The MasterCard Mobile Partner Program Helps Drive Growth of Worldwide Mobile Payments

MasterCard Worldwide Demonstrates Commitment to the Development of the Global Mobile Payments Eco-system

PURCHASE, N.Y., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile phones are becoming an indispensable part of consumers' increasingly mobile lives, with a majority seeking to use them for more than just telecommunications. More than 600 million mobile "wallets" are expected to be in use by 2011 and that number is expected to rise to 1.4 billion by 2015, according to Edgar, Dunn and Company. MasterCard has long recognized the need for partnerships in the mobile space to facilitate the rapid, healthy development of the mobile payments business. To help achieve that end, MasterCard launched the MasterCard Mobile Partner Program in 2007. The success of that initiative is marked by the number of members - more than 30 companies have joined the program.

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The MasterCard Mobile Partner Program is a global online resource center designed to foster knowledge-sharing, manage document distribution, track product implementations and evaluate partnership opportunities within the mobile industry.

"Cooperation on the part of technology companies is critical to a robust mobile payments eco-system, as the trend toward mobility persists on a global scale. We are proud to be at the heart of this eco-system by facilitating relationships that will continue to advance the growth of mobile payments," said Art Kranzley, Chief Emerging Technology Officer, MasterCard Worldwide. "The MasterCard Mobile Partner Program allows us to promote innovation in the mobile channel by developing tools that enable mobile financial services on a global basis."

Participants in the MasterCard Mobile Partner Program have expressed enthusiasm with the program and its momentum continues.

"At Firethorn, we value our relationship with MasterCard. MasterCard understands that to advance the development of a secure and accessible mobile payments system for consumers, the development of the mobile payments space requires transformation and growth in the converging communications, Internet, mobile device and payments industries," said Tripp Rackley, CEO, Firethorn Holdings, LLC, a Qualcomm company. "Firethorn's participation in the MasterCard Mobile Partner Program allows us to easily and conveniently collaborate with MasterCard and its key partners to drive the evolution of mobile payments forward and propel the growth and delivery of smart technologies to our customers.

"With a long history of partnership to provide PayPass M/Chip-based mobile payment solution, Oberthur's participation in MasterCard's Mobile Partner Program is allowing us to expand our relationships within the industry to advance the development and implementation of secure mobile payment technologies," said Frederic Chevreton Corporate Vice-President - Payment Product Line, Oberthur Technologies. "It is crucial for us to collaborate across all industries to cultivate the mobile payments environment and we are committed to working with all of the partners to ensure that our technologies are integrated seamlessly to continue to advance growth around the world."

"As co-inventor of the NFC technology and leading vendor of NFC chips, NXP is committed to further broadening and strengthening the ecosystem for contactless mobile applications along with other key industry partners," said Heikki Huomo, vice president, general manager, NFC, NXP Semiconductors. "The MasterCard Mobile Partner Program provides a solid foundation for facilitating the collaboration between technology vendors, handset manufacturers and service providers in order to create exciting new mobile payment services for consumers and value for all stakeholders."

"Gemalto maintains its commitment to collaboration on contactless payment deployments around the world as a trusted third party, offering services designed to easily and securely manage contactless applications in a mobile environment," added Jerome Sion, Director of Mobile Contactless at Gemalto. "Being a member of the MasterCard Mobile Partner Program enables Gemalto to actively support the mass deployment of these new innovative services that will transform the day-to-day life of consumers everywhere."

The MasterCard Mobile Partner Program seeks to engage all players in the mobile payments space. Current participants in the program include, for example:

Mobile Financial Services Providers: Affinity Global Services, Firethorn Holdings, LLC, Obopay and ViVOtech.

Mobile Handset Manufacturers: Sagem Mobiles.

Systems/Processing Providers: 3PEA International, ACI Worldwide, Jware Technologies, Postillion, Printec S.A., and Transact Network Limited.

POS and Terminal Systems Providers: Apriva, and WAY Systems.

Service, Development and Consultancies: Cryptomathic, Proxama, MULTOS International, Simbos Oy, and syngenio AG.

SmartCard/Personalization/Chip Providers: Gemalto, Giesecke & Devrient, NXP Semiconductors, Oberthur Technologies, Sagem Orga, and Trueb AG.

Testing and Simulator Providers: Barnes International Limited, GALITT, Integri and TUV Product Service.

For a list of participating members, visit the MasterCard Mobile Partner Program website at: www.mastercard-mobilepartner.com

MasterCard Mobile Partner Program Benefits

By joining the MasterCard Mobile Partner Program at www.mastercard-mobilepartner.com, members receive preferential access to MasterCard publications, including new trial and pilot activity reports, white papers, best practice guides, and events that bring partners together in locations around the world. Members can also license products from the suite of the MasterCard Mobile Program to offer to banks, mobile network operators, direct to consumer, or manage services on behalf of MasterCard. In addition, members can offer existing services, tested by MasterCard and strengthened by the MasterCard brand.

About the MasterCard Mobile(TM) Program

MasterCard is leading a new wave of mobile payment innovation that is creating a more efficient system of global commerce, displacing cash and making transactions faster, easier, and more secure for consumers, merchants and financial institutions. Through the MasterCard Mobile Program, MasterCard is focused on delivering products and services that combine payments and communications onto one "anywhere" consumer device including: contactless payments, person-to-person payments, mobile commerce, mobile top-up and reload, and information and marketing services. Numerous MasterCard mobile trials are underway or have been completed in high-potential markets around the world.

Recent Mobile Announcements

The following milestones reflect continued MasterCard leadership in mobile innovation:

MasterCard Mobile Introduces Quick, Secure Set-up for MasterCard PayPass on Mobile Phones

In October, MasterCard announced the launch of the MasterCard Over-the-Air Provisioning Service, the first program of its kind that enables issuers to perform over-the-air personalization of their cardholders' mobile devices in an easy, one-step process.

MasterCard Announces Agreement with Obopay

In June, MasterCard announced an agreement with Obopay, Inc. to offer a fully-integrated on-demand person-to-person mobile payment service inthe United States. The service, offered via MasterCard MoneySend, will give new and existing MasterCard issuing customers the ability to provide an innovative mobile payments service to their MasterCard cardholders on all credit, debit and prepaid MasterCard-branded products.

MasterCard Canada Trials Mobile Payment

In May, MasterCard Canada announced that it would test Near Field Communications- enabled phones with MasterCard PayPass capability on Bell Mobility's wireless network. The four-month trial will be the next major step in bringing contactless payments via mobile phones to the Canadian market.

Mobile Telephones can be used as MasterCard PayPass cards with leadership from Garanti Bank and Turkcell

In January inTurkey, MasterCard Worldwide, Garanti Bank and Turkcell announced the pilot of Turkey's first mobile phones, enabled with MasterCard PayPass technology. The "mobile wallet" project, estimated to be completed by the end of 2008 will enable PayPass transactions linked to a Bonus Trink credit card.

MasterCard Worldwide, U.S. Bank and Nokia launch innovative mobile payments pilot inSpokane, Washington

In January, U.S. Bank, MasterCard Worldwide and Nokia announced the introduction of a mobile payments pilot program inSpokane, Washington. Program participants received a new Nokia mobile phone equipped with MasterCard PayPass payment functionality, allowing them to pay for purchases with a tap of their mobile phone.

About MasterCard Worldwide

MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 18 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard(R), Maestro(R) and Cirrus(R), MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercard.com.

SOURCE MasterCard Worldwide

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