PSP SecureTrading to announce new payment products; Tokenisation and Dynamic Currency Conversation at Ecommerce EXPO North 2010

Bangor, UK —- SecureTrading (http://www.securetrading.com) the online Payments Service Provider (PSP) is to announce two new payment services today.

SecureTrading is to unveil its Tokenisation and Dynamic Currency Conversation (DCC) services, allowing Ecommerce EXPO North attendees a first look ahead of its wider release to merchants.

Tokenisation eliminates the need for customers to repeatedly enter credit and debit card details and for merchants to send sensitive card details to acquirers via SecureTrading. The customer registers a credit or debit card with SecureTrading to store the sensitive card details required to process a transaction, including card number and expiry date. Upon receipt of the card details, SecureTrading sends a unique reference number (a Token number) in return that will be used for future transaction payments.

It enables the merchant to only send SecureTrading the reference number as part of the transaction process, instead of all the card details for future payments. This speeds up the entire payment process for customers and reduces the PCI burden on the merchant by taking care of the storage of the card number.

Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) is a financial service in which holders of credit cards have the cost of a transaction converted to their local currency when making a payment in a foreign currency. Developed in partnership with Travelex and Barclaycard Business the advantages for merchants using DCC are:

- Shoppers know instantly how much an item is in their currency leading to increased sales
- Merchants earn new revenue from transactions they are already accepting via commission on the currency conversion
- Offers simple and flexible integration and deployment models to suit merchants of all shapes and sizes

- Provides the experience and expertise of three leading providers;
– Travelex is the world’s leading foreign exchange specialist
– Barclaycard Business the leading UK provider of card acceptance solutions
– SecureTrading is the UK’s leading payment processor.

Jon Prideaux, deputy chief executive at SecureTrading explains, “SecureTrading is always looking how to maximise the efficiency of payment service whilst maintain the exceptional high levels of security required. Our products are PCI Level compliant to maintain the highest levels of security for customers in using these two products.

The benefits are clear with both new services; Tokenisation removing the need for customers to be concerned storing data thus meeting PCI Compliance requirements. With DCC, it makes it far easier for businesses to trade, especially abroad with more transparent conversion that makes the purchase cycle an easier journey.”

SecureTrading is also presenting a seminar entitled “Collaborative Commerce – The importance of choosing the perfect ecommerce partner”. The joint SecureTrading & BT Fresca will be held in Theatre 1 from 10.30am to 11.00am on Thursday, 27 May 2010.

Visit SecureTrading at stand 108 to learn more about the PSP.

—-Ends—-

—-Notes to editors—-

Register for the SecureTrading and BT Fresca seminar at
http://sn.im/vvkx9. Visit SecureTrading at stand 108.

The media spokespeople for SecureTrading is Ian Cushion, marketing & sales manager.

Photographs are available of the SecureTrading team.

About SecureTrading
http://www.securetrading.com

Founded in 1997 in the UK, SecureTrading is an independent payment processor that represents SMEs, medium and large organisations across a variety of industries. SecureTrading is fully PCIDSS Level 1 accredited and incorporates 2048-bit encryption, 3-D Secure and AVS Security Code into its payment processing systems. SecureTrading’s counter-fraud products makes SecureTrading’s Payment System one of the safest ways to trade online.

SecureTrading products offer most comprehensive suite of counter-fraud services available and offer alternative Payment Methods such as PayPal and Ukash.

Follow SecureTrading on Flickr http://flickr.com/photos/SecureTrading, Facebook http://facebook.com/SecureTrading, Twitter http://twitter.com/SecureTrading and YouTube http://youtube.com/SecureTrading.

—-Contact—-

SecureTrading

Ian Cushion, Marketing & Sales Manager.
Telephone: +44 (0)1248 672 071

Sian Parry, Marketing & Sales Executive
Telephone: +44 (0)1248 672 078
Email: marketing @ securetrading.com

Website: http://www.securetrading.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SecureTrading

Elemental Communications

Tim Gibbon, Director

Mobile: +44 (0) 7930 375 663
Telephone: +44 (0) 843 208 4592
Email: mediacentre @ elementalcomms.co.uk

Website: http://www.elementalcomms.co.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/elementalcomms

– Tim Gibbon 27-05-2010

U.K. based start-up, ispective, announces the release of World Cup Universe, its first iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad application (app). With the World Cup football tournament less than three weeks away, World Cup Universe is the perfect app to get in the mood for the 2010 edition.

Every tournament, every match, every team, every player, every manager, every goal and more are included in the app allowing fans to relive the fantastic history of the World Cup (1930-2006).

World Cup Universe features:

- All 708 World Cup matches with full team line ups, goal scorers, yellow/red cards and subs.
- Statistics for every team, player and manager to have participated in the tournament: 70+ teams, 5,500+ players, 250+ managers, 125+ stadiums.
- Appearances, wins, draws, losses, goals scored, yellow/red cards, substitutions, team performance summaries and more.
- Navigation from a player, manager or stadium statistics page to their associated matches.
- Ability to browse data in the History & Statistics section from within a tournament or by searching for individual teams, players, managers or stadiums.
- The Knowledge section, allowing fans to discover more about the World Cup. Search on various World Cup categories for players, teams and matches.

“We believe this is a first-of-its-kind football app. There are many World Cup apps available on the App Store but we believe World Cup Universe stands out as a football statistics app because of the sheer amount of data, detail and easy search functionality,” said Nabeel Ahmad, founder of ispective.

Ahmad, a former executive director in Technology at Goldman Sachs, left a ten-year career at the bank to launch his own start-up. His ambition is to turn ispective into a key player in the mobile device application market, with an emphasis on sports. A number of new titles are already planned for the rest of the year.

“ World Cup Universe will please the purist, the fanatic, the laidback, the quiz cheater and pretty much everyone who loves football. ”

About ispective:

ispective Ltd is a London-based start-up company specialising in mobile device applications. Their philosophy is simple – build high quality and interesting products that push the limits of the device.

Availability:

World Cup Universe is available immediately for purchase on the Apple iTunes App Store.

UK iTunes Store: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/world-cup-universe/id37144718…

US iTunes Store: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/world-cup-universe/id37144718…

Contact:

- Tel: 07920 031463 (UK) / +44 7920 031463 (non UK)
- Web: http://www.ispective.com – includes app screenshots.
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/goispective
- Email: universe@ispective.com – NABEEL AHMAD 26-05-2010

SwitchEasy has extended their famous range of Nude case to the new Apple iPad. The SwitchEasy Nude is an ultra-slim, super-tough and durable iPad case which protects the device from nasty scratches while adding very little to the overall size of the iPad.

SwitchEasy are most famous for their range of iPhone cases, however their success in this area is likely to continue with these new iPad cases. Although the name might conjure up a rather different type of product, NUDE actually refers to the fact that it’s thinner than any of its contenders. Measuring just 1mm thick it’s perfect for people who want excellent protection without the bulk.

We are particularly impressed by this iPad Skin because it comes complete with an iPad Screen Protector that prevents damage to the display. The kit also includes a portable iPad Stand which holds the iPad in an optimal position for watching movies or viewing slideshows.

With so many iPad Cases on the market, this is definitely a contender for ‘one of the best’. The SwitchEasy Nude is now available to buy in a choice of colours from GearZap.com.

About Us

GearZap.com is a specialist online retailer of Netbook, MacBook and iPad Accessories. As part of the Mobile Fun group, we have many years of experience in online retailing and pride ourselves on offering excellent customer service.

Contact Information

Mark Riley – Marketing Manager
Email: pr (AT) mobilefun.co.uk
0844 249 5079 – Charles Dunford 25-05-2010

Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban … Slough

FIFA.com, the world’s official football website, today announced the tech spec for its server farm in SLOUGH to house its 75 super computers to support a massive 70,000,000 page views per hour during the World Cup.

FIFA.com is expected to serve over 5.5 billion page views to fans over the 2010 World Cup, compared to the 4.2 billion recorded in 2006.

Over the past four years the world has acquired an appetite for online video, which FIFA.com will satisfy with the help of two petabytes (2,000 gigabytes) of video streaming bandwidth. To put the statistic into context, the CGI extravaganza Avatar required just one petabyte of local storage to render its spectacular 3D effects.

Matt Stone, Head of New Media at FIFA, commented:
“The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa brings people from all over the world together with one common passion: to celebrate the beautiful game, non-stop, for a whole month. This is the first social media World Cup, where ordinary fans can become instant pundits from their living rooms. As the most popular sports event site in the world, FIFA.com will provide the authoritative content to bring the online football community together.”

Matt Stone continued:
“Slough was the natural choice for FIFA.com to house its additional bandwidth requirements. The state-of-the-art venue offers security and will ensure rapid delivery of the online experience to fans.”

From Slough, FIFA.com is distributed globally to tens of thousands of servers which then send content to users from the closest location, meaning the fastest possible download speeds.

Particularly avid users are the millions of worldwide members of the free-to-join FIFA.com club, the world’s largest online community of football fans. British fans now make up 6% of all Club members, the largest contingent in Europe.

-Ends-

For more information, please contact:

Matt Stone
Head of New Media
http://www.fifa.com
Email: matt.stone@fifa.org
Telephone: +44 (0) 7521 683 831

About FIFA.com

FIFA.com, the world’s official football website, is the online heart of football.

Recognised as the world’s most authoritative football website, unrivalled for depth, insight and accuracy, FIFA.com reliably and impartially delivers the global football message across multiple digital platforms to an international community of millions of professionals and enthusiasts.

Constantly updated, FIFA.com (live since 1995) offers the latest news, video highlights, historical data, contact with the stars, behind-the-scenes access, and — through the free FIFA.com Club — a global meeting point for people who care about football.

In addition, FIFA.com supplies a one-stop shop for retail, event ticketing, accommodation and hospitality. Through serving the global football community it also delivers value to FIFA.com’s commercial partners (Adidas, Coca-Cola, Emirates, Hyundai, SONY, VISA) and World Cup sponsors (Budweiser, Castrol, Continental, McDonalds, MTN, Satyam, Seara, Yingli Solar).

In an average month, FIFA.com attracts approximately 5 million unique users and generates over 80 million page views. The 2010 FIFA World Cup is predicted to generate over 5 billion page views.

About FIFA

FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), an association governed by Swiss law, was founded in 1904 and is based in Zurich. It has 208 member associations and its goal, enshrined in its statutes, is the constant improvement of football. FIFA employs some 310 people from over 35 nations and is composed of a Congress (legislative body), Executive Committee (executive body), General Secretariat (administrative body) and committees (assisting the Executive Committee).

New on FIFA.com for the 2010 FIFA World Cup

FIFA.com, available in six languages, is the official online destination for the World Cup. In 2010, for the first time, FIFA.com users will select the Man of the Match for each of the World Cup’s 64 games. They will also share a vote with the world’s media for the best player in the tournament – the winner of the Golden Ball. To interact with FIFA.com and other fans, it is simply a matter of joining the free FIFA.com Club, to enjoy features such as the online Panini Sticker album.

Match data and statistics in unparalleled breadth and depth

FIFA.com will also provide World Cup match data and statistics in unrivalled breadth and depth, ranging from top-level information to key game statistics plus granular data such as blow-by-blow detail on passes, each player’s speed, and distance in the course of each match.

News, video, features, games and one-stop-shop

With a full range of news, video highlights, player profiles, historical data, behind-the-scenes access to the stars, games, polls, travel features and a one-stop shop for retail, event ticketing, accommodation and hospitality, FIFA.com offers football enthusiasts around the world the most comprehensive online service for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
– Penny Conway 24-05-2010

PassivSystems has today launched PassivEnergy, a unique home energy management system that can reduce household energy use by up to 18 per cent, a saving of £214.92 on the average household energy bill of £1,194. PassivEnergy optimises a home’s energy use, learning when it needs to use energy and when it needs to save it.

PassivEnergy is the first energy management system that manages a home’s hot water and heating systems based around how people live their life, a function known as ‘Adaptive Occupancy Control’. The user simply tells the system their occupancy status – whether they are in, out, asleep or on holiday – and PassivEnergy looks after the rest, providing exactly the required amount of hot water and heat for that status.

It comes with an occupancy button – usually placed by the bed or the front door – that allows the user to change their status at the flick of a switch without having to re-programme the entire system.

“PassivEnergy is intelligent and intuitive enough to adjust to your household’s needs and really addresses wasted energy in the home,” said Colin Calder, CEO, PassivSystems. “It takes the guesswork out of ensuing your heating and hot water are as you want it. For instance, if you get up for work at 7:00 it will start the heating at just the right time and temperature to ensure your comfort. If you pop to the shops for a few hours you can hit the occupancy button on the way out and the house will go into a low energy state until you return.”

The systems works by talking wirelessly to sensors and controls installed around the home and is managed using the wireless touch-screen PassivController which replaces existing boiler and heating controls. This handheld device makes it easy to adjust the temperature in the home, when the heating comes on or off and when hot water is needed.

PassivEnergy can also integrate with a home’s alternative energy sources, helping people manage energy generated from sources such as solar panels more efficiently. The energy from clean sources is optimised and fossil fuel only used to top up a household’s energy when needed.

“With 84 per cent of the energy used in the home coming from heating and hot water, PassivEnergy addresses the issues that really impact the consumer,” said Colin Calder, CEO, PassivSystems. “It is completely user-friendly and once you have told it how your house behaves it manages your energy effectively and efficiently, without you even really adjusting your behaviour.”

Research conducted by YouGov to coincide with the launch of PassivEnergy revealed that 47 per cent of people in Great Britain do not know exactly how to programme their heating system. 86 per cent have admitted to committing a variety of ‘energy crimes’ from going on holiday without turning the heating off to leaving the TV and computer on stand-by.

“With antiquated heating and hot water systems operated by overly-complex controllers, it is not surprising that nearly half the UK population are unable to programme their heating and hot water effectively,” continued Colin Calder, CEO, PassivSystems. “But home energy management does not need to be that complicated and in PassivEnergy consumers now have a product that gives them greater control, greater comfort and is capable of lowering carbon footprint and energy bills.”

Other features include a zone control that allows the user to manage energy in different areas of their house separately and Advanced Heating Control that ensures the house is heated only when it is needed. It manages the temperature so the house doesn’t get too warm or cold and automatically adjusts itself based on the temperature outside.

With a recommended retail price of £395 including the touchscreen hardware that allows the users to control it from anywhere in the house, PassivEnergy offers a different and richer experience than smart meters, long touted as the solution to managing energy in the home. The research revealed that less than a third of people surveyed (32%) said they would change their energy behaviour based on the information provided by a smart meter if they had one. Smart meters have been estimated by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) as being able to reduce energy usage by only two to three per cent, and bills by just £28 a year.

“PassivEnergy provides consumers with the control they have been lacking over their energy use,” continued Colin Calder. “Smart meters and other display devices provide information on household energy use, but this is not the solution. People lead such busy lives they do not have the time to act as their home’s energy manager and our research showed they want help, not information.”

PassivEnergy will soon also be able to address the issue of electrical appliances on stand-by. The research showed that more than half of respondents left their TV on standby (52%) and their computer on when not in use (56%). The next version of PassivEnergy will detect when a product has gone into standby mode and completely cut the power based on the home’s occupancy state. It will even cut the power to connected equipment, so if a TV is put onto stand-by, PassivEnergy will cut the power to the DVD player too.

To buy PassivEnergy, visit www.passivsystems.com to find the nearest supplier.

-ends-

Media enquiries:
Paul Allen – Rise PR
paul@risepr.co.uk – + 44 (0) 7515 199 487

Notes to editor:
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2085 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 20th – 22nd April 2010 . The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

About PassivSystems: www.passivsystems.com

PassivSystems Ltd was established in 2008 and aims to be the leading provider of Home Energy Management Systems. Bringing together specialists from two normally separate sectors, energy and telecoms, the PassivEnergy Home Energy Management System has been designed to help people reduce wasted energy, increase comfort and save money. The system has been designed to be simple to install and easy to use.

PassivSystems has been highly commended by industry in 2010. It was one of ten companies chosen by UK Trade & Investment in January 2010 to be part of an exhibition of Britain’s best new technologies at the world’s largest consumer electronics show, CES and in February was selected to participate in the Clean and Cool Mission 2010. This trade mission saw 19 leading UK clean tech companies spend a week in San Francisco taking part in a range of activities designed to help them open up their business to the US market. In May, PassivSystems was selected as a finalist in the Red Herring Europe 100 awards which recognise the most innovative technology startups in Europe.

– Paul Allen 20-05-2010