Nebraska Firm, Mondex in 'Electronic Purse' Alliance

Applied Communications Inc., an Omaha-based software developer, has agreed with Mondex, the British smart card company, to help market and deploy "electronic purse" technology.

The two companies will cooperate on pilots of the electronic cash system that stores monetary value on smart cards with computer chips embedded.

Separately, Applied Communications struck a deal with Betriebswirtschaftliche Institute der Deutschen Kreditgenossenschaften, a major processor for German cooperative banks, and Tandem Computers to process transactions for Germany's first national electronic purse scheme, GeldKarte.

Applied Communications' software will enable consumers to load value onto their cards from special bank terminals or buy disposable cards from merchants.

Its automated teller machine and point of sale software will be used to upgrade current systems to handle the anticipated increase in transactions associated with the GeldKarte project.

Applied Communications' software will also collect sales transactions from retail outlets at the end of each day for settlement and unspent funds management.

A GeldKarte pilot will begin this spring, with about 100,000 cards to be issued. Rollout to the rest of Germany is expected by yearend.

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