businessinsider.com - Imagine a world where you would never think about withdrawing cash from an ATM. You'd never stand in line to buy a train ticket, or wait for a cashier to ring up items at your favorite store.
Today, digital-payments technology is transforming our daily lives. But according to MasterCard's chief emerging payments officer, Ed McLaughlin, making payments easier isn't about buying the things you want. It's about doing the things you want, whether that's paying for your groceries if you've left your wallet at home, or sending money to loved ones overseas.
On the eve of Mobile World Congress 2015, BI Studios spoke with McLaughlin about why digital payments are so secure, what's involved in pushing the industry toward the global standard of EMV (Europay, MasterCard, and Visa) technology, and whether he thinks cash could become obsolete.
Tell me a little about your role at MasterCard.
I joined MasterCard almost 10 years ago. Most of my career before then was with technology startups like Logicworks and PayTrust. I've previously held global product roles at MasterCard and now I'm the chief emerging payments officer. I manage all the ways that people use their MasterCard to make payments that aren't based on plastic, including EMV technology, contactless payments, and one-touch online checkout tools like MasterPass.
What will MasterCard's focus be at this year's Mobile World Congress?
The theme we've chosen for Mobile World Congress is "Connecting You to What's Next." At MasterCard we're working on connecting consumers to new ways to shop and buy. We believe that every connected device you have will become a commerce device. So we will talk about not only how you can use your phone to make a payment, but with things like MasterPass, everything you own - from your connected car to your game system to your smart home - can all be commerce-enabled. It's about giving consumers more and more convenient ways to shop and access their accounts.
People who have been cut off from the entire digital world can now have the same access you and I have.
How do you feel emerging payments will affect our everyday lives?
I think what's forgotten is that people aren't always trying to make a payment. The payment is a byproduct of them trying to do something else. And what motivates all of us and what drives these big shifts in behavior is when you can make things fundamentally better. If you've ever had to scramble around to find a ticket or go to the kiosk while your train is pulling into the station, the ability to buy your ticket right from your mobile phone with one touch is just better.
But I think what's probably even more inspiring is all the work we're doing around financial inclusion. Now we can use mobile and technology to reach and help people in ways we never could before. For example, we have a joint venture with BICS and eServeGlobal called HomeSend, which allows people to easily receive money from overseas into their mobile money account. We're working with industry leaders like EcoCash in Zimbabwe that allows people to receive money into a MasterCard mobile account and in turn use a companion card at an ATM or merchant. People who have been cut off from the entire digital world can now have the same access you and I have.
Apple Pay boasts a physical hardware component, which supposedly makes it more secure. But existing near field communication (NFC) platforms like MasterPass, LoopPay and PayPal have always stressed security. Does the future of contactless payments depend on having physical hardware?
One of the foundational principles we have at MasterCard is that we are working to make digital transactions as or more secure than anything we could ever do before in the physical world. We always say that the way to make transactions and data truly safe is to make them useless if they're used out of context. Apple Pay features MasterCard's digital enabling system - our token engine that provides a unique credential that's bound to that handset as well as a unique key (found in EMV technology) that's used to sign every transaction. So now, every transaction becomes a one-time transaction.
It's really the combination of that secure token as well as the EMV-like cryptology we're using to sign each transaction that makes it so profoundly secure. It's important to ensure that whatever the container that holds the token - whether that's embedded on a chip in the handset or if it's stored and accessed remotely - is secure.
Ed McLaughlin 2013 NEWMasterCardMasterCard chief emerging payments officer Ed McLaughlin.
With the Target and Home Depot breaches last year, there was an expedited push for credit cards to move from mag striped to EMV chips. Why has the industry been lagging behind in the US from a security standpoint?
We had been pushing hard for the highest level of security possible well before the Target breach. I think when it happened, in some ways it helped everyone recognize that this is what we had been talking about and why we were saying it was so important. The first big step we took for EMV security was actually in April of 2013 when we certified that all of the acquirers and all the systems that supported transactions in the U.S. were ready for EMV. The next big step will be in October of this year where we'll have what's called a Liability Shift, and this will benefit those who invest in more secure systems.
Merchants who invest in EMV terminals - what we call a world terminal - aren't liable for anything that happens in that transaction. When a bank invests in putting a chip on the card and a breach happens with a merchant that hasn't upgraded, the merchant is going to bear the liability for that transaction. The Target breach provided a little bit of a catalyst in the market, but we already set those plans out well in advance.
Earlier you mentioned that MasterCard plans to transform all connected devices into commerce devices. How do you envision that happening?
Consumers are adopting more and more devices based on how they fit into their lifestyle, and there will be different ways to engage based on that. For example, when I do all my travel planning on my PC at work, I choose to click the MasterPass button to check out easily. When I'm on transit to London, I may tap my phone for a genuine MasterCard transaction to get on the tube. When I get home I might want to order immediate content through my smart TV.
It goes a step further when you think about the Internet of Things and connected devices. Eventually I can tell my home heating system, when it's low on fuel, to reorder and just send me an alert after. As systems get more and more intelligent, people will weave them into their lives and use them for a variety of things they're already doing.
Do you think that cash will eventually become obsolete?
We still live in a world where nearly 85% of transactions are still made in cash. Because things are so much better and more convenient when you move to digital, we'll see it displace cash more and more. You see countries like the Nordics on the verge of being a cash-free society, and then markets like Japan where cash is still huge.
I think the world will move to digital, but it's going to take a long time for that to happen. People even ask me when credit cards will go away, and I think the answer is always when the last person wants one. What you see over time is that people are constantly optimizing and finding what works best for them. But in a world that's 85% cash, there's just so much upside with what we can do through both digital transformation and financial inclusion to make things better.
It's never about the payment. It's about making the thing you're trying to do that much easier.
What do you predict is next for emerging payments?
I think how merchants sell things will continue to change. The idea of having a clerk guard a cash drawer in case someone shows up with cash, rather than be out there answering my questions and helping me shop, will hopefully look archaic.
The store of the future may look more like the cashless cabin on your favorite airline. If I see the thing I want and I'm holding it in my hand and the clerk asks if I would like to buy it right there, then I can. That personal interaction will be improved. So it's not that digital becomes colder and more abstract, but instead you actually free people up for better interactions. I think that's the real promise of going digital and how we can make shopping frictionless. In the future I could easily see myself standing in the aisle of a store. I'll say, "I really want that," touch a button on my smartphone, and it's shipped to my house. It's never about the payment. It's about making the thing you're trying to do that much easier.

gigaom.com - Samsung has a new way to fight back against Apple and it has nothing to do with Google. This week, Samsung bought LoopPay; a company that adds mobile payments to phones using a magnetic field. Early reports and rumors about Samsung's Galaxy S6 handset - expected to debut on March 1 - suggested a LoopPay tie-in.
Loop mobile payments
Google may not like it, but the acquisition gives Samsung a digital payment solution of its own, although the company can certainly still offer Google Wallet on its Android devices. Google's Wallet, four years in the making, hasn't really resounded with consumers though. I've been using the service on and off since 2011 with Android phones that have an NFC chip inside them but retailers have been slow to adopt or support Wallet. That's in stark contrast to Apple Pay, which is a successful twist on the same NFC technology.
While LoopPay will work for now in the U.S. by spoofing the magnetic card stripe on current payment cards, Samsung will have to adopt it for the upcoming change in payments here. Samsung will need to create bank partnerships for EMV payments; essentially, we're getting a payment card upgrade here later this year, which will require LoopPay to work with chip-and-PIN cards. LoopPay knew of this transition, so it's not completely in the dark; we'll see how it handles the change in a few months.
pebble actionPebble
Before then, we may have a new smartwatch or wearable device from Pebble. The company, which ran a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign in 2012 for its current smartwatch, is expected to announce something on Tuesday of this week. That's based on a countdown timer that's been busily ticking away since Thursday.
While we have no idea what Pebble is counting down for, the company did say earlier this month that it would be launching new hardware this year, along with a unique software interface. Perhaps we'll get a glimpse of a new watch this week; hopefully, it's not just a new band for the existing Pebble.
lg watch urbane goldLG
Even if Pebble does launch a new smartwatch, it's going to compete with more Android Wear devices. The latest, LG's Watch Urbane, hides its smarts in what looks like a very traditional analog timepiece. The stainless steel Urbane will be available in gold or silver finishes, uses the same 1.3-inch circular plastic OLED touchscreen display as the existing G Watch R and is aimed for the upscale smartwatch market.

gigaom.com - Google Wallet may not have been the hit Google had hoped, but according to a news report, the Silicon Valley giant may try to breath new life into its mobile payments business by tackling not just the digital billfold, but the digital cash register as well.
Google has been testing new retail point-of-sale software that works on Android or device or integrates with a store's existing payment processing system, according to a new report from The Information. The service is called Plaso - pronounced "Play-So" - and it allows customers to pay for goods and services by giving their initials to the sales clerk at the register, The Information's unnamed sources said.
If that sounds like the failed Square Wallet, you're right. Plaso appears to be using Bluetooth beacon technology to detect Google's digital payments apps on smartphones physically in the store or near check out. Like Square Wallet, you would say your initials or name so the salesclerk can suss out which of the detected wallet belongs to you, and then I assume some kind of digital transfer of card credentials would occur either from the device or from the cloud.
While the Information wasn't able to learn much about the technical underpinnings of Plaso, I would also assume other kind of verification would be necessary, whether it's a photo of the buyer appearing on the merchant's screen - which is how Square Wallet worked - or an some kind of authorization on the buyer's phone such as a thumbprint ID or a PIN code. Otherwise the potential for mistakes or outright fraud is too high; of all the forms of identity theft, guessing someone's initials is probably the easiest to pull off.
There's no word on when Plaso might see commercial use, and as The Information points out, Google builds and tests many products that never see the light of day.
The report also has it that Square is building its own Android tablet-based payments terminal because it fears a newly retail savvy Apple will shut Square out of the iOS universe. I find that a bit hard to believe, though.
Square and iPad are often considered inseparable - Square even optimizes new versions of its gadgets for the changing thickness of the iPhone - but Square's core point-of-sale device, the Reader, already works with Android phones and tablets. In fact, about half of all Square merchants use an Android device. Square's countertop system Stand only works with iPads today, so I can easily see it developing an Android variant. But I just don't think it's a defensive move against Apple.
Apple needs Square and Square needs Apple. Square provides the register, and for it to be successful it needs to accept as many forms as payment as possible, including Apple Pay. Apple is on the other side of the equation. It makes the credit card, and for the Apple Pay to be successful it needs to be accepted by as many merchants as possible.
If either company were to blackball the other, they'd only be shooting themselves in the foot. Sure, Apple is ambitious and it may one day seek to offer its own retail payments service to compete with Square, but if it did so it would then compete with First Data, Chase Paymentech, Verifone, NCR and all of the other giants of the retail payments industry as well. Apple built up a lot of goodwill with those companies when it launched Apple Pay, and that goodwill is one of the key reasons for Apple Pay's initial success. Why just toss it out the window?

cardfellow.com - Visa and MasterCard have begun what will likely be a long push to bring EMV to the United States. For financial institutions, this means issuing cardholders new credit cards and updating networks to process EMV data. For businesses, this will mean purchasing new EMV-capable credit card processing equipment.
There are certainly costs associated with the transition to EMV, but the benefits come in the form of increased security, reduced fraud, and even expanded marketing opportunities for small businesses.
EMV is already the payment standard in every major market except for the United States, making the switch to EMV in the U.S. long overdue.
What is EMV?
EMV is a technology standard originally developed by Europay, MasterCard and Visa in 1994 that utilizes smart cards to increase the security and global compatibility of credit and debit card transactions.
Today, EMV Integrated Circuit Card Specifications are maintained and enhanced by EMVco, an organization collectively owned by American Express, JCB, MasterCard and Visa.
With EMV, a customer's credit card information is transmitted to a business's credit card machine via a small microchip in the customer's credit card instead of via a magnetic strip that is the current standard.
What is a smartcard?
A smart card is a plastic payment card that has an embedded microchip with memory and often micro processing functionality.
Smart cards are the same size and shape of traditional credit cards, and most feature a magnetic strip in addition to a microchip so that it can be accepted by businesses with point of sales systems incapable of reading a smart card.
Unlike magnetic strip cards that store and transmit static cardholder information to a business's point of sale device, the microchip in a smart card adds a bit of dynamic data to each individual transaction. Think of this dynamic data as a one-time-use password that protects each transaction.
The ability of the microchip in a smart card to generate dynamic data is a key factor in EMV's security, and it's also where smart cards get their name.
What is the purpose of EMV?
EMV satisfies two main objectives. It decreases credit and debit card fraud on card-present transactions through increased security, and it creates a consistent cardholder experience worldwide through a global payments standard.
EMV Security & Fraud
EMV utilizes microchips instead of magnetic strips to transmit cardholder data at the point of sale. Unlike magnetic strips that transmit static information, a microchip attaches a unique cryptogram to each and every transaction.
This makes each transaction unique, thereby thwarting a fraudster's attempt to duplicate a transaction.
The dynamic cryptogram generated by a smart card also protects against "card skimming," which occurs when a fraudster reads the magnetic strip information from a credit or debit card without the cardholder knowing and then uses the information to make card-not-present purchases.
Once obtained, the card information can be used for "card transplant" fraud. This occurs when a fraudster uses inexpensive devices to copy a Cardholder's magnetic strip data to a blank card. The card copy is then used to make purchases, or in the case of ATM cards, to withdraw funds from the cardholder's account.
The EMV standard will also help reduce card-not-present fraud by reducing the amount of stolen credit card information available for use online, although this benefit will not be realized until the EMV standard has been widely utilized for some time.
Global Payments Standard
The United States is the only major market in the world that has yet to adopt an EMV standard. People traveling from the Unites States abroad will find it is difficult to make purchases with a magnetic strip card; conversely, visitors from Canada, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere will find it virtually impossible to use their smart cards to make purchases within the United States.
A globally adopted EMV standard allows cardholders to travel freely and make purchases anywhere using a single technology.
How are EMV cards processed?
EMV is a card-present technology, meaning the card must connect directly to a business's point of sale system either physically or within a distance of no more than a few inches through near field communication (NFC).
EMV cards are not swiped like magnetic strip cards. Instead, they are processed using near field communication (NFC) or physical contact.
In the case of NFC, a cardholder simply waves her smart card in front of a reader on a business's POS device to make payment.
Alternatively, a cardholder can insert her EMV card into a slot in the business's credit card machine and a reader within the machine connects with the card to initiate contact.
Smart cards that are capable of both contactless and physical transactions are called dual interface cards. Most smart cards are dual interface, but not all.
The four basic methods for processing an EMV transaction are listed below.
Contactless ("tap and go")
For a contactless transaction, the cardholder simply waives her card in front of a business's POS device to provide payment information. She may then be prompted to enter a personal identification number (PIN), or to sign a receipt once the transaction has been authorized.
Chip & Pin
A "Chip and PIN" EMV transaction occurs when a cardholder inserts her card into a business's POS device and the card remains within the device while she provides a PIN number to unlock the card. Chip and PIN is the most widely utilized EMV standard worldwide.
Chip & Signature
A "chip and signature" transaction occurs when a customer signs a sales receipt instead of providing a PIN number to complete the transaction. It is speculated that the U.S. will utilize chip and signature instead of chip and PIN since it is very similar process to what consumers are accustomed to with magnetic strip cards.
Chip & Choice
A "chip and choice" EMV transactions occurs when a customer is given a choice of completing a transaction by providing a PIN number or signing the sales receipt.
When is EMV coming?
The seed for an EMV transition has already been planted, and Visa has led the charge with a roadmap for EMV adoption with an August 2011 announcement that outlines a merchant incentive and a fraud liability shift.
Technology Innovation Program (TIP)
Visa's TIP went into effect October 1, 2012 and it allows U.S. merchants to skip PCI validation once 75% of their transactions originate from a device capable of transacting both NFC and physical EMV transactions.
The TIP program is a step in the right direction, but it fails to account for PCI compliance fees that many merchants pay to their credit card processor. Eliminating the requirement for validation loses much of its appeal if the associated costs are not also eliminated.
Bank to Processor to Merchant Liability Shift
Perhaps a far stronger motivator than Visa's TIP is the liability shift that is scheduled to take place October 15, 2015.
Under the shift, credit card processors will be responsible for fraud losses that occur as a result of a cardholder being forced to pay using a magnetic strip instead of a smart card due to a business not having a smartcard-capable device.
The cost of the fraud losses will ultimately be passed by the processor to the business where the fraud originated, thereby leaving the businesses on the hook.
(The liability shift will not occur for gas stations until 2017 due to the higher cost of transitioning equipment to EMV-capable devices.)
Preparing your business for EMV
The best time to begin preparing your business for an EMV transition is now. EMV-capable credit card processing machines and POS terminals have been available for some time.
Purchasing New Equipment
You don't need to rush out and buy new equipment, but if a new equipment purchase is on the horizon, be sure to purchase a credit card machine that is EMV-capable, and consider the following:
EMV Fallout & Collateral Damage
As retailers and other card-present businesses begin the transition to EMV and become more secure, card-not-present businesses will experience an increase in fraudulent activity.
After the EMV standard has been in place for a while, and fraudulent card information becomes more scarce, card-not-present fraud will begin to drop. However, until that time, e-commerce and other card-not-present businesses should hone fraud detection methods.
Card-not-present businesses that rely heavily on AVS matching should look toward more sophisticated fraud detection such as dynamic fraud scoring at the point of sale.

magicvalley.com - TWIN FALLS - Melissa Ault filled out a worksheet in class Wednesday using a school-owned Chromebook.
The 14-year-old uses the laptop nearly every day in her freshman transition class at Canyon Ridge High School. And she prefers doing work electronically.
"It's easier and it's helpful to have those resources," she said.
The Twin Falls School District wants more mobile computing devices - such as laptops and tablets - in its classrooms.
Under a five-year technology plan, the district aims to have one device for every two students, director of operations Brady Dickinson told school trustees in December. "If the state allocation for technology continues, I think we can get there."
The district - which recently wrapped up the first year of its technology plan - receives about $200,000 each year in state tech money.
Among 13 schools, there are 2,183 mobile computing devices for students to use - one for every four students.
They're paid for through a variety of sources, such as school building funds, state money and grants.
Mobile devices are shared within schools to maximize opportunities for students, said district technology coach T.J. Adams.
In addition to buying mobile devices, the district also replaced 200 desktop computers.
Another way to boost classroom technology: allowing students to bring their own phones, tablets or laptop computers with teacher permission.
But at Bickel Elementary School and Bridge Academy, students don't have to worry about that. There's already one mobile device for every student.
In September, Bickel received nearly $169,000 from the Idaho Department of Education to buy Asus tablets with detachable keyboards.
The school, which has about 400 students, is among 15 in Idaho sharing $3 million in technology pilot grants.
Rolling out tablets at Bickel was a massive project, Adams told trustees, but teachers are seeing good results. "People are pretty pleased over there."
Blended Learning
Some Magic Valley districts, including Twin Falls, want more "blended classrooms," a concept that combines face-to-face teaching with online resources, such as the Idaho Digital Learning Academy.
In Twin Falls, a cohort of 11 teachers is trying the format for the first time this year. They're mentored by veteran teachers.
Canyon Ridge teacher Robyn Barnes, who has been using the model for years, says it has transformed her role in the classroom.
"I'm not the lecturer. I don't dominate the classroom," she said. "I'm more like the coach or a facilitator."
For teachers, the blended format isn't for everyone. "It's appropriate for teachers who are passionate about this kind of thing," she said.
On Wednesday, Barnes' freshman transition class was learning about resumes and how to apply for a job. Students work at their own pace on their assignments.
"Everything they have to access and turn in again is via Google Drive," Barnes said, adding it allows for easy collaboration and faster feedback.
Barnes can make comments on a student's paper electronically and send it back to for revisions.
Zachary Herrin, 14, said the freshman academy class works on computers nearly every day. In his other classes, they use Chromebooks occasionally.
Using laptops can come with challenges, such as wireless Internet access. "It will get clogged up and it will start to run really slowly," Barnes said.
But, she said, blended learning is highly engaging. Students can also keep up with assignments online when they're sick or serving in-school suspension.
The format also prepares students for going to college in an era of changing technology.
Said Barnes: "I'm really pushing them to get ready for online classes."

techtimes.com - iPhone 6 users won't have to worry about what's in their wallet when they visit national parks next fall. Starting in September they'll be able to whip out the Apple smartphone to pay for park admittance now that the White House, and the federal government, is welcoming the mobile payment system with open arms.
Americans receiving veterans and Social Security payments via debit card will also be able to use those cards with Apple Pay as the deal between Apple and the federal government includes the Direct Express payment network and government cards issued through GSA SmartPay. The GSA SmartPay processes more than 87.4 million in transactions that are worth $26.4 billion every year.
The announcement by Apple CEO Tim Cook came during this weekend's cybersecurity conference at which President Barack Obama took the stage to discuss what Uncle Sam wants to do to fight cybersecurity threats. One of the things he's calling for is for companies, such as Apple, to be much more transparent about data security incidents, break-ins and network breaches. Sharing such data, federal lawmakers believe, will ultimately help forge a unified front against increasing threats and hacking attacks.
So maybe the federal government endorsement of Apple Pay is an olive branch of sorts in that regard, given Apple's leadership role in the tech sector or maybe it's a reflection of Apple's focus on rigid security protocols.
Either way, Uncle Sam's big endorsement of Apple Pay can't be happy or welcome news for Google, which has been trying to push its own mobile payment system, Google Wallet, for the past three years.
The Google Wallet app, which became available on all Android phones in 2011, involves about 300,000 merchant locations.
In 2012 Google expanded support to all major credit and debit cards but that doesn't mean support by those card companies was reciprocated. In fact, American Express went public at one point stating it never signed onto Wallet despite a Google announcement indicating such support. In 2013, Google then integrated Wallet and Gmail, allowing users to send money online.
The big problem, though, is that the Wallet launch arrived with a small sampling of support and has pretty much stayed the course. Citi was the issuing bank, MasterCard was the initial payment network, and Sprint was its initial mobile carrier. The merchant support list was just as sparse -- RadioShack, Food Locker and Walgreens topped the list.
In comparison, Apple Pay, which debuted in October 2014, just under six months ago, came out of the gate with most major credit cards on board including American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, MasterCard, Visa, and Wells Fargo.
Now, given the White House seal of approval, which means Apple Pay will work with the government's Direct Express payment network and government cards issued through GSA SmartPay, Apple's user base is broad and growing.
Apple clearly isn't content to just be the favored mobile payment system for the feds. Apple's CEO Tim Cook, in announcing the news, sees a lot of customer terrain ahead for Pay.
"We're also working to make sure credit and procurement cards issued to government employees for their expenses can be used with Apple Pay, and we're working on initiatives with leading banks and networks to use this technology with benefits programs like Social Security and veteran's pensions that serve citizens at both the state and federal level," he said.

govhealthit.com - Americans with health insurance are for the most part satisfied with their care, but are using antiquated methods to manage their health, and in the future, healthcare providers may feel pressure to use more modern technologies from the next generation of patients.
That's according to research from salesforce.com. The "2015 State of the Connected Patient Report," based on interviews with 1,700 adults with health insurance and a primary care physician, found technology is not being used to its full potential. For example, fewer than 10 percent of those surveyed use the web, email or text to set up an appointment. The survey found that just 21 percent of respondents said they use the Web to access their health data.
"This lack of technology could be at least partly responsible for challenges around preventative care in America, as 40 percent of respondents said they receive no ongoing care recommendations from their physician," the report said.
Although most users are now satisfied with their healthcare, the next generation of patients, what the report called millennials reaching young adulthood around 2000, want new technologies to collaborate with their doctor, the report said.
"Sixty percent of the millennials support the use of telehealth options to eliminate in-person health visits and 71 percent would like to have their provider use an app to book appointments, share health data and a manage preventive care," the report said.
Currently, the majority of patients use traditional communication methods when connecting with their healthcare providers. Using the phone to set up appointments is the most common approach (76 percent), followed by in-person scheduling (25 percent), according to the report.
However, usage trends indicate technology applications are gaining some ground. Use of web portals is making gains as 21 percent of patients review their health data via a web portal, while only 11 percent view data by phone. The report predicted that email and text messaging will increase in popularity as patients use more mobile applications.
What's more, the survey showed that 71 percent want their doctor to use a mobile application to schedule appointments, share health data and manage preventive care; and 60 percent reported an interest in using telehealth in place of in-person visits.
"Technology wields huge potential for improving the management of our health," the report said. "Both healthcare providers and insurance companies have an opportunity to revolutionize healthcare in meaningful new ways, thanks to the power of connectivity."

biztechafrica.com - Pan-African technology services group, TrustPay, has defined a new space in the mobile money, cross-border, cashless payment sector. Designed specifically with merchants (product, service suppliers and businesses) in mind, , has officially launched its unique range of innovative m/e Commerce merchant solutions that are set to accelerate economic growth in developing markets.
Trustpay is not a mobile money platform. Nor is it a payment gateway or a switch. It is much more. TrustPay is a versatile, interoperable, international merchant services mechanism that facilitates trade, especially in emerging markets. It does this by connecting merchants and consumers to one another through the assimilation of all traditional and 'exotic' payment systems, into one cohesive platform.

tech.co - How many businesses have been using the same business technology year in and year out? And how many have thought about becoming more current, but have never followed through? It's easy to keep outdated technology and services simply because making a change involves time and effort. This is especially true for small businesses with little extra time or resources to spare.
Traditionally caught between business enterprise technology and consumer products, small businesses may actually be hurting their business (and bottom line) by not using services specifically designed for their unique needs.
That's why it's the perfect time for small businesses to look at the technology and services they're currently using (and their associated expenses) and make sure they're getting the most out of their current solutions. By researching new affordable technology options, small businesses can maximize returns and streamline operations by working smarter, not harder with the status quo. Here's a look at new small business technology you should consider while it's still technically the New Year:
Cloud Storage
While there is still some confusion with consumers as to what exactly is "the cloud," this much is clear: the cloud is a great friend to small businesses. While large enterprises are able to afford massive data centers and cloud platforms, there are plenty of small business-friendly cloud technologies that are not only affordable, but easy to use. Consider switching to cloud storage (like OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive or Box) for commonly accessed and shared documents, like staff schedules, shipment tracking, inventory, or sales contacts. By hosting documents on cloud platforms, not only will employees be able to view them on-the-go from mobile devices and home computers, but small business owners can also control who can edit and access it through access privileges and security features.
Mobile Apps
Beyond the addictive games and social media platforms most commonly associated with apps for tablets and smartphones, there are a number of mobile apps that every small business should consider downloading. This is especially true because so many small businesses are run by partners or hand-on employees, who are involved in managing the business day-to-day and aren't always located in a central office. From point-of-sale to accounting to business travel management, there are a number of mobile apps that could replace expensive traditional business services.
VoIP Business Phone and Faxing
Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) technology allows small businesses to utilize their high-speed Internet and existing phones to connect with customers, vendors and employees. With features like a virtual receptionist, extension dialing, conference bridge and much more, VoIP services can help a small business present a polished, professional first impression at a fraction of the cost. Switching phone service sounds more daunting than it actually is and can significantly cut costs while improving service. And the money saved can be invested to improve other parts of the business.
Social Platforms
Social media can be an amazing tool for small businesses to reach new audiences and connect with their current customers. However, managing it can be very overwhelming for small businesses who have so much else to juggle. Instead of spreading resources thin over multiple platforms, picking one or two that best suit the business' audience. Consider using Twitter to promote deals and daily specials or Instagram for great visuals like new retail inventory. Facebook is a great way to start dialogues with customers. Furthermore, look for social media aggregators that post and monitor multiple channels at once, schedule posts in advance saving time and resources.
If you were brave enough to start your own business, find the right market and invest in a future you are creating, then you shouldn't settle for the status quo when it comes to your business technology. By taking the first step to adopt a new solution and you'll find it's not as intimidating as it seems and you'll can set your small business up for even greater success in 2015.

thenews.com.pk - LAHORE: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that utilise mobile technologies stay ahead in the market, display efficient operations and compete with much larger players, experts suggest on Thursday.
"Research has shown that SMEs taking full advantage of mobile technology grow at a faster pace of 1.5-2 times than their peers that still ignore these powerful tools," said Almas Hyder, whose Engineering SME was recently listed at the Karachi Stock Exchange.
He said it has also been established globally that SMEs adopting mobile technology create three times more jobs than those that lack this technology.
Smart SMEs employ the full range of available tools, such as basic productivity tools (voice, text, and email), operational tools (real-time job tracking and mobile data analytics), and sales and marketing tools (mobile-friendly website and company apps).
These mobile capabilities allow them to be more innovative and, in some cases, fundamentally transform the way they operate.
Hyder said in Pakistan most of the SMEs are still mobile laggards.
Mobile laggards generally have low levels of technology adoption and limited mobile presence. They have not integrated well-established tools into their business models and have not explored the benefits of more sophisticated technologies, such as a mobile app or mobile data-capturing tools.
He said smart phones are available in every part of the country still the avenues provided by this technology are restricted to larger cities alone.
"Even in these cities only about one third SMEs take advantage of the available technology."
Academician and entrepreneur Dr S M Naqi said numerous SMEs succumbed to the less favorable economic conditions in the country.
The markets have been taken over by larger firms, but still about 15-20 percent small and medium enterprises have grown over years at four to five times the average manufacturing growth rate in the country.
He said these firms were operated by smarter entrepreneurs who realized that demand is bound to increase as the proportion of young adults increase.
These SMEs introduced products that this consuming class needed. They collected the data through technology and expanded operations based on insights taken through mobile penetration.
Naqi said according to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), SMEs are responsible for around 65 percent of all the jobs in the country.
"There is thus a sizable potential opportunity for SMEs that adopt mobile technologies," he added.
In Pakistan the proportion of SMEs is much higher. However those shying away from technology are on their way out.
Information technology expert Fatima Asif said approximately one fifth of SMEs fall in the category of mobile leaders in Pakistan, and these leaders are demonstrating exceptional performance relative to both followers (who are now adopting technology) and laggards (that still operate on conventional technology).
She said mobile technologies provide leverage to the SMEs against larger firms. This facilitates mobile leaders to grow faster than the economy as a whole.
Global research has shown that mobile savvy SMEs have posted a revenue growth of 1.5 to 2 times faster than laggards and have added around eight times more jobs over the past three years.
She said SMEs benefitting from the mobile technology report greater benefits than laggards in terms of increased revenue, efficiency gains, and innovation.
This is due to the fact that mobile leaders can reach more customers and engage with them through additional channels, increasing opportunities for marketing and sales.
Moreover, these SMEs also use techniques to increase productivity, including mobile data, real-time information and applications that smooth operations.
For many consumers in emerging countries, mobiles are their only portal to the Internet, making it more crucial for SMEs to create a strong mobile presence.

mobilepaymentstoday.com - In a bid to increase card payments and financial inclusion, Mexican banks are collaborating with mobile payments technology vendors to deploy mPOS solutions at mom-and-pop stores. The Mexican government encourages these initiatives, as around 70 percent of all purchases in Mexico are made with cash and the informal economy represents 30 percent of GDP.
Of Mexico's 1 million grocery retailers, 64 percent are mom-and-pop stores. "Mom-and-pop stores play a major part in Mexico's retail economy, yet they lack the tools to compete effectively with larger retailers," Luz Adriana Ramirez Chavez, Visa Mexico's country manager, told Mobile Payments Today. "By installing mPOS devices offering retail management software, they can have more control and grow their business. Also, when they start accepting cards, they benefit from higher sales tickets."
In November 2014, Visa, Mexican tax authority Sistema de Administración Tributaria (SAT/Tax Administration System) and Confederación de Cámaras Nacionales de Comercio, Servicios y Turismo (Concanaco - Servytur/Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism) launched Tableta Concanaco, a scheme to provide micro-businesses and SMEs with mPOS technology. In addition to a subsidized mPOS-enabled tablet containing software providing inventory management and electronic invoicing, each business owner gets a Visa debit card on which they receive their customers' card payments.
"So far, 20,000 tablets with iZettle card readers have been issued as part of the Tableta Concanaco scheme," said Ramirez Chavez. "Our plan is to issue 100,000 in the first 12 months."
In addition to the retail market, Visa also wants to provide mPOS solutions for other cash-dominated verticals in Mexico such as transport and door-to-door catalog sales, she said.
iZettle
Provider iZettle has offered its iOS- and Android-based mPOS card readers in Mexico since June 2013 through a partnership with Spanish bank Banco Santander's local subsidiary.
According to El Financiero, in December 2014, 50,000 Mexican merchants were using iZettle's technology. Luis Arceo, iZettle's Mexican managing director, told the Mexican newspaper the firm is seeing a 30-to-40 percent growth per week in transactions and clients.
Banamex
Citigroup's Mexican subsidiary Banamex launched its iOS-based iAcepta Móvil Banamex mPOS card readers using technology supplied by U.S.-based Stratus Technologies and Ecuador's B-Wise in 2013.
"We offer iAcepta to mom-and-pop stores as well as to larger merchants," said León Vega, Banamex's card acceptance director. "Merchants pay MXN 500 ($33.64) for an iAcepta unit. We now have 8,000 iAcepta devices in the market, and in the last few months processed MXN 60 million ($4.04 million) on iAcepta devices. The average value of an iAcepta transaction is MXN 1,784 ($120)."
Since 2012, Banamex has offered NFC and contactless card payments at 60,000 traditional POS terminals in Mexico. "The next step will be to add NFC and contactless card acceptance to our mPOS solution," said Vega. "So far, iAcepta only accepts EMV chip and mag-stripe cards."
Low terminalization
According to Mexican banking regulator Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores (National Banking and Securities Commission), Mexico had an installed base of 721,151 POS terminals in December 2014, along with 105.4 million debit cards and 27.8 million credit cards.
"Mexico has eight POS terminals per 1,000 inhabitants," said Ramirez Chavez. "The Latin American average is 11, while Brazil boasts 24 terminals per 1,000 inhabitants."
"Mexico is underleveraged in terms of POS terminals," said Ali Raza, a principal at U.S.-based CCG Catalyst Consulting Group. "There's clear evidence that, when you make payments more efficient in a country, this improves its GDP."
Financial inclusion
The Mexican government has been promoting the use of payment cards and POS terminals to promote financial inclusion, for example mandating the payment of welfare benefits to debit card-based accounts and requiring employers to pay employees' food benefits to prepaid cards instead of through paper vouchers.
In 2011, the government passed legislation allowing four levels of bank account, with different KYC requirements, maximum balances and transaction types.
"Level 1 accounts are basic prepaid accounts and can't be used with mobile phones for payments and person-to-person transfers," said Martha Casanova, a consultant at World Bank subsidiary CGAP's (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) Technology Program. "Level 2 low-transactionality accounts, Level 3 low-risk accounts and Level 4 full-service accounts can all be linked to mobile phones. As a result of this regulation, a lot of people opened bank accounts with a mobile payment capability, but the reality is that they prefer to use their debit cards rather than their mobile phones for payments."
Examples of mobile-linked accounts include Banamex's Cuenta (account) Transfer and its Saldazo account, which is co-branded with Mexican retailer Oxxo and, like Cuenta Transfer, uses Telcel's mobile network. "Cuenta Transfer and Oxxo Saldazo have been very successful," says Casanova.
To promote the use of payment cards, the Ministry of Finance launched the Boletazo public-private partnership program, which ended in 2011. The program's two main components were a lottery system (Boletazo) that entered every card transaction into a raffle for prizes and a program promoting deployment of POS terminals at no cost to merchants.
"Boletazo's drawback was that many merchants didn't use their POS terminals as there was no real incentive to do so," said Vega. "Also, the banks didn't make much money out of the program. This is why Banamex has been rolling out mPOS technology."
"I think all the Mexican banks will replace their traditional POS terminals with mPOS devices, as mPOS is cheaper," said Casanova.
Grupo Bimbo
Mexico's Grupo Bimbo (http://www.grupobimbo.com/en/index.html), one of the largest bakery firms in the world, is an unexpected pioneer in the drive to promote card acceptance by mom-and-pop stores. It is working with Banamex, Visa, and prepaid airtime network operator Blue Label Mexico to roll out wireless POS terminals at stores selling Grupo Bimbo products.
Visa said in an October 2013 news release that New York-based Planet Payment operates the payment processing platform for the initiative.
As of February 2015, Blue Label Mexico, a joint venture between Grupo Bimbo and South Africa's Blue Label Telecoms, has installed 75,000 wireless terminals at mom-and-pop stores as part of its Red Qiubo payments network. All these terminals offer mobile airtime top-up and bill payments, and so far 32,000 have been enabled to accept card payments. Merchants pay a small fee to install their terminal.
In addition to acting as transaction acquirer, Banamex provides merchants participating in Red Qiubo with Cuenta Transfer mobile bank accounts, so they can receive payment for their customers' card transactions. Banamex also plans to offer banking correspondent services at stores participating in Red Qiubo, so customers can withdraw or deposit cash from their bank accounts using the terminals.
"Our vision is to create the largest electronic services network in Mexico," said Hortencia Contreras, Grupo Bimbo's vice president of strategic services and blue label Mexico's CEO. "We see the installation of POS systems in merchants as a way to promote financial inclusion because of the impact stores have in local communities. So far, the average number of credit and debit card transactions handled by our terminals is 50 a month. The average value is MXN 85-MXN 100 ($5.71-$6.73) per transaction."
"The initial target is to install 120,000 wireless terminals at mom-and-pop stores as part of Grupo Bimbo's initiative," said Banamex's Vega.
Grupo Bimbo and its partners have had to educate mom-and-pop stores about the benefits of accepting cards. "Some merchants are reluctant to take cards as they don't want to become liable for tax," said Contreras. "Others don't understand the benefits such as higher average sales tickets due to purchases not being limited by the amount of cash customers are carrying. So we've had to devise programs to incentivize merchants to accept card payments and customers to use their cards."
Contreras said that mom-and-pop stores that accept card payments are able to take payments from customers' food benefits cards, a service that has previously only been available at large convenience stores and supermarkets.
Other players
Other players in the Mexican mPOS market include Canada's AnywhereCommerce, Mexico's Sr. Pago (Señor Pago), and U.S.-based Mozido.
AnywhereCommerce is working with Mexican card payments switch Prosa to supply mPOS technology to Prosa's member banks. "The Prosa member banks provide their merchants with our mPOS card readers," said Bill Nichols, AnywhereCommerce's CEO. "Transactions are passed through a wireless link from the merchant's device to our hosted gateway which then passes them through Prosa to the acquiring bank. So far, we have several banks piloting our system."
In June 2014, Sr. Pago launched the Sr. Pago Card System. Provided in conjunction with MasterCard and Mexican microfinance institution Te Creemos, the Sr. Pago Card System combines a smartphone-based chip card reader with a debit card that can be reloaded with payments accepted through the card reader.
"Mozido has implemented a tablet-based mPOS solution for mom-and-pop stores in Southeast Mexico," said Juan Piña, Mozido Latin America's president. "This solution offer loyalty programs, remittances, offers and promotions, store management, card acceptance, bill pay and airtime top-up."
Mozido aims to provide its mobile payment solution in 2,000 convenience stores in Mexico by the end of 2015, according to El Economista. Raúl Ávila, Mozido Mexico's managing director, told the Mexican newspaper that merchants using Mozido's technology have seen sales increase by 15 percent as a result of offering services such as airtime, utility bill payments and card acceptance.