A Peek into the Future of Smart Technology

 

 

Your mobile phone is now a versatile, multi-purpose device. Using the latest smart technology, your smartphone can serve as an office access card, can be used to pay for meals and even as an airplane boarding pass at selected airports. Such innovations and applications are some of the many highlights you can expect at this year’s Cards & Payments Asia 2012, the region’s largest and most-established smart technologies exhibition.

 

The 17th edition of Cards & Payments Asia 2012 and its seven co-located events will open in Singapore from 25 – 27 April 2012 at Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Level 4, Halls 401 – 403. This three-day mega event will showcase highly anticipated new technologies in payments, Near Field Communication (NFC), digital identification, RFID and retail together with the entire spectrum of smart technology initiatives.

 

NFC & Digital Identification Make Daily Activities More Convenient

HID Global, one of the 200 international exhibitors at this event, will be displaying its iCLASS® SIO-enabled (iCLASS SE™) reader and credential platform. This new access control platform extends physical access control beyond traditional smart cards to enable digital credentials to be embedded in smartphones for identity authentication. Such enhanced technology can also accommodate the constantly evolving security levels via simple firmware updates. This will meet the growing needs of Singapore’s digital consumers of whom 89% will own a smartphone by mid-2012, according to a report by global information and measurement company, Neilson.

“With the innovations for mobile access and increasing deployment of NFC devices, our daily lives will be brought to a whole new level of convenience,” said Mr. Lee Wei Jin, Director of Sales, ASEAN, Identity & Access Management, HID Global. “We are proud to be part of Cards & Payments Asia 2012 to showcase the implementations of exciting innovative applications for NFC-enabled phones that will transform the way we work and play.”

 

Global NFC application revenue is expected to reach $10.6 billion in 2012, according to a report by business intelligence company, Visiongain.  Such rapid growth in NFC will change the business landscape of many sectors, such as retail and transportation.

 

Mobile Transactions Made Easier

M2CASH, a Diamond Sponsor and exhibitor will be rolling out its cutting-edge money transfer system at Cards & Payments Asia 2012. Built with Virtual Card Technology, users can adopt this system flexibly even without a bank account or an ATM card. Electronic ID verification of both the sender and receiver can be done in just 7 seconds and M2CASH is the only system globally able to perform this integral security check. This system will be available on the web as well as mobile platforms such as iOS, ANDROID, Windows Mobile and Blackberry to enable 60-second transactions on-the-go.

 

“I believe this innovation will benefit the global money transfer market significantly when it is launched at Cards & Payments Asia 2012. Our fully encrypted and 100% insured transfers will put the minds of many people at ease if they adopt our system, said Mr. Rick Whaite, Director of Global Brand and Marketing, M2CASH. “We are now at the age where the virtual of the past generation becomes the reality of the present.”

 

Every year, over 200 million people[1] are engaged in money transfers of about $400 billion globally. This new technology invented will shift this paradigm of money transfer from the old-fashioned, slow and costly paper-based methods to instantaneous, virtual and secure money transfers. This fully encrypted and revolutionary system will make global money transfers much easier than before.

 

Richard Ireland, Chief Executive of Terrapinn Asia Pacific said, “Cards & Payments Asia 2012 is the converging platform for the governments, retail, telecommunications and banking industries through smart technology innovations. The technologies showcased will revolutionise lifestyles in every aspect, such as security and identification, and will also drive service, growth and business opportunities for many organisations across Asia. This is an event for all stakeholders to attend if they want to stay ahead of the competition.”

 

Cards & Payments Asia 2012 will also be hosting the inaugural Smart Card Awards Asia, which recognises industry leaders for setting great standards of excellence. The winners will be announced at its Awards Dinner at Marina Mandarin Hotel on 25 April 2012.