ERA With A New Generation - Card Pack by SmartSoft
SmartSoft, one of the SmartGroup companies, has started a new era by creating a new generation card management system "OCEAN" which meets all of the card payment system demands of the banking sector.
High Performance, Parametric and Modular Card Pack... "OCEAN "
SmartGroup CEO Ayse Nil SARIGOLLU notes that at this point "OCEAN was created by our engineers using the latest software technologies for our customers so they would be able to develop products faster in competitive market conditions. We are extremely proud to be releasing such a high-tech architecture product aimed at our customers' service.
Advanced Level Loyalty Applications Integrated with the SmartPack Chip Pack...
Our group company SmartSoft's "SMARTPACK" Chip Pack, which is the very first in many areas around the world, is integrated with technological software like OCEAN instant issuing, fraud, and CAP/DPA giving applications, which are among new generation City Banking concepts and ready to use in Transportation, Car Parks, and Campus.
Rich Loyalty Applications...
OCEAN provides its users with a competition advantage in the market by increasing cardholder and merchant loyalties through an extensive and modular loyalty applications library. We are extremely excited because OCEAN is going to operate in seven banks as of 2009. We are considering the demand for our product as the proof of the quality of our product...
Completed her words with ...
We are extremely excited because OCEAN, which has only been serving for two years now, is going to serve seven banks as of 2009 and the product we developed is proving its quality against opponents. We foreseeing that in 2010-2011, our market shares will be over 65% with OCEAN."
SmartSoft CTO Hasan Yassıbas says at this point "We created OCEAN by analyzing the latest software and database technologies. We think that our pack will replace these types of old packs in a competitive environment within a short time because the technology of existing applications in our sector is not valid anymore. Because of its short time period of software development creating a technological advantage, once OCEAN has been set up on the customer's system, it has a structure which helps customers earn more in the long run.
Revolution in Application development with the OCEAN Framework
With the "OCEAN + Framework", which offers the advantages of new generation software technologies, all applications are developed by a standard method. The framework provides quick product release into the market by reducing application development costs in terms of time, period, and labor. The OCEAN Framework provides its users with application development which is free from code development for daily report needs. With this, OCEAN users gain full control over the system.
Latest Technologies used...
For instance, code development behind the frame has been reduced to almost 1 week (5 working days) from 30 days with the OCEAN Framework, which prepares automatic frame and codes. Few of the arguments that separates OCEAN from other card packs are as listed below;
Operating System Independence: It can work on Windows, Linux, and Unix platforms automatically without the need of adaptation.
Latest Version Software Languages: It supports monitoring software, works either as Web or Client, which are developed by Visual Studio.Net,
Database Independence: Oracle versions 10G and above, all the versions of Microsoft SQL Platform without any modifications.
Load Distribution and Pack Multiplexing Methodology: While the system is working online it has the ability to adjust the TPS (Transaction per Second) according to specific algorithms and to do the load distribution when its multiple module becomes active automatically.
Integration Convenience with Other Systems (Web Services): OCEAN was created with a service oriented architecture (SOA). Integration costs between web services and different technological platforms have been removed. All of the systems that can call Web services are able to communicate with OCEAN without facing any problems.
Special Application Development Platform (OCEAN Framework): Because of its modular framework structure, OCEAN function layer and code layer are separate, fast product development can be done, and it gives the opportunity to prepare some of the client frames either Web based or Client based within the same module."
The transportation leg of the "City Card Framework System", which is a product of SmartSoft's two-year R&D efforts, was introduced to the press by Kahramanmaras Deputy Mayor M. Nedim Tepebasi and BankAsya Vice General Manager Mustafa Buyukates on May 9, s2008.
SmartSoft CEO Ayse Sarigollu commented on the matter and noted that “ The Smart City Framework”, which we have been working on its design and development for over two years, was finalized through the highly dedicated efforts of our team. As being the first of its kind in the world in terms of the technology used and many systems integrated in its design, with to this system, our clients will be able to easily use transportation vehicles and other payment points operated by the municipalities as if they were a member merchant."
Thanks to the City Card Framework, transportation and other different payment points each are becoming a member merchant
Today conventional methods employed by the banks for card marketing strategies (such as payment installment plan campaigns, advertisement, workforce etc.) are resulting in serious costs. By introducing our clients to the "CITY BANKING" concept, our "City Card" enables them to implement the latest technologies employed by MasterCard and Visa (MasterCard's PayPass MChip and Visa's payWave) in dual interface chip technology base at the city payment points. With the city campaigns offered by the system, card marketing burdens of the banks are alleviated meanwhile potential customers feel the urge to own a bank card and "City Card" issued by our client distinguishes him from other bank cards.
SmartSoft is the only company in Europe that can provide this end-to-end technology. With our accurate analysis of European competition, performed with 14 resellers marketing SmartSoft products in different countries worldwide, we believe that it is our rightful pride as well as our clients' to be the only company in Europe that can offer this particular end-to-end technology without needing another company.
Today, conventional methods for card marketing strategies employed by the banks (such as payment installment plan campaigns, advertisement, workforce etc.) are resulting in serious costs. By introducing our clients to the “CITY BANKING” concept, our “City Card” enables them to implement the latest technologies employed by MasterCard and Visa (MasterCard's PayPass MChip and Visa's payWave) in the dual interface chip technology base at city payment points. With city campaigns offered by the system, the bank's card marketing burdens are alleviated while potential customers feel the urge to own a bank card and the “City Card” issued by our client distinguishes them from other bank cards.
"City Banking" with MasterCard's PayPass MChip and Visa's payWave technologies
While there are just a few banks worldwide that can produce cards equipped with contactless interface (without loyalty), it is truly an honor for our team, as well as the Turkish Banking sector in terms of the level of technology attained and the ability to implement the City Banking concept on this card.
With many different applications of the "City Card Framework" projects, most of which we believe to be the first of their kind in the world and will be launched in the near future, we are aiming to bring in new customer segments for our clients through the "CITY BANKING" concept and technological campaigns.
Banks are minimizing their card marketing costs through SmartSoft's "CITY BANKING” concept.
SmartSoft Technical General Manager Murat Goksenin Guzel expressed his views on the matter and said that "The SmartCity system is an integrated framework system that combines many integrated and modular systems ranging from bank card printing systems to special software on terminals (validators) and from campaign management systems to bank back-office systems that work in unison. Due to this structural characteristic, we are striving to enable a bank to manage not just the transportation system but all low-payment channels in the city. Within the context of this goal, we have realized our first pilot implementation with a public transportation project."
This system will enable clients to organize cross-campaigns between such low-payment channels like public transportation vehicles, fan cards, gas stations, pre-paid meters, auto parks, etc.
A bank provided card equipped with this system will be able to perform cross-campaign transactions with a single card mapping between such low-payment channels like transportation vehicles, fan cards, gas stations, pre-paid meters, auto parks, universities, and schools.
Instead of the Mifare® card technology, a new and safer era has begun with the introduction of a refillable and universally usable bank cards through which common campaigns can be organized within all city payment points and member merchants
The Mifare® technology used today in transportation systems is a manufacturer-based product that requires special solutions at refilling points, and most importantly, it employs symmetrical coding in terms of security and as a result, the significance of bank cards is increasing tremendously. With their unmatched ability to set up a very advanced firewall through symmetrical and asymmetrical algorithms, to sense fraud attacks, deny transaction requests through risk assessment parameters when necessary, and their universal usability at all ATM and POS devices regardless of the bank and previous investments made, bank cards provide advantages that are incomparable to Mifare® technology.
For the first time in the world, BankAsya has implemented this technology in a public transportation system without needing a contractor
While contactless bank cards have been usable with the member merchants, from now on, they will also be used at city payment points (such as public transportation vehicles, auto parks, meters, etc.). With a loyalty program and a concept that we call "CITY MONEY", we will implement cross-campaigns between these payment channels. We have no doubt that this system will also constitute an important channel for bank in the actualizing card marketing strategies.
All ATM and POS devices are transformed into refilling stations with EMV methodology and security
Thanks to this system, while costs incurred from special card refilling devices and special back-office operations related to Mifare® technology are eliminated, refilling and managing of EMV cards is made possible through all the POS, ATM and Kiosk channels for which the investments have already been realized.
The BankAsya Card is a display of the first prototype "CITY CARD" implementations in the world
The new Bank Asya card supports PayPass MChip 4.0 PAD, payWave VLP, CAP, DPA, CAS, and 7 different payment channels to be used at various locations throughout a city. We are printing the cards with our Instant Issuing System which won the 1st prize in two categories at the EPCA/ECR (Innovative Banking Awards) organization. As SmartSoft, our goal is to provide our clients with much more than just a card with a contactless interface.
With just a single card;
- PayPass MChip is among top 10 banks in Europe (Very soon payWave-transit implementation),
- First pilot implementation in the world with City Card Loyalty Campaigns,
- First "City Card EMV BackOffice" Management System in the world,
- Internet Log On with CAP/DPA Profile,
- First time in the world TOP_UP from Internet Banking to Card (SmartNet),
- Toll Bridge Passage with Mifare® CAS Implementation (CAS)
- "City Money" management system with PAD Management
With new product launches to be announced in the near future, our greatest goal is to present important opportunities for our clients in the card sector both at home and abroad.
Nowadays, with the widespread use of contactless cards, banks have started to reach a wider range of customers by engaging in city card and transportation projects. After credit cards migrated to chip cards, banks have started chip bank card operations.
The most important feature of this new application is that chip bank cards can also be used as electronic wallet and pass in transportation.
The target for chip bank cards, which is set for the near future is, will be able to be topped up with money directly through ATMs. At the same time, the chip cardholder will be able to top up either from his/her bank account or credit card account. After top-up, you can do your transportation, health, and food payments by using the money topped up in the chip card easily.
SmartSoft Business Solutions Director, Business Development Ozgur Altuntas announced the good news by noting that "It is not feasible to keep ATM's everywhere. In the next phase, everybody will be able to use internet banking for topping up money on chip cards and for activating new applications."
"SmartSoft" is again the first company in the world setting chip card standards, which MasterCard and Visa released for internet banking shopping and security to be used as money top-up and pin change points. By means of the "ATM for every house" concept, in addition to the convenience of bank customers changing chip card PINs without going to ATM, POS or bank branches, this is a feature for topping up chip cards with money when needed for sea transportation, metro, and bus that will exist over the internet.
The other important thing is that, while chip cards are being used in the field, banks can block the cards using a block script. To unblock the relevant chip card, either a new card should be issued or special terminals are needed. Because of the lacking of special terminals in the sector, cards that have been blocked by SmartNet, which works under the "ATM for every house" concept, will be easily unblocked over internet.
There aren't any examples of this application throughout the world and it will be an industrial standard in the near future.
By the help of this system, electricity, water, natural gas, ticket, and money top-up on cards through low payment channels like transportation, supporter card, prepaid counters, and parking lots, will be able to be performed. By the help of this system, which is an incredible convenience for customers, banks will make customers' lives much easier. On the other hand, a part of the crowd which may just happen to be in bank branch or at ATM, will be shifted to internet banking by encouraging customers to take advantage of technological conveniences and thus, the payment systems network will provide service with full performance.
Over 50,000 Turkish Cardholders Empowered by EMV Instant Issuance proving system scalability and demonstrating security best practice.
Istanbul, January 15, 2009 – SmartSoft, a leading provider of complete payment solutions, today announced that its EPCA* award-winning EMV Instant Issuance solution has been deployed by Bank Asya in over 150 locations across Turkey. The system has been used to already issue already over 50,000 MasterCard EMV cards, each uniquely personalized and embossed for the cardholder in a matter of minutes. This is by far the largest implementation of an EMV Instant Issuance system in Turkey, and further demonstrates the progressive nature of EMV deployment in that market. * 2007 European Payment Consulting Association award for innovation (www.epcaconference.com)
Bank Asya, supported by the SmartSoft SmartCity technology platform, is one of a number of banks in Turkey leveraging their investments in the EMV infrastructure. In 2008, the bank launched the ASYAcardDIT, a multi-application card that combines MasterCard® PayPass™ for public transport and “Dynamic Ticket Calculation” with value-added programs such as two factor authentication for internet banking logon, top-up of MasterCard Pre-Authorized Debit, and PIN change. The cards also have an implementation of MiFare used to access toll roads and are one of the many card types that can be issued instantly to cardholders.
The ASYAcardDIT can be issued as a prepaid card, or as a MasterCard Pre-Authorized Debit card from Bank Asya. The SmartSoft OCEAN Card Management System, which is part of the SmartCity platform, manages the prepaid cards, and supports the flexible loyalty and marketing programs.
Toni Merschen, Group Head, Chip at MasterCard Worldwide said, “The security guidelines governing EMV instant issuing, which was released by MasterCard last year, prescribe a high level of security that is appropriate for this specific issuance environment. SmartSoft took on the challenge and produced a compliant solution that demonstrates our vision of the future – cardholders can receive secure payment instruments in a way that is convenient to them, and are empowered to begin using their cards immediately.“
Murat Guzel, Chief Project Officer at SmartSoft, said, “SmartSoft, as a leading provider of MasterCard technologies in many fields such as transportation, city card and instant issuance, is proud to have deployed what we believe to be the largest implementation of an instant issuance solution in the world at Bank Asya. Our solution ensures the most effective way of gaining new customers and satisfying existing ones, considering that banks spend around €100 on marketing efforts to acquire an active account, it is important to allow the cardholder to begin using it immediately. Alongside the MasterCard M/Chip 4 EMV application, PayPass M/Chip 4; Loyalty; Transportation; Prepaid and Toll collection applications are all personalized simultaneously in a few minutes allowing use in shopping centers, transportation points, and highways immediately. Cardholders also start to benefit from special marketing campaigns immediately.”
About SmartSoft :
SmartSoft, established in 2001 is a software development company based in Istanbul / Turkey and is recognized by the banking industry as a key player in the chip card software development technology.
Dedicated completely to EMV, payment technologies solutions and smart card software, SmartSoft developed solutions to support issuing and accepting institutions to manage their card business, most of which are certified/accredited/awarded by global card brands such as EMVCo, MasterCard, EPCA/ECR and SESAMES.
SmartSoft is monitoring EMV and chip-based standards very closely and is dedicated to excellent product quality, innovative solutions (contactless, instant issuing) and customer satisfaction.
SmartSoft assists its customers by providing following solution groups :
• Transportation and City Card Systems (SESAMES Finalist in 2008)
• Instant Issuance System (EPCA Awarded in 2006)
• Card Management System (ATM, POS Management, Acquiring and Issuing Systems, Loyalty and
Prepaid Systems, etc.)
• Credit/Debit/Merchant/Internet Fraud Systems
• EMV Scripting & Topup Management & Secure Internet Access Solutions
• Test & Quality Assurance Tools
• Card Personalization Systems
• Level 2 Kernel Solutions
• NFC Solutions
• Training and Consultancy
About MasterCard Worldwide :
MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes more than 18 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and
merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves
consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercard.com.
About the MasterCard® OneSmart™ Program:
MasterCard OneSmart is a comprehensive smart card program designed to help MasterCard customers around the world plan, develop and launch successful smart card products. It leverages the technical superiority of chip, including applications, complex data, and encryption, to provide the best possible solutions for cardholders With a complete range of chip-based products and platforms, best-in-class migration services, technical expertise, and customized marketing support, the MasterCard OneSmart
program delivers the added control, flexibility and security that today's banks and cardholders are looking for
in payments..
Waterloo, Belgium, July 1, 2008 -- MasterCard and Bank Asya have launched Asyacard DIT - a multi-application chip and PIN card, combining the power of MasterCard EMV OneSmart features with an integrated municipal toll and transit application to create one of the world's most versatile and advanced chip cards. The card also offers the additional benefits of MasterCard® PayPassT contactless technology.
MasterCard OneSmart program helps banks to develop new chip-based added value applications quickly and easily. Using the AsyaCard DIT, Bank Asya customers can pay at over 109,000 merchant locations worldwide as of 1Q2008, using MasterCard PayPass contactless technology with a simple tap. The card also includes MasterCard® Chip Authentication ProgramT (CAP), a secure two-factor authentication technology, which allows customers to securely access online account information. The PC-connected version of the CAP personal card reader for AsyaCard DIT also enables cardholders to securely top-up offline balances for PayPass payments and to securely interact with public transport applications.
Bank Asya's innovative approach of putting toll and transit functions onto contactless smart cards has allowed them to seize the opportunity offered by the Kahramanmaras Public Transportation Project, a municipal initiative in Eastern Turkey. AsyaCard DIT owners can also use their cards on the tolls on motorways and bridges, including the two bridges over the Bosphorus Straight in Istanbul that connects Europe and Asia. With the full support of MasterCard and using the leading edge technologies offered by Turkish payment software provider, SmartSoft, Bank Asya issued a unique card that has this many built-in features for the first time.
AsyaCard DIT holders can also receive their cards immediately in the banks' branches (instant issuance), avoiding the usual wait for a card to arrive.
"This highly innovative multi-solution from Bank Asya proves that MasterCard OneSmart program brings real value to payment card products," said Toni Merschen, Group Head Chip at MasterCard Worldwide, "It's great to see that banks in Turkey are now reaping the rewards of the effort that they all put into migrating to chip and PIN (EMV) technology."
Bank Asya's Executive Vice President Mustafa Buyukates said "Bank Asya continues to provide its valuable customers with a variety of new and exiting products with the motto "Different Solutions for Different Expectations". While we examine carefully the needs of our customers through different distribution channels, we serve our client base with the latest technological developments in the banking sector and will continue to follow the developments in the credit card technology and provide these services to "ease the customers' life'. "
About MasterCard Europe
MasterCard Europe is the entity responsible for managing MasterCard Worldwide?s business in Europe - for Europe. With headquarters in Waterloo, Belgium, MasterCard Europe works with 51 European countries organized administratively into three customer areas, incorporating the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), mature markets and the developing markets of Europe, stretching as far afield as the eastern border of Russia. Through its network of local offices, MasterCard Europe can understand and meet the diverse needs of customers in the very different types of markets throughout Europe, enabling people to do business in their own way in their own language.
Through MasterCard Worldwide, MasterCard Europe offers its European customers and consumers access to leading payment services throughout the world. MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 18 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercard.com.
About the MasterCard® OneSmartT Program
OneSmart is a program that leverages the technical superiority of Chip [applications, complex data, and encryption] to provide the best possible solutions for cardholders. By extending our transactional and security expertise, we bring additional value to MasterCard brands for banks and cardholders alike.
About Bank Asya
Bank Asya is a leading Turkish bank that provides a wide range of banking products and services to its commercial and retail customers with number of issued credit card reached over 1.000.000 individual card members. Bank Asya provides banking services through its network of 124 Bank Asya branches located primarily in Western and Southern Turkey. Bank Asya also offers its services through alternative distribution channels such as ATMs, call centre and internet banking.
About SmartSoft
SmartSoft is a software development company located in Istanbul, Turkey, specializing in chip card software development technology. Dedicated completely to EMV, payment technologies and smart card software, it has developed a wide range of products, most of which are approved by global card brands, to support issuing and accepting institutions to manage their card business. SmartSoft is monitoring EMV and chip-based standards very closely and is dedicated to excellent product quality, end to end / innovative solutions (contactless, instant issuing) and customer satisfaction.
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