SOURCE: The Smart Card Alliance

September 08, 2008 09:00 ET

Smart Card Alliance and ETA Payments Webinar Series Kicks Off With Mobile Payments and NFC on September 25th

PRINCETON JUNCTION, NJ--(Marketwire - September 8, 2008) - Using mobile phones for banking and payments is emerging as a new consumer payment wave for the future. This topic will kick off a new webinar series produced in partnership by Smart Card Alliance and Electronic Transactions Association (ETA). The webinar is the first of four in the organizations' Smart Card Payments Application Series addressing the use of smart card technology within the payments industry.

"As the organization that represents the merchant acquirers of the world, ETA is at the core of the payments industry, and therefore an ideal partner for this educational webinar series," said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance. "This series will address all the questions that are top of mind for the important acquirer segment, as well as other industry stakeholders."

"Smart card technology has long played an important role in the payments industry, and with recent developments in contactless, mobile and NFC, its importance is continuing to grow," said Carla Balakgie, CEO of ETA. "Partnering with the Smart Card Alliance helps us to meet our goal of advancing the merchant acquirer profession by providing educational resources such as this webinar series."

The first webinar, "Smart Cards in Mobile Payment/Near Field Communications (NFC)," will take place on September 25th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET. Registration is available for the event at http://www.smartcardalliance.org/pages/activities-events-web-seminars.

Webinar presentations will answer these questions:

--  What is the market outlook for mobile commerce and mobile payments?
--  What is NFC?  What are NFC applications and how is the technology used
    for proximity mobile payments?
--  Who are the stakeholders in the mobile payments ecosystem and what are
    likely proximity mobile payments business models?
--  What merchant infrastructure is needed for proximity mobile payments?
--  What are key hurdles to widespread use and acceptance of NFC-enabled
    mobile payments?
--  What should acquirers and merchants do next?
    

Speakers scheduled include Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance; Deborah Baxley, partner, IBM Global Services, and Chair of that Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payments Council; and Charles Walton, EVP payments, INSIDE Contactless and former co-chair of the Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payments Council.

Future webinars in the series are: "Fundamentals of Smart Cards for Payments" on November 18th at 2:00 p.m. ET; "Smart Card Implementation" on January 13, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. ET; and "Smart Cards and Payment Security" on February 3, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Additional information about contactless, NFC and mobile payments can be found online.

About the Smart Card Alliance

The Smart Card Alliance is a not-for-profit, multi-industry association working to stimulate the understanding, adoption, use and widespread application of smart card technology.

Through specific projects such as education programs, market research, advocacy, industry relations and open forums, the Alliance keeps its members connected to industry leaders and innovative thought. The Alliance is the single industry voice for smart cards, leading industry discussion on the impact and value of smart cards in the U.S. and Latin America. For more information please visit http://www.smartcardalliance.org.

About the Electronic Transactions Association

ETA is an international trade association representing companies who offer electronic transaction processing products and services. The purpose of ETA is to influence, monitor and help shape the merchant acquiring industry by providing leadership through education, advocacy and the exchange of information. ETA's membership spans the breadth of the payments industry, from financial institutions to transaction processors to independent sales organizations (ISOs) to equipment suppliers. More than 500 companies worldwide are members of ETA.