MOBILE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS TO GO ON TRIAL IN SINGAPORE
Four consortia named to trial solutions with investment worth S$20 million, further calls made for collaboration on Mobile Workforce Solutions and Wireless Java Solutions
- SINGAPORE, 15 OCTOBER 2001

Call in your coffee order or make tour reservations on your mobile phone and instead of fumbling with your wallet to pay, use your mobile phone to do it. In the not too distant future, this will be the scenario as Singapore today announced the start of rollout for true end-to-end mobile payment solutions implemented through collaborative efforts among consortia formed among industry players.

Speaking at a media conference, Infocomm Development Authority's Chief Executive Officer, Ms Yong Ying-I announced that four consortia have been selected to trial mobile payment solutions following a Call for Collaboration (CFC) in May. An investment totalling S$20 million, will be committed to funding these trials with between S$7million to S$12million contributed by IDA and the remainder, coming from the industry.

Following the award of the first CFC, Ms Yong also announced two new CFCs. The Mobile Workforce Solutions CFC, will focus on pilot projects for wireless technologies that enable a mobile workforce for enterprises, while the Wireless Java Solutions CFC will be for projects developing interactive, multimedia and connected applications over a variety of mobile devices based on the J2ME platform.

Said Ms Yong, "We would like to accelerate the Call for Collaboration process as a platform to bring together wireless technology players worldwide, as well as solicit solutions that can adequately address the demand and supply side of the business model."

The four selected consortia for the Mobile Payment CFC are:

(a) Consortium comprising NCS, NETS, SingTel Mobile, Starhub Mobile, MobileOne, VISA, Eng Wah, Diethelm, National Library Board, NUS and DBS;

(b) Secondly, consortium comprising Nokia, NETS and DBS;

(c) Thirdly, consortium comprising ST Electronics, Citibank, BCS Information Systems, WizVision, mVent, Green Dot Capital, Starhub Mobile, CET Technologies, mPayment, MasterCard International, Cathay, Premas International, CalendarOne, National Service Resort & Country Club and

(d) Finally, consortium comprising Systems@Work, HP MEB, Gemplus, Suntec City and VISA.

The four were selected from 12 consortia short-listed by an evaluation committee comprising members from IDA, EDB, MAS, selected venture capitalists and research institutes.
"The selection process was based on a few broad criteria with an emphasis on end-to-end solution, a valid proposition for the consumer and the export potential of the proposed solution," said one of the evaluation committee members, Professor Lye Kin Mun for Centre for Wireless Communication, "We were impressed with the high quality of some of the submitted proposals and it was a very difficult decision to arrive at the final award."
The mobile payment solutions to be trialed further strengthen Singapore's position as an ideal test bed and launch pad for wireless applications, products and services. The solutions will come in three basic forms: direct debit payment solutions, stored value solutions and credit card solutions. Consortia members will be running the trials with various retail vendors including well-known brands such as Tricon, Cathay Cinema and Eng Wah Cinemas as well as merchants at Suntec City.
The mobile payment solutions are made possible through the collaboration of the island's three key mobile telecoms operators, SingTel Mobile, MobileOne and StarHub Mobile. It is anticipated that the trials, which are set to run from Q1 till the end of August 2002, will involve at least 10,000 pilot mobile users.

Note to the Editor:

About the Wired with Wireless Programme (IDA)
Initiated by the IDA with the aim to jumpstart the development of wireless industry in Singapore and position Singapore as a living lab and business catalyst for wireless developments in Asia. The 'Wired With Wireless' programme is aimed at developing the entire wireless value chain - from infrastructure developers to access service providers, content creators and aggregators. It is a multi-pronged programme that will enable Singapore to have the best integrated wireline and wireless infrastructure for the seamless delivery of rich multimedia content, with focus on areas such as wireless multimedia, mobile commerce and location-based services.

About Calls for Collaboration
IDA recognises that the implementation of open, innovative, scalable wireless projects requires the concerted effort of several parties, which can include multiple mobile operators, multiple banks, hardware and software vendors. IDA intends to promote more of such collaboration efforts across the industry with a series of Call For Collaboration (CFCs). Each CFC will focus on specific areas of wireless projects including mobile-commerce, location-based services and wireless-multimedia.

For each CFC, proposals will be evaluated by a Committee nominated by the IDA. Selected projects will qualify for co-funding by IDA. The amount of initial aid and project funding will be determined upon assessment of the impact and scope of the project. Co-Branding opportunities with the Wired With Wireless Programme will also be considered where appropriate.

Details for the CFCs on Mobile Workforce Solutions and Wireless Java Solutions are available from today at the IDA website www.ida.gov.sg.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Kelvin Lee
IDA Singapore
Phone: (65) 211-1726

Elliza Rahim / Yang Sook Chin
Edelman Public Relations
Tel: (65) 733-1110 ext. 223/ 235
Fax: (65) 733-5550