Press Releases 2004

CTL solution sends SMS alerts in Lebanon  
ICICI Bank launches first UK credit card with CTL Processing
CTL Proves the Power of PRIME
Paynet Announce Visa Back Office Processing Centre
Just in time for the Olympics!
CTL promotes payments in Pakistan 
Nabil Bank and CTL increase the power in Nepal  
CTL and EximBank to expand ATM networks in Vietnam 
CTL Delivers EMV to HVB Bank
CTL Deepens Commitment to Region with New Office in Dubai
CTL launches PRIME 3
CTL SENTRY finds success in Bermuda
CTL and Bank Zachodni WBK launch instalments in time for the
    busy shopping season
CTL scores in Finland with FRAUDGUARD

Click here for 2003 press releases
 

CTL solution sends SMS alerts in Lebanon

Fouad Baalbaki
Division Head, Information Technology
Banque de la Méditerranée
BaalbakiF@BankMed.com.lb

ICICI Bank launches first UK credit card with CTL Processing
Press Release - from the CTL Press Office, November 30, 2004

Card Tech Limited (CTL), a leading UK-based card management systems provider and processor, is pleased to announce that ICICI Bank (UK) has launched its first UK credit card programme using CTL's Processing service. The programme complements ICICI's personal and corporate banking services aimed at professionals of Indian origin in the UK and EU.

Sonjoy Chatterjee, ICICI Bank UK's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, noted "We are very pleased to have been able to launch this strategic programme with Card Tech, enabling us to be the first Indian Bank in the UK to launch a credit card."

Jaffar Agha-Jaffar, Managing Director of Card Tech, said "We are delighted to see the launch of ICICI's UK card programme and look forward to its success. Our relationship with ICICI in the UK via our processing service highlights CTL's flexibility to quickly deliver advanced solutions to the market."

Anand Kumar, Head of Retail Banking at ICICI, said "We identified CTL due to their partnership approach and proven delivery strategy. We are happy to see that our selection is vindicated by the launch of our new Visa Chip and Pin card today, only 4 months after the project began."

ICICI's Project Manager, Rohit Bhatnagar, said "We found CTL very flexible and experienced, enabling us to quickly complete the implementation and certification processes which resulted in our very fast time to market."

CTL's Processing service supports the issuing and acquiring transaction processing needs of over 20 clients from established centres in the United Kingdom and Cyprus. Whether issuing prepaid cards or more complex corporate cards, CTL Processing is a proven and dynamic partner, enabling clients to quickly meet market needs.

About Card Tech Limited
Card Tech Limited has been providing payment association certified solutions to the bankcard sector since 1989. More than 160 banking clients from 60 countries use CTL systems. CTL solutions include card issuance, merchant acquiring, authorisation, message switching, encryption key and PIN management, e-commerce and fraud management. Addressing every aspect of the card management business cycle, they are developed and supported by a dedicated team of over 250 CTL specialists in five regional offices.

About ICICI Bank (UK) Limited
ICICI Bank Limited (NYSE:IBN) is India's second largest and fastest-growing bank. It operates over 4 million cards in India. The bank has set up ICICI Bank UK Limited, a wholly owned banking subsidiary offering a complete range of financial products targeted at corporations and high net worth individuals of Indian origin, for business banking and retail requirements. Its first office and branch is located at Knightsbridge in London, and ICICI Bank UK is currently the only locally incorporated banking subsidiary among Indian banks in the UK. The bank is looking at opening branches in Wembley, Southall, Manchester and Leicester.

Contact
Malek Mroueh
Sales Manager Processing
Malek.mroueh@ctl.com
www.ctl.com

CTL Proves the Power of PRIME
Press Release – from CTL Press office, November 2004

London, 3 November 2004. Card Tech Limited (CTL), a UK-based leader in the global payments industry, has completed a significant test of its PRIME card and merchant management solution. The test, run at HP’s Capacity Planning Centre, showed CTL how the latest version of PRIME and its ONLINE front office product operate under a portfolio of ten million cards.

In announcing the test results today, Card Tech’s chief technical officer, Bashar Chalabi, said, “With PRIME 3.0, we have removed the last scalability obstacle in the CTL solution. We can now scale up or scale out every component of the six tiers of the full solution. With the introduction of workflows throughout the product line, we are ready to tackle the largest card and merchant portfolios.”

The results of the test offer CTL and its clients useful metrics that indicate hardware requirements and performance expectations when running PRIME with card volumes both greater and smaller than the ten million on which the test was conducted.

CTL consultants planned and oversaw the test. They put pressure on specific areas of system functionality to assess the strength of its new design and its interaction with the Oracle 9i database. The test covered credit card and merchant processing functions, risk management, customer service user access, and data archiving and purging. With back and front office processes running simultaneously, the test revealed a tightly integrated suite of products.

Panayiotis Modestou, the senior consultant responsible for CTL’s front office development, found that batch operations such as transaction matching have little effect on the system’s authorisation processing capabilities. He said, “With over 100 authorisations per seconds on a single Oracle RAC node, and response times below 0.1 second, we still do not know the theoretical maximum throughput of ONLINE in a clustered environment. And in case we reach it, we can just add another node.”

The system, which ran HP-UX 11i on Itanium processors with less than 1TB disk arrays, posted transactions, both from clearing files and for payments, at a rate of more than 475 per second; and from a POS file at 250 per second. It processed 5,000 collection accounts per second and generated statements, with interest and fee calculations, at a rate of 180 per second. Senior consultant Lambros Papadopoulos explains the success: “By redesigning our batch processes to run in a 'one transaction at a time' mode, we are able to take full advantage of the parallel processing capabilities of the Oracle platform, while at the same time eliminating locking contention. As a result, our batch processes scale up very nicely with the number of processors.”

Following the system test, CTL says it will use the intelligence it gathered to further its research and development programme, and to add value to the consultancy it offers.

About Card Tech Limited
More than 160 banks from 60 countries use CTL software.
Our solutions – including card issuance, merchant acquiring, personalisation, authorisation, message switching, e-commerce and fraud management – address every aspect of the card management business cycle. They are developed and supported by a dedicated team of over 250 CTL specialists.
We have an exceptional record of delivering payment association-compliant solutions on budget and on time; we back up every implementation with a 24x7 global support service.

About HP
HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company's offerings span IT infrastructure, personal computing and access devices, global services and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended July 31, 2004, HP revenue totaled $78.4 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

Contact
Edith Kessler-Charalambous
General Manager, Business Account Management
Edith.Kessler-Charalambous@ctl.com
+44 20 7761 7800
www.ctl.com

Paynet Announce Visa Back Office Processing Centre
Press Release – from Paynet Kenya, August 2004

Paynet Kenya announced today that they are currently implementing the first outsourced credit and debit card processing centre in Kenya. The new hi tech centre will have a connection to Visa International and will provide a total outsourced solution for banks from issuing to acquiring and settlement.

Paynet Kenya managing director Bernard Matthewman explained the business rationale behind the move,

‘We have developed this business unit with two key prospects in mind; the first is the bank or financial institution that wants to offer credit and debit cards to their customers but are finding the investment in skills and technology prohibitive with respect to their own market share and potential volumes. For these banks this represents a high quality and cost effective option allowing them to build an economically sustainable card business that services their customers. The second prospect are the banks that currently provide credit and debit cards but may be interested in this alternative either because they are facing expensive reinvestment in their technology or because they want to lower their operational costs substantially’

The new processing centre will use technology from Card Tech Limited (CTL), one of the leading suppliers of card technology globally. This will run on a fully replicated hardware and network architecture within the processing centre, with a further full DRP system sitting offsite.

‘Our key selling point is high quality services at lower costs than a bank could experience on their own as we will have the advantage of volume’ said Matthewman. ‘Central to service excellence is people and we have already begun recruiting a quality team of experienced professionals that will provide 24 hour operations services’

Paynet Kenya already provides ATM outsourced services and this is clearly a move to ensure they are the preeminent provider of electronic transaction services in Kenya.

‘Interest in this service is extremely high as credit and debit cards are becoming pre-requisite banking products for banks wishing to retain or grow their existing customer base’ said Matthewman, who also promised that announcements regarding the first banks to sign on will be forthcoming.

Contact
Gillian Clarke
Sales & Business Account Manager
Card Tech Ltd
email : gillian.clarke@ctl.com
Mobile : +27 82 440 8756
Tel : +27 21 5566 392

Just in time for the Olympics!
Press Release – from Eurobank Ergasias, August 2004

Bank EFG Eurobank Ergasias proceeded with the installation of an integrated and particularly effective fraud prediction and management system, the Fraudguard online system.  The system was installed with the cooperation of company CTL and the department of Risk Management of Eurobank Cards. Fraudguard is acknowledged by international payment systems and was installed at a critical moment, in order to cover the needs of the Bank during the Olympic Games, as well as after the Games, and also to support the Bank’s international expansion.
 
Fraudguard is a contemporary internet application which, with the use of rules, historical data and customer profiles, recognizes and rates transactions according to their riskiness as to the possibility of fraud.
 
It is worth stressing that Eurobank is the first bank in Greece to use an online application in this sector.

Contact
Michalis Michaelides
Sales Manager
Michalis.Michaelides@ctl.com

Click here for more on CTL's first Pakistan Bankcard Briefing

CTL promotes payments in Pakistan
Press Release – from the CTL Press Office, July 2004

Payment card leader announces contracts with two leading banks at its Pakistan bankcard conference.

Karachi, 16 July, 2004. Leading global payment solutions provider, Card Tech Limited, (CTL), announced today that it has signed contracts with two major banks in Pakistan.

Under the agreements, United Bank Limited, (UBL), and Union Bank will license CTL’s PRIME card and merchant management solution, a market-leading global brand in the payments industry.

CTL’s Sales Manager, Malek Mroueh announced the contracts at the company’s Pakistan Bankcard Briefing, which it held at the Sheraton Hotel in Karachi. As the first two Pakistani banks to sign contracts with CTL, UBL and Union received awards from Mr Mroueh at the event, which was also attended by senior representatives of other leading Pakistani banks. In accepting the awards, the banks commended CTL for its vision and commitment in providing state-of-the-art bankcard solutions.

Mr Nauman Hussain, Director of Operations at UBL said, “We chose the best that we could find in terms of technology. We looked at five or six packages, but we found that what CTL does for us, no other package could do.” And Mr Munir Kamal, Chief Operations Officer at Union Bank said, “At the end of the day, the difference between one bank and another will be the level of service. To achieve that level of service, you have to invest in people and on your technology platform. This is the principle we are following, and that is why we are sitting here today with a world-class provider of solutions for our credit card business.”

Russell Sleaper, Head of Communications at CTL, chaired the Pakistan Bankcard Briefing. He said, “Card Tech Limited is delighted to celebrate its new partnerships with two of Pakistan’s leading banks. This event has shown us that many of the leading figures in the country’s bankcard sector share our customer-focused approach. This is an exciting time for the payments industry in Pakistan and Card Tech’s leading solutions and unbeatable service are the right tools to help the banks drive it forward.”

CTL has a long history of providing innovative and reliable solutions to the global leaders in the payments industry. Over fifteen years, it has gathered a wealth of experience working in a full range of changing markets. Malek Mroueh is keenly awaiting the continued growth of the Pakistani market. He said, “The banks we have spoken to today recognise the card issuance and merchant acquiring opportunities that exist in this high-growth market place. Our banking partners, who have signed with us to date, are now ready to take full advantage of these opportunities using CTL’s range of innovative and reliable products and services.

About Card Tech Limited
More than 160 banks from 60 countries use CTL software.
Our solutions – including card issuance, merchant acquiring, personalisation, authorisation, message switching, e-commerce and fraud management – address every aspect of the card management business cycle. They are developed and supported by a dedicated team of over 240 CTL specialists.
We have an exceptional record of delivering payment association-compliant solutions on budget and on time; we back up every implementation with a 24x7 global support service.

Contact
Russell Sleaper
Head of Communications
Tel: +44 (0) 207 761 7800
PressOffice@ctl.com

Nabil Bank and CTL increase the power in Nepal
Press Release – from the CTL Press Office, July 2004

Nepalese bank upgrades to CTL's PRIME card and merchant management solution.

London, UK. July 21, 2004 – Card Tech Limited (CTL), a UK-based leader in the payments industry, today announced the successful installation of its PRIME solution at Nabil Bank of Nepal. The installation was part of an upgrade of the bank’s CTL START card management solution and included an ATM controller and a debit switch.

Nabil Bank’s mission is to be the ‘Bank of First Choice’ to all its stakeholders, Since it started working with CTL in 1998, the bank has progressively improved its personal and corporate banking products, introducing new services such as cash advance and a multi-application credit card. CTL provided the technology and technical know-how to facilitate this growth. And, as Nabil Bank moved closer to fulfilling its mission, the upgrade to PRIME became the natural step forward.

Anil Shah, General Manager Nabil Bank said, “For us the paradigm of competition is service and the customer is at the core of everything we do. Therefore the implementation of the PRIME system has given us the service advantage in the delivery of our card products both on the issuing and acquiring side of the business”.

CTL configured PRIME to complement the bank’s outstanding customer relationship management. And it did so very quickly. Nabil Bank Cards Division Manager, Binaya K. Regmi said, “The PRIME system was implemented and interfaced with our CTL START in a very short time. The implementation was efficient and trouble free.”

About Card Tech Limited
More than 160 banks from 60 countries use CTL software.
Our solutions – including card issuance, merchant acquiring, authorisation, message switching, encryption key and PIN management, e-commerce and fraud management – address every aspect of the card management business cycle. They are developed and supported by a dedicated team of over 240 CTL specialists.
We have an exceptional record of delivering payment association-compliant solutions on budget and on time; we back up every implementation with a 24x7 global support service.

Contact:
Marketing Department
info@ctl.com
+6 03 2164 7800
www.ctl.com

Card Tech Limited and EximBank to expand ATM networks in Vietnam
Press Release – from the CTL Press Office, July 2004

London, UK. July 2004 - Card Tech Limited, (CTL), has successfully implemented its ATM Controller and Debit Switch at EximBank of Vietnam. EximBank will use the CTL systems to grow its centralised ATM network across Vietnam and launch its debit card programme, which was certified in record time with both MasterCard and Visa.

A proven provider of advanced card systems, CTL has built a reputation for repeatedly meeting requests from major financial institutions to design customised solutions. With EximBank, CTL implemented PRIME, a comprehensive multi-institutional back-office card and merchant management system and real-time authorisation switch, as well as an ATM Controller and POS interfaces.

Founded in 1989, Vietnam EximBank is based in Hochiminh City. It has three branches in Hanoi, Danang and Cantho. The bank has an established correspondence banking relationship with more than 424 foreign banks in 49 countries.

“Our relationship with CTL meant that we were able to provide a superior and comprehensive service to our clients,” said Mr. Tran Tan Loc, Director of Card Department at Vietnam EximBank. “Payment card is a highly competitive industry, and it is essential for us to constantly improve our product and services. PRIME has the functionality for the future of banking, to provide the most forward-looking products and services in the marketplace.”

About Card Tech Limited (CTL)
More than 160 banks from 60 countries use CTL software.
Our solutions - including card issuance, merchant acquiring, authorisation, message switching, encryption key and PIN management, e-commerce and fraud management - address every aspect of the card management business cycle. They are developed and supported by a dedicated team of over 240 CTL specialists.
We have an exceptional record of delivering payment association-compliant solutions on budget and on time; we back up every implementation with a 24x7 global support service.

Contact:
Marketing Department
info@ctl.com
+6 03 2164 7800
www.ctl.com

Card Tech Limited Delivers EMV to HVB Bank
Press Release – from the CTL Press Office, June 2004

Czech Republic card issuer adopts the PRIME EMV solution

London, UK. 21 June 2004 - Card Tech Limited (CTL), a UK-based leader in the payments industry, today announced that it would integrate its full EMV solution with its existing PRIME card and merchant management solution at HVB Bank.

The bank's range of MasterCard and Visa card products has impressive market share in the Czech Republic. HVB is adding M/Chip and VSDC issuing and acquiring to its portfolio to expand its products and build on its competitive edge.

Jaffar Agha-Jaffar, Card Tech Limited's managing director, spoke of his company's long relationship with HVB: "Our partnership dates back to 1993, when the bank was known as Bank Austria Creditanstalt. We have seen impressive growth in the bank's card business over a decade; CTL solutions have supported every product innovation."

"Today's PRIME solutions offer new features that will keep HVB one step ahead of the pack. I look forward to seeing the new breed of chip-enabled products the bank has in store for its customers."

Christian Bruckner, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer, HVB Bank Czech Republic a.s. said, "We are anxious to provide our services with the highest quality and the best way suitable for our customers. It is a big commitment for us. I think with those kinds of services we bring something new and comfortable to them."

About Card Tech Limited
More than 160 banks from 60 countries use CTL software.
Our solutions - including card issuance, merchant acquiring, authorisation, message switching, encryption key and PIN management, e-commerce and fraud management - address every aspect of the card management business cycle. They are developed and supported by a dedicated team of over 240 CTL specialists.
We have an exceptional record of delivering payment association-compliant solutions on budget and on time; we back up every implementation with a 24x7 global support service.

About HVB Bank Czech Republic
HVB Bank Czech Republic is a subsidiary of the Austrian bank institution Bank Austria Creditanstalt (BA-CA), which is responsible for the CEE markets in the HVB Group. With its balance sheet total of CZK 140bn, HVB Bank CZ has been the fourth largest bank in the Czech Republic for a long period of time. It has a potential of further expansion, stemming, primarily, from its sufficient capital base.

Contact
Russell Sleaper
Head of Communications
Tel: +44 (0) 207 761 7800
PressOffice@ctl.com

CTL Deepens Commitment to Region with New Office in Dubai
Press Release – from the CTL Press Office, May 2004

Regional technical office will enhance service, support and advice to clients operating in the Middle East

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, May 18, 2004 - Card Tech Limited (CTL), a UK-based leader in the payments industry, today announced the opening of its Dubai office, its fifth country office worldwide.

The new premises will enable CTL to strengthen its ties with clients throughout the Middle East region and provide high-quality service closer to home. Located in Dubai Internet City, the office will serve as the central point of access to CTL's technical support personnel, but will not deny clients the benefit of business services extended from the nearby Cyprus office.

Jaffar Agha-Jaffar, CTL's Managing Director, made the announcement at the Cards Middle East conference, which took place from 17-19 May at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, Dubai.

"This new office clearly demonstrates our commitment to the region's electronic payments industry and its importance to the future development of CTL's operations in the Middle East. We have had clients in the Middle East for more than a decade; the region accounts for almost 25% of our client base. Our team in Dubai is looking forward to introducing some exciting new offerings to our clients in the region - both for licensed systems and processing services - while continuing to build close business partnerships," Agha-Jaffar said.

The move to open an office in Dubai is based on long-established relationships with clients in the region and CTL's excellent record of providing comprehensive service, compliance releases and technical support - all of which will be reinforced going forward. Clients will now find it even easier to take advantage of CTL's dedicated technical resources for support, advice and service. Dubai-based technicians will be immediately available to serve clients on the ground and respond to increasing client requirements.

About Card Tech Limited
More than 160 banks from 60 countries use CTL software.
Our solutions - including card issuance, merchant acquiring, authorisation, message switching, encryption key and PIN management, e-commerce and fraud management - address every aspect of the card management business cycle. They are developed and supported by a dedicated team of over 240 CTL specialists.
We have an exceptional record of delivering payment association-compliant solutions on budget and on time; we back up every implementation with a 24x7 global support service.

Contact
Russell Sleaper
Head of Communications
Tel: +44 (0) 207 761 7800
PressOffice@ctl.com

CTL launches PRIME 3
Press Release – from the CTL Press Office, April 2004

London, 27 April 2004. Leading global payment solutions provider, Card Tech Limited (CTL), today announced the release of the third major version of its PRIME card and merchant management solution. The release includes a new database platform, new integration features and performance enhancements for stable, high volume issuing and acquiring. Two banks have already licensed the solution.

PRIME has a long history. Released in 1995, it took the mantle of flagship CTL card and merchant management solution from Cardman, which was installed at 117 banks in 39 countries and is still supported today. The modular PRIME system was one of the first to support chip card issuing and acquiring. It received support across the board from the payment associations: three associations recommended it to their associated financial institutions, while a fourth operates the system itself. Version 2 of PRIME enhanced the system’s processing capability to support several million cards. This version also saw improved customer relationship management and Web screens.

PRIME 3 moves the system on another step, offering full integration with its authorisation system, message switch and device controller; full support for EMV chip card programmes; extended consumer lending offerings in instalments and loans products; and enhanced multi-institution, workflow and case management features. There are new modules for personalisation and rule-based chargebacks, and the whole suite of systems runs on the Oracle 9i database platform.

Bashar Chalabi, CTL’s Chief Technical Officer, has driven the company’s technological strategy since 1989. He said of the new system: “PRIME 3 offers some major improvements in the interaction between the user and the system. Besides the traditional 'pull' interface of Customer Services, PRIME 3 offers a 'push' interface built on top of Oracle Workflow and CTL's new generic Case Management tool. This is a direct consequence of the larger portfolios that PRIME is managing. All the user-level applications are now fully integrated in a browser environment, allowing painless wide-area deployment.”

CTL’s own processing centres will use this feature with PRIME 3’s multi-institution capabilities to manage their clients’ systems and provide simple remote access.

CTL releases two versions of each of its systems every year to meet its commitment to compliance with the major payment associations’ mandates. In particular it is one of the only systems which integrates all of the new smart card, fraud monitoring and e-commerce compliances. The company’s Managing Director, Jaffar Agha-Jaffar said that PRIME 3 would offer the same guarantee on compliance: “We develop systems with all of our clients in mind: that means we are always compliant, we consider every enhancement in the light of a broad range of business requirements, and we develop new modules that can help our partners gain competitive advantage. PRIME 3 offers all the reliability that comes as standard with PRIME, plus a host of exciting new features.”

About Card Tech Limited
More than 160 banks from 60 countries use CTL software.
Our solutions – including card issuance, merchant acquiring, authorisation, message switching, encryption key and PIN management, e-commerce and fraud management – address every aspect of the card management business cycle. They are developed and supported by a dedicated team of over 240 CTL specialists.
We have an exceptional record of delivering payment association-compliant solutions on budget and on time; we back up every implementation with a 24x7 global support service.

Contact:
Edith Kessler-Charalambous, 
General Manager Client Account Management, CTL
Edith.Kessler-Charalambous@ctl.com
www.ctl.com

CTL SENTRY finds success in Bermuda
Press Release – from the CTL Press Office, February 2004

Card Tech Limited, the UK-based payment solutions provider, has licensed its SENTRY e-commerce solution to First Atlantic Commerce Ltd of Bermuda.

First Atlantic Commerce (FAC) brings multicurrency e-commerce and credit card processing solutions to e-businesses and acquiring banks worldwide. FAC will use SENTRY’s acquiring components – the Payment Gateway and the MPI – to power multicurrency payment solutions and support its consultative business approach and flexible delivery methods. 

“We are extremely pleased with Card Tech’s software products and spent a considerable amount of time assessing other competitive gateway processing products in the market. We selected SENTRY because of its versatility and ability to be customized to meet our specific product and solutions’ requirements,” said Andrea Wilson, CEO First Atlantic Commerce Ltd. FAC’s SENTRY installation will be the first in the Latin America and Caribbean region. In addition to bolstering transaction security with the 3D-Secure™ authentication protocol, SENTRY will provide the multi-currency, multi-country, multi-institution functionality required to meet the demands of FAC’s unique business environment. It offers long-term reliability and growth as part of CTL’s comprehensive PRIME solution for card and merchant management.

CTL’s managing director Jaffar Agha-Jaffar is delighted with his company’s new alliance: “Like CTL, First Atlantic Commerce is a customer-focused organisation. I believe it has found in SENTRY the flexibility and advanced features it needs to take its tailored products and e-commerce services to the global marketplace. As our partnership matures, I hope FAC will find our PRIME Acquiring solution equally useful for its card-based payment applications and fraud controls.”

About Card Tech Limited
More than 160 banks from 60 countries use CTL software.

Our solutions – including card issuance, merchant acquiring, authorisation, message switching, encryption key and PIN management, e-commerce and fraud management – address every aspect of the card management business cycle. They are developed and supported by a dedicated team of over 240 CTL specialists.

We have an exceptional record of delivering payment association-compliant solutions on budget and on time; we back up every implementation with a 24x7 global support service.

About First Atlantic Commerce
First Atlantic Commerce is a Bermuda based ecommerce solutions provider dedicated to providing businesses and banks with consulting services and technology designed to facilitate online transaction processing. FAC’s team of committed ebusiness executives and technology professionals use consultative methods to assess a company’s ecommerce needs and to develop an integrated, flexible, customized solution that is business-driven. From analysis to strategy, implementation to design, FAC brings an unparalleled breadth of ecommerce expertise to any ebusiness solution.

Contact:
Malek Mroueh, Sales Manager, Card Tech Limited
t. +44 (0)207 761 7800
f. +44 (0)207 233 7244
Malek.Mroueh@ctl.com
www.ctl.com

Andrea Wilson, CEO, First Atlantic Commerce
t. (441) 294-4620
f. (441) 295-6855
awilson@fac.bm
www.firstatlanticcommerce.com

CTL and Bank Zachodni WBK launch instalments in time for the busy shopping season
Press Release – from the CTL Press Office, February 2004

Card Tech Limited, the UK-based payment solutions provider, has implemented its card-based Instalments module on the PRIME card and merchant management platform at Bank Zachodni WBK SA, Poland's third largest credit card issuer.

Card-based instalments can provide a profitable new line of business for a bank. They leverage existing client bases and payment channels to give customers in Poland an innovative payment option. Bank Zachodni WBK customers can now request instalment loans from the bank after card purchases, even combining multiple transactions into one manageable loan account.
"We wanted to give our customers an easy way to use consumer credit for large ticket items they would not ordinarily purchase with their cards," said Joanna Pienkowska, Credit Cards Manager, Bank Zachodni WBK. "The instalments offering will increase our transaction volume and value, differentiate us from our competitors and strengthen customer loyalty."

CTL has been supporting instalments products for a decade in markets as diverse as Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Edith Kessler-Charalambous, Global Account Manager, CTL said: "We have seen the instalments concept take root in a number of markets because of the need fill the inherent gap between debit and revolving credit programs. It is a logical and lucrative addition to a bank's portfolio of card products."

Bank Zachodni WBK launched its new instalments product just 30 days after concluding a contract with CTL. "We were particularly keen to launch this new product before the busy shopping season in Poland; CTL was instrumental in ensuring that we achieved our business objectives in a cost-effective manner," said Joanna Pienkowska, Credit Cards Manager, Bank Zachodni WBK.

About Card Tech Limited
More than 160 banks from 60 countries use CTL software.
Our solutions - including card issuance, merchant acquiring, authorisation, message switching, encryption key and PIN management, e-commerce and fraud management - address every aspect of the card management business cycle. They are developed and supported by a dedicated team of over 240 CTL specialists.
We have an exceptional record of delivering payment association-compliant solutions on budget and on time; we back up every implementation with a 24x7 global support service.

About Bank Zachodni WBK
www.bzwbk.pl

Contact:
Edith Kessler-Charalambous, Global Account Manager, CTL
info@ctl.com
www.ctl.com

Joanna Pienkowska, Credit Cards Manager, Bank Zachodni WBK
joanna.pienkowska@bzwbk.pl
www.bzwbk.pl

CTL scores in Finland with FRAUDGUARD
Press Release – from the CTL Press Office, January 2004

Card Tech Limited, the UK-based payment solutions provider, has licensed its FRAUDGUARD fraud detection and management solution to Luottokunta, Finland’s national card payment network.

Luottokunta services over 2 million cards and 50,000 merchant locations in a multi-institution environment; it is an industry leader in risk management. FRAUDGUARD will be used as a central fraud management platform, enabling Luottokunta to Detect, Alert and Manage suspicious transactions. It will interface with Luottokunta’s technical environment through real-time and batch interfaces with front and back office systems provided by Oasis and LogicaCMG. In addition, FRAUDGUARD’s rule-based detection will incorporate scores generated by Xtract Fraud Detector, combining the best of both rule-based and neural network technology.
This will be CTL’s first implementation of FRAUDGUARD since obtaining official confirmation from Visa EU that the system meets its authorisation screening mandates.

“CTL’s FRAUDGUARD solution was the obvious choice to replace our internally developed system, mainly because its rules are flexible and easy to define, and it has good workflow and interfacing,” said Mr. Petri Carpén, Deputy Managing Director, Luottokunta. “The solution is also multi-institution and 100% Web-based, which will help Luottokunta service the needs of its members and clients.”

“We are proud to be cooperating with Luottokunta and its partners to provide the best-of-breed fraud detection and management solution,” said Jaffar Agha-Jaffar, Managing Director of CTL. “It is especially gratifying to work with a company that has developed its own solutions to combat fraud and shares our vast experience in payment cards.”

About Card Tech Limited
More than 160 banks from 60 countries use CTL software.
Our solutions – including card issuance, merchant acquiring, authorisation, message switching, encryption key and PIN management, e-commerce and fraud management – address every aspect of the card management business cycle. They are developed and supported by a dedicated team of over 240 CTL specialists.
We have an exceptional record of delivering payment association-compliant solutions on budget and on time; we back up every implementation with a 24x7 global support service.

About Luottokunta
Jointly owned by retailers and banks, Luottokunta is a credit card service company, offering services related to non-cash payment and credit card systems, and managing and developing the national luncheon voucher system. The processing of large volumes of cards, as well as cost-efficiency and risk management enabled by the company's expertise in international credit card systems, forms the basis of business operations.

Contact:
Kareem Al-Bassam, Head of Marketing, CTL
info@ctl.com
www.ctl.com

Jani Ristimaki, Project Manager, Luottokunta
jani.ristimaki@luottokunta.fi
www.luottokunta.fi

Any other information may be obtained from the Press Office

Tel: 0044 (0)20 7761 7800
email: PressOffice@ctl.com