Blog
The headlines say it all: EMV is an answer!
Today, the EMV headlines are coming at us with the velocity we previously attributed to topics such as big data.
November 10, 2014 by Richard Buckle — Founder and CEO, Pyalla Technologies, LLC
In just a few days time I am heading to a gathering of the HP NonStop user community. Branded a technical "boot camp" much like the ITUG events of the past, this event brings together the users of the HP NonStop systems.
Those participating have only a few matters that really concern them. Trends such as big data and the cloud are important, of course, as they affect users of every system today, but probably of more importance is security. Scrolling through the agenda, there's no escaping just how dominant security has become.
It will not have escaped the notice of anyone coming to the ATM Marketplace website that headlines featuring EMV continue to dominate. A quick check, as I began this post, revealed titles such as "ANZ offers 'world's first' secure contactless EMV transactions at the ATM," "Ascert intros simulator-agnostic driver for EMV testing" and "New report examines FIs' EMV preparedness," to mention just a few.
Being an expat Aussie, anything from ANZ catches my attention, and being also a staunch advocate of all things NonStop, I know the team at Ascert quite well.
While these headlines are for news stories, the topic of EMV is ever-present in the blogs. Again, without giving too much away about who runs what and on which platform, the recent post "Will EMV lead to more contactless ATMs?" by Terry Dooley, well-known to the NonStop community, begins: "As we forge ahead into the digital age, one question comes to the forefront: Will cardless transactions be an important part of the future for ATMs?"
Dooley then tells us all that, "We need to be thinking about how we can ultimately make EMV-compliant ATMs cardless-acceptance ATMs to meet the demands of our technology driven society."
On this occasion, I am in complete agreement with Dooley. Cardless transactions will first complement traditional means of interacting with ATMs before overwhelming them in select markets and, yes, we have to do even more (than simply thinking) about making even these latest iterations of plastic EMV-compliant.
Unfortunately, as users of Denver's light rail system can attest, eliminating cash payments as an option for travel only led to the bad guys implementing yet another skimming scam. Curious? Check out "Card skimmers found at RTD light rail stations; no data compromised." As a resident of Boulder, Colorado, this is getting too close for comfort.
Ascert is a middleware vendor of test tools for the NonStop system. Dooley runs NonStop systems. But what of the solutions vendors themselves — those responsible for the payment platforms relied upon by so many FIs?
Returning to the agenda for the NonStop Technical Boot Camp I saw that my good friend and OmniPayments Inc. CEO, Yash Kapadia, was presenting. The topic? "The Smarts Behind EMV Smart Cards."
According to Yash, "OmniPayments supports all features required to process EMV smart card transactions, from support of EMV POS terminals and ATMs to protocols required to communicate with the issuing and acquiring banks. OmniPayments is currently handling EMV transactions with its international banking installations and is ready to handle these transactions with U.S. systems as EMV technology takes hold (in the U.S.)" This will be the topic of Yash's presentation at the HP NonStop Boot Camp.
In the February post "We are at war, and I'm cashing up!," I quoted Yash, who said, "While it may be true that security will be a problem for all in IT — vendors and users alike — there are steps that can be taken to make life for the bad guys a lot harder."
Perhaps the most important step of all to take is implementation of EMV across the U.S. "Smart cards have been in use in most countries around the world for years, and they are now coming to the U.S.," said Yash. "Since HP NonStop systems have a significant presence in payment card transaction systems, it is important that the NonStop community be familiar with smart card technology."
Coming from a family involved in the newspaper industry for many generations, it is all about the headlines — catchy language is a surefire way to grab an audience. Today, the EMV headlines are coming at us with the velocity we previously attributed to topics like Big Data!
As Yash told me recently:
OmniPayments, too, sees all the headlines EMV is attracting and while it has a lot to do with recent incursions by the bad guys, it's also truly long overdue. Getting in front of large audiences, as will be the case at Boot Camp, is an opportunity to present what we can do in the U.S. marketplace, and it is something I really enjoy doing. I wouldn't miss such an opportunity given the current high levels of interest in all things security-related!
For FIs planning the trip to San Jose, be sure to find time to catch up with me — and with Yash — as I wouldn't miss such a gathering by influential users!
photo courtesy m01229 | flickr
About Richard Buckle
Richard Buckle is the founder and CEO of Pyalla Technologies, LLC. He has enjoyed a long association with the Information Technology (IT) industry as a user, vendor, and more recently, as an industry commentator, thought leader, columnist and blogger. Richard participates in the HPE VIP Community where he is part of their influencer team.
