STRATEGIC PARTNERS
February 20, 2002
PARIS -- At Cartes '98, Bull will be presenting its comprehensive, integrated "SmartPurse."
SmartPurse is aimed at large organizations such as banks, retail chains, transport companies, and universities wishing to take advantage of electronic purse technology.
By replacing the use of cash and checks, SmartPurse facilitates small amount payments, improves customer relations, encourages loyalty, and consequently leverages increased sales.
Security is guaranteed at all stages, from card presentation to crediting the account. Costs linked to handling cash and theft are
reduced.
The electronic purse also cuts out some of the disadvantages linked
to the use of debit-credit cards for small amounts: the high cost of
real-time communication, excessive transaction times and tax paid on
each transaction.
Large organizations can use the e-purse system for a very broad range of activities, where payment is typically made with coins or small value notes:
SmartPurse is distributed in the 85 countries where Bull has
operations.
The world-wide e-purse market
E-purse technology started in 1994 with the development by Bull of a reloadable multi-issuer, multi-provider, multi-service electronic purse card: the CC 60, a new application of the CP8 technology.
Electronic purse systems, aimed at replacing hard currency, must have very sophisticated built-in security mechanisms. The Bull card, based on Bull's experience in the field of microprocessor card security, meets these demands. It includes strongly secured payment transaction and loading functions, and the latest encryption algorithms.
The whole system developed around this card is traceable and auditable: all transactions are recorded, thereby making it possible to detect any attempted fraud. The Proton system has been developed by Banksys, the Belgian national operator in payment systems, specialized in transaction systems.
