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NTT DATA, Harex Tie-up on Trial Infrared Mobile Credit Card Payment Service
Tokyo - NTT DATA (TSE: 9613) has agreed to enter into a technical
tie-up with South Korea's Harex InfoTech to build a system for a trial
credit card payment service using the infrared communication capability of
portable telephones.
Harex became the first in the world to build a credit card payment system
utilizing infrared communication in April 2002. Based on this technical
tie-up, NTT DATA will build the system in Japan. It will invite the
support of a wide variety of domestic credit card companies and
communication carriers.
During the first half of the 2003 fiscal year, it will launch a trial
service using the infrared communications-based credit card payment
system, with a goal of perfecting a commercial system within the 2004
fiscal year.
In January 2002, Visa International established technical specifications
for short-range data communications using infrared technology called Visa
Proximity Payment Specifications. Following in April 2002, Harex in South
Korea built the world's first commercial system, installing about 4,000
payment terminals with infrared communication capability in Seoul and
Songnam, launching a working service.
In Japan, eight million portable telephones with embedded infrared
communication functionality are in use, and the infrastructure is in place
for credit card payment services using infrared communication by mobile
telephones. Based on this technology tie-up, NTT DATA will gain the system
building and operating know-how for the service that Harex has in South
Korea, and NTT DATA will target rapid and efficient construction of a
system in Japan.
NTT DATA will also aim to ensure international compatibility so that the
credit card function of portable telephones used domestically can be
utilized by systems overseas as well.
Harex will make use of this tie-up with NTT DATA as a foothold to advance
its overseas business beyond Japan. Moreover, by providing the technology
for the same service to be used in Japan, compatibility of the service
between Japan and South Korea will be achieved, and Harex is counting on
that to expand its business in South Korea as well.
With the new system, a user's information such as credit card data and
applications will be entered into the portable telephone, which exchanges
information necessary for authorization via infrared communications with
an infrared communication-capable credit card settlement terminal in the
participating store. Communication from the store to the credit card
company will employ NTT DATA's card payment network, INFOX-NET. The
infrared communication itself will be compliant with the Visa Proximity
Payment Specifications.
The loading of credit card data and applications for credit payments into
the portable telephone is accomplished by downloading via the Internet
using a mobile phone. Since a phone with infrared communication as a
standard feature is used, there is no need for the user to replace his or
her portable telephone with one dedicated to credit settlement or to
install a special adapter on the phone for infrared communication, thus it
is possible to utilize the service using the mobile phone that the user
would normally have. Moreover, it is possible to download multiple sets of
credit card data to a single portable telephone, enabling the user to
substitute for multiple credit cards with a single phone.
Going forward, NTT DATA will solicit broad participation by Japanese
domestic credit card companies and communication carriers. During the
first half of fiscal 2003, it will begin testing the technical aspects
such as communication method and operational aspects such as
user-friendliness with the aim of commercializing the system during fiscal
2004.
NTT DATA will consider deploying the system for not only credit cards, but
other new uses as well, for example downloading various types of card data
such as association memberships to portable telephones, thereby achieving
coordinated functionality in fields other than credit settlement.
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