Discover Network Certifies OTI Card Reader for Contactless Payment System
OTI’s Saturn 5000 to Support Discover Network’s Fast, Secure, and Simple Contactless Payment System Worldwide
Riverwoods, IL,, November 28, 2006–Discover Network, a business unit of Discover Financial Services and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), today announced that it has certified the Saturn 5000 contactless reader developed by On Track Innovations (OTI) (NASDAQ: OTIV), a global leader in contactless microprocessor-based smart card solutions, for use with Discover Network’s contactless payment application.
The certification process ensures that the Saturn 5000’s reader technology is able to support Discover Network’s proprietary contactless payment solution. Additional OTI readers are in the certification process.
“The certification of the Saturn 5000 is the latest milestone in Discover Network’s ongoing efforts to provide an efficient, safer and more convenient contactless payment solution to our merchants, issuers and their cardholders,” said Joby Orlowsky, vice president of marketing for Discover. “By continuing to identify and certify card readers that meet our stringent standards of quality, security, and ease of use, we expect our momentum in contactless payments to accelerate even more rapidly.”
Compatible with major POS terminal providers and acquirers, Saturn 5000’s enhanced features allow the reader to support multiple application programs and read a variety of payments sources, including credit cards and key fobs and cell phones. The console’s plug-and-play design and small footprint facilitates quick upgrades of existing POS terminals to accept contactless payments. And because the reader faces the customer, the Saturn 5000 enables easier and faster payment transactions. Additionally, OTI’s patented matched antenna technology provides more effective power consumption, reliable and stable communications, and additional levels of security and encryption throughout the communication link.
“Discover Network’s certification of OTI’s Saturn 5000 reader helps validate our expertise and growing technological leadership in contactless payment solutions,” said Oded Bashan, chairman, president and CEO of OTI. “As a leading payments network, Discover Network greatly extends our support of contactless programs from major financial institutions and brands.”
Contactless payments are made possible through radio frequency identification technology, or an embedded RFID chip, that allows cardholders to simply hold their credit or debit cards or key tag within an inch or two of a contactless card reader to complete a purchase transaction.
In addition to providing consumers with unparalleled convenience, contactless payment technology allows retailers to move more customers through checkout lines in less time, resulting in transaction volume increases of up to 12 percent. A recent study also showed that contactless payment systems help increase average transaction size by up to 30 percent compared to cash spending.
About Discover Financial Services
Discover Financial Services LLC, a business unit of Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), operates the Discover Card with more than 50 million Cardmembers, and the Discover Network with more than 4 million merchant and cash access locations. Discover Financial Services also operates the PULSE ATM/debit network, which serves over 4,200 financial institutions and includes almost 250,000 ATMs and approximately 3.4 million POS terminals. For more information, visit http://www.discovercard.com, http://www.discovernetwork.com or http://www.pulse-eft.com.
About OTI
Established in 1990, OTI (NASDAQ: OTIV) designs, develops and markets secure contactless microprocessor-based smart card technology to address the needs of a wide variety of markets. Applications developed by OTI include product solutions for petroleum payment systems, homeland security solutions, electronic passports and IDs, payments, mass transit ticketing, parking, loyalty programs and secure campuses. OTI has a global network of regional offices to market and support its products. The company was awarded the Frost & Sullivan 2005 and 2006 Company of the Year Award in the field of smart cards. For more information on OTI, visit http://www.otiglobal.com.
Media Contact
Leslie Beyer
Discover Financial Services LLC
lesliebeyer@discoverfinancial.com
(224) 405-5154