Already in use by Saraf Mobile, one of the world’s first mobile person-to-person, agent-based money transfer services, Street Vendor is now live in Sudan with other roll-outs planned across the Middle East and North Africa.

Unlike Mobile Operator led mobile payment services, which require new SIM cards to be issued and integration with local network infrastructure, the Street-Vendor system can be rolled out internationally to any territory that has SMS reception. This reduces the time-to-market and economics of delivering micro and macro financial services to cities and rural areas. It can also be rapidly launched in response to natural disasters or business needs in any area that local agents, SMS and Banking regulations allow.

The Street Vendor mobile application enables a distributed workforce to take cash payments in return for mobile top-ups or money transfer services using standard mobile handsets. The mobile handset acts as an Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) terminal and communicates with a central server to authenticate and approve the transaction over encrypted SMS in areas where other data connections are unavailable.

The application is compatible with many standard handsets, up to 7 years old, and doesn’t rely on Smartphones or 3G and GPRS connectivity which are not always available in rural areas. It uses Masabi’s award winning EncryptME system to ensure transactions are completely secure all the way from the phone to the bank, regardless of the mobile network used. It also and complies with all international money transfer regulations.

“Most developing nations have vast regions with limited communications infrastructure and accessibility. In these regions, where credit cards are not yet common, this system will allow mobile operators and retail providers to create innovative new sales channels for in-demand services. A ‘Street Vendor’ with even old handsets can now offer international transaction and retail services to local consumers, without the need for vast technological infrastructure,” said Ben Whitaker, COO of Masabi. “We are excited to be working with Mi-Pay, leveraging their experience in providing fully regulated banking and remittance services to offer transactional services that can dramatically affect regional economies in the developing world.”

“This solution effective eliminates many of the traditional cost and logistical barriers to mass roll-out of mobile financial services,” comments Norman Frankel, CEO of Mi-Pay. “In developing countries, such as those in Africa, where there is insufficient payments revenue to justify the capital expense of rolling bank branches out across large geographical areas, mobile initiated domestic financial services have the potential to transform the retail sector and, therefore, the economy as a whole. The ‘Street Vendor’ system could dramatically affect developing markets by enabling retail providers to create distributed sales forces in previously untouchable regions. Masabi’s skills in delivering highly secure, graphically rich applications on low-cost everyday mobile handsets made them an obvious partner.”

Meeting all Know-Your-Customer (KYC) regulations, Street Vendor complies with international anti-fraud and money laundering guidelines. Future versions of the system will support utility payments, direct debit setup and micro loans as well as allowing end-users to install the service on their own handset and authorise payments through participating banks.

Video

A video interview with about Street Vendor with Masabi COO, Ben Whitaker, along with screen-shots of the application can be found here:

About Masabi

Masabi is a secure mobile applications developer based in the UK. The company builds secure, usable mobile applications for mass market mobile phones that address the m-commerce, financial services, transport and event ticketing markets. Masabi’s train ticketing application is currently being used by UK rail operators including Heathrow Express and National Express East Coast and in December 2008 the company’s design for mobile barcodes was adopted as a national standard by all UK rail operating companies (ATOC). Masabi’s EncryptME award-winning security system has been validated by BT and certified by NIST, the US Government’s security standards body. In line with the latest web security standards EncryptME provides end-to-end security for all mobile communications by SMS, GPRS, NFC and local data storage on all Java-enabled handsets. The company’s security has won an IET Security Award and was selected as a finalist for the Red Herring 100 Europe in 2009. For further details see www.masabi.com.

About Mi-Pay

Mi-Pay the leading mobile money company, provides an innovative range of products and services that enable consumers around the world to undertake safe and secure financial transactions from their mobile phones. Based in the UK, Mi-Pay also has offices in Dubai, Romania, India and Pakistan, bringing a global perspective to the provision of secure transactions from the consumer’s handset through to settlement. Mi-Pay has vast expertise and service offerings that span pre-pay topups, mobile initiated payments, mobile banking, mobile money transfer, handset based authentication and consultancy. For more information visit: www.mi-pay.com.

Media Contacts for Masabi

press@masabi.com

+44 (0)20 7981 9783

Media Contacts for Mi-Pay

Ioana Dudas, Communication Manager Mi-Pay

ioana.dudas@mi-pay.com

+40 369 435 270

Related posts:

1. StreetVendor – Mobile Financial Services platform
2. Masabi Increases Mobile Application Usage by 50% with Encrypted SMS for Mobile Commerce
3. Masabi Unveils Mobile Phone Banking Application

“This year’s impressive list of submissions from companies demonstrates Europe’s growing role as a major center of innovation in the global technology sector,” said Red Herring Publisher, Alex Vieux. “The exceptional accomplishments of European technology startups and entrepreneurs are a testament to the rapid advancements being made in building the European innovation ecosystem.”

Red Herring’s lists of top private companies are an important part of the publication’s tradition of identifying new and innovative technology companies and entrepreneurs. Companies like Google, eBay, and Skype were spotted in their early days by Red Herring editors, and touted as leaders that would change the way we live and work.

Red Herring’s editorial staff rigorously evaluated several hundred private companies through a careful analysis of financial data and subjective criteria, including quality of management, execution of strategy, and dedication to research and development.

Red Herring will honor the Red Herring 100 Europe Finalist companies at its Red Herring Europe 2009 Conference. Scheduled for March 31 – April 2, at the Berlin Radisson Hotel. This intimate, 2¹/₂ day event will explore how European firms are leading the charge in many technology sectors, gaining a competitive advantage, and driving entrepreneurial success in ways that create business opportunities for challengers and incumbents alike.

About Red Herring

Red Herring is a global media company which unites the world’s best high technology innovators, venture investors and business decision makers in a variety of forums: a leading innovation magazine, an online daily technology news service, technology newsletters and major events for technology leaders around the globe. Red Herring provides an insider’s access to the global innovation economy, featuring unparalleled insights on the emerging technologies driving the economy. More information about Red Herring is available on the Internet at www.redherring.com.

About Masabi

Masabi is a secure mobile applications developer based in the UK. Its EncryptME system security system has been validated by BT and certified by NIST, the US Government’s security standards body. In line with the latest web security standards EncryptME provides end-to-end security for all mobile communications by SMS, GPRS, NFC and local data storage on all Java-enabled handsets. The company’s expertise in secure, usable mobile applications which run on even the lowest specification phone handsets is currently being used in a range of mobile commerce, ticketing, casino and financial
applications. Masabi is owned by its directors, won the IET Security Award in 2007, was a runner up in the “True Mobile Start-Up” category at Mobile Innovation Global Awards in 2008 and was selected as a finalist for the Red Herring 100 Europe in 2007.

Related posts:

1. Red Herring Reveals Companies Selected as Finalists for the Red Herring 100 Europe 2007
2. Masabi Selected as Runner Up in “True Mobile Start-Up” Category at Mobile Innovation Global Awards
3. Masabi Increases Mobile Application Usage by 50% with Encrypted SMS for Mobile Commerce

“NGOs working in emerging countries face many challenges in their humanitarian and development initiatives – particularly in meeting the needs of poor rural communities,” said David Edelstein, Director of Information and Communication Technology Innovation at Grameen Foundation’s Technology Center. The Center focuses on harnessing the unparalleled opportunities information and communication technologies provide to improve the lives of the world’s poorest people by creating jobs, improving access to health care, education and other services, and connecting far-flung communities to each other. Edelstein continued, “As access to mobile devices in rural communities continues to expand, appropriate mobile technologies will be crucial for NGOs and others helping poor people improve their lives and livelihoods.”

Today many NGO field workers manually collect information, entering information into a centralised database over time – for example, when returning to headquarters. With the FrontlineForms tool a single mobile phone can be used to collect structured data while off-line. Collected data can then be sent via SMS from a mobile phone in the field to a central database where it can be aggregated, analysed and shared.

Telecoms Sans Frontieres (TSF) conducted field-tests of FrontlineForms in Niger – a country of more than thirteen million people in which remote populations live in some of the harshest deserts in the world. “Simplicity is crucial for on-the-ground organisations using data collection and dissemination systems,” said Gregory Rebattu, Niger Representative for TSF. Rebattu continued, “We see a real potential for FrontlineForms to collect important health indicators and monitor cases in remote areas.”

FrontlineForms is an important enhancement to FrontlineSMS – kiwanja.net’s free, multi-use text messaging platform which has helped NGOs in more than forty countries use text messaging to deliver a range of humanitarian and development initiatives. Masabi – an influential developer of secure mobile applications – built FrontlineSMS and FrontlineForms. Students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology validated the new SMS tool’s architecture with the needs of isolated communities in mind. By integrating a data collection tool into FrontlineSMS kiwanja.net is further opening up the potential of mobile technology to transform a global development agenda which today includes healthcare, the environment, food security, poverty reduction and election monitoring. As this agenda evolves, the launch of FrontlineForms means NGOs have a powerful, new mobile technology tool to use – not solely to deliver their initiatives, but to decide how to advance these initiatives in line with the unique needs of the rural communities they serve.

“Technologies that advance social change in the developing world will continue to centre on mobile applications and rural community realities,” said Ken Banks, kiwanja.net Founder. Banks explained, “In this sense the potential for FrontlineForms will be fully realised once it gets into the hands of individuals who can and will use the tool to revolutionise ways NGO’s advance rural development initiatives.”

About kiwanja.net

Since 2003, kiwanja.net has been committed to helping non-governmental organisations (NGOs) use information and communications technology (ICT) in their work. Specialising in the application and advancement of mobile technologies in particular, kiwanja.net provides a wide range of ICT-related services, drawing upon over 22 years of experience of its Founder, Ken Banks. For further details on kiwanja.net or on Ken Banks visit http://www.kiwanja.net/.

About FrontlineSMS

• FrontlineSMS is free software that turns a laptop and a mobile phone into a central communications hub.
• Once installed, the program enables users to send and receive text messages with individuals or with large groups of
  people through mobile phones.
• The FrontlineSMS application has an intuitive user interface which is designed so that users with little or no
  experience with computers are able to use the application with minimal training.
• The software which can be used anywhere around the world, does not require an Internet connection and works on
  all GSM networks and an increasing range of phones. Originally developed in 2005, the latest version from FrontlineSMS.
  • which was made possible by a grant from The MacArthur Foundation.
  • was released in June, 2008.
• For further details on FrontlineSMS or to download the software visit http://www.frontlinesms.com

About Frontline Forms

• FrontlineForms is a free SMS tool that works on many Java-enabled mobile handsets, creating an accessible adoption proposition
  for development initiatives in rural areas where the range – old to new – of mobile technology devices varies widely.
• The FrontlineForms client can be loaded onto mobile phones which support Java, covering the majority of handsets made in the last 5 years.
• Technical or IT expertise is not required to implement FrontlineForms
  • the tool’s data collection and aggregation capabilities and the hosting of the central database are handled by FrontlineSMS.
• FrontlineForms is a highly cost-effective alternative to the expense of commissioning wireless computer terminals or
  Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)
  • an expense that is out of reach of many NGO’s, grassroots organisations and community groups.
• To use the FrontlineForms tool, firstly download FrontlineSMS at http://www.frontlinesms.com/.
  For further details on FrontlineForms visit http://www.frontlinesms.com/forms.

About Masabi

Masabi is a secure mobile applications developer based in the UK. Its EncryptME system security system has been validated by BT and certified by NIST, the US Government’s security standards body. In line with the latest web security standards EncryptME provides end-to-end security for all mobile communications by SMS, GPRS, NFC and local data storage on all Java-enabled handsets. The company’s expertise in secure, usable mobile applications which run on even the lowest specification phone handsets is currently being used in a range of mobile commerce, ticketing, casino and financial applications. Masabi is owned by its directors, won the IET Security Award in 2007, was a runner up in the “True Mobile Start-Up” category at Mobile Innovation Global Awards in 2008 and was selected as a finalist for the Red Herring 100 Europe.

About Grameen Foundation

Grameen Foundation is a global non-profit organization that combines microfinance, technology, and innovation to empower the world’s poorest people to escape poverty. Its global microfinance network and technology initiatives reach an estimated 45 million people in 28 countries across Asia, Africa, the Americas, and, through Grameen-Jameel Pan-Arab Microfinance, Ltd., in the Arab World. Based in Washington, D.C., Grameen Foundation was founded in 1997 by Alex Counts, who began his work in microfinance with 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank. Dr. Yunus is a founding and current member of Grameen Foundation’s board of directors.
For more information on Grameen Foundation, please visit http://www.grameenfoundation.org/

About Telecoms Sans Frontieres

Telecoms Sans Frontieres was created in 1998 and is now the leading NGO specialised in emergency telecommunications. With bases in France, Thailand and Nicaragua, TSF is ready to respond to emergencies worldwide within 48 hours. Since its creation, TSF has intervened in over 50 countries, serving millions of victims and over 500 NGOs and UN agencies. A partner of UNICEF and OCHA within the UN Emergency Telecoms Cluster, TSF is a designated “First Emergency Telecoms Responder.” An independent non-governmental organisation, TSF is supported by some of the biggest telecommunications companies and foundations, and maintains a partnership agreement with the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO). For further details on Telecoms Sans Frontieres visit http://www.tsfi.org.
To read Gregory Rebattu’s guest blog post about FrontlineSMS and FrontlineForms visit kiwanja.net’s blog.

Recent Comments About FrontlineSMS

“One of the largest and most ambitious mHealth programs in the world…”

Vital Wave Consulting for the UN Foundation-Vodafone Foundation Partnership, 17 February, 2009
mHealth for Development: The Opportunity of Mobile Technology for Healthcare in the Developing World

“…intentionally flexible software program…”

Steve Mollman for CNN Technology, 2 January, 2009
Text service provides more than a Band-Aid for rural health service

“…think about it. This platform has to work on hundreds of different handsets and modems… in languages ranging from Swahili to Cantonese… it needs to work with Windows, Mac and Linux. Not child’s play….”

Clark Boyd, 25 June 2008
Etherized: views from the wired and wireless worlds

Media Contacts for Masabi

Nick Dillon
Temono – Telecoms PR
nick.dillon@temono.com
+44 (0)7725 761 450

Related posts:

1. Masabi Selected as Runner Up in “True Mobile Start-Up” Category at Mobile Innovation Global Awards
2. FrontlineSMS (part 1) – the SMS Hub for NGOs
3. Masabi Increases Mobile Application Usage by 50% with Encrypted SMS for Mobile Commerce

To date, all rail mobile ticketing systems have used the web to sell a restricted selection of advance tickets using proprietary standards. The approval of RSPS3001, the UK-wide standard is the first step toward being able to use mobile tickets and print-at-home tickets on many different rail operators for everyday walk-up tickets which represent the vast majority of sales.

“With Masabi’s help,” said RSP’s Mostafa Gulam, “we have been able to bring down the cost of implementation and raise the functionality of the system in ways we had not thought possible.”

The Achilles heel of any digital mass transit system is how it copes when things go wrong, and when the internet, database or server connections have failed. The new barcodes contain enough ticket and security information to allow off-line systems to scan and validate tickets with similar security to the Oyster smart card system used in London. This allows the system to operate as an islanded system on vehicles or on hand held terminals in the event of system disconnection, and still process millions of tickets quickly and conveniently.

Mike Short, President of the Mobile Data Association, said: “The trend towards paperless ticketing benefits both the passenger and rail industry as a whole; it makes travel more convenient and environmentally sustainable. Mobile phones have become the most inclusive digital device that we carry today, secure mobile bar codes offer a clear pathway towards an increasingly cash free society. Other innovations may follow, but this landmark RSP decision shows a clear way forward to serve mobile customers anywhere, anytime, anyplace.”

Masabi builds transport ticketing systems for mobile, and has already delivered systems together with Atos Origin to provide services for National Express and Heathrow Express and also with YourRail for Chiltern Railways – the first UK rail operator to pioneer mobile ticketing. Masabi’s latest applications allow travellers to both buy and display tickets from their handsets, finally allowing the mobile to reduce rush hour queues at the station, even if the traveller only thinks about purchasing as they arrive at the departure station. By removing the need for users to sign-up or remember any usernames or passwords, early users of Masabi’s ticket sales applications have described the purchase process as “better than the web”, and thanks to the new RSP ticket standards, this can start to enable the everyday ticket purchases, not just providing an alternative delivery mechanism for the 12% of tickets purchased on the web.

“It’s great that RSP has now produced this new standard, but the hard work now falls to the Rail Operators to roll out systems supporting this standard, and agreeing to share tickets on routes with other barcode ready operators,” said Ben Whitaker, COO of Masabi. “Only when consumers can buy everyday walk-up tickets on the mobile will the real operator savings and consumer convenience of mobile
ticketing be realised.”

About Masabi

Masabi is a secure mobile applications developer based in the UK. Its EncryptME system security system has been validated by BT and certified by NIST, the US Government’s security standards body. In line with the latest web security standards EncryptME provides end-to-end security for all mobile communications by SMS, GPRS, NFC and local data storage on all Java-enabled handsets. The company’s expertise in secure, usable mobile applications which run on even the lowest specification phone handsets is currently being used in a range of mobile commerce, ticketing, casino and financial applications. Masabi is owned by its directors, won the IET Security Award in 2007, was a runner up in the “True Mobile Start-Up” category at Mobile Innovation Global Awards in 2008 and was selected as a finalist for the Red Herring 100 Europe.

About RSP

Rail Settlement Plan (RSP), part of ATOC, provides central retail support services to the UK Train Operating Companies (TOCs). This includes the distribution of fares and timetable data, the provision of other retail information to all National Rail retailers and the allocation and settlement of rail revenue to operators. RSP procures these services on behalf of the TOCs and manages their operation by third party suppliers. As all are outsourced to large systems integrators and service operator companies like Atos Origin, Fujitsu, Thales and Capgemini, its staff is small and turnover only £30m, but it is responsible overall for the annual allocation of £6 billion of UK passenger rail revenue monies.

Media Contacts for Masabi

Nick Dillon

Temono – Telecoms PR

nick.dillon@temono.com

+44 (0)7725 761 450

Related posts:

1. New Mobile Barcode tickets for UK Rail
2. Chiltern Railways’ passengers become the world’s first to buy tickets mobile to mobile
3. Masabi Selected as Runner Up in “True Mobile Start-Up” Category at Mobile Innovation Global Awards

By using SMS, mobile commerce applications can still be used where there is minimal GRPS or 3G coverage or where the handset has incorrect mobile data settings. As the SMS is encrypted it also overcomes the security vulnerabilities inherent in SMS messaging infrastructure whilst also offering mobile users a data transfer method which is well understood both in terms of cost and technology.

"Many consumers have been turned off using mobile applications by a combination of unclear costs, security concerns and incorrect settings. If it doesn’t work first time with a cost they can understand, its unlikely that any applications will ever go mass market," said Ben Whitaker, COO and head of security development, Masabi. "By combining our encryption technology with SMS we can deliver a great user experience that just works first time on a huge range of different phones."

Using the system, Masabi’s applications automatically detect if the user’s phone has a working GPRS or 3G data connection, and falls back to SMS if they don’t. Masabi found that although subscribers with a working WAP connection can use it to download a mobile application, 40-50% of these subscriber don’t have a working INTERNET connection required for the application to send and receive data.

This SMS backup provides a seamless solution to the issues of poor signal strength, fast moving vehicles, international roaming, users without data contracts or users with incorrect data settings which plague a large proportion of mobile phones on networks globally. Additionally, users with no data contract, such as in the developing world, can side-load applications over cable, Infra-Red and Bluetooth, and then use the networked applications purely over SMS.

The system uses Masabi’s award winning EncryptME security software to transmit end-to-end encrypted data in a single SMS between handsets and servers, even from legacy handsets that don’t provide any native security features. EncryptME is the only certified mobile java security module on the market and was recently validated by BT’s Cryptographic Laboratories to US government standards and in just 3Kb of memory provides equivalent security to the dominant PC web browsers.

About Masabi

Masabi is a secure mobile applications developer based in the UK. Its EncryptME system is the only mobile Java security library in the world to be validated by BT and certified by NIST, the US Government’s security standards body. In line with the latest web security standards EncryptME provides end-to-end 1024bit RSA and 256bit AES for all mobile communications by SMS, GPRS, NFC and local data storage on all Java-enabled handsets to protect all data sent over public networks or residing on stolen phones. The company’s expertise in secure, usable mobile applications which run on even the lowest specification phone handsets is currently being used in a range of mobile commerce, ticketing, casino and financial applications. Masabi is owned by its directors, won the IET Security Award in 2007, was a runner up In “True Mobile Start-Up” category at Mobile Innovation Global Awards and was selected as a finalist for the Red Herring 100 Europe.

Media Contacts for Masabi

Oliver Chapman

Temono – Telecoms PR

oliver.chapman@temono.com

+44 (0)7713404571

Related posts:

1. Masabi Unveils Mobile Phone Banking Application
2. Masabi and GrIDsure Launch Mobile Phone Secure ID System for User and e-Commerce Authentication
3. Masabi Launches NIST-Certified Mobile Security World First and Announces YourRail as Inaugral Customer

Masabi’s recent successes in mobile ticketing will be reinforced by Metzgen’s experience as CEO at OmniTicket Network, the leading provider of turn-key ticketing and access control solutions, where he helped to stabilize the company and raise additional capital. The move is designed to further strengthen Masabi’s management, drive growth and secure expansion capital as it rolls out commercial mobile ticketing services in the coming months.

Masabi designs and builds secure applications for mobile phones. The company is the leading developer of transactional software for the constrained environments of today’s mass market mobile handsets. It also has world leading experts in the fields of mobile usability and security across all devices.

"Mobile ticketing is growing in popularity, particularly in the railway industry," said Ben Whitaker, COO Masabi. "We have invested a significant amount of time and resources in developing, testing and piloting a number of ground breaking mobile ticketing and payment systems, and now have the channel partners in place for large scale public roll-outs in the coming months. Fred brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that will ensure we fulfil our commercial potential and we’re excited to have him on board."

"This is a great market opportunity for mobile transactions. After successful pilots that have proven the technology, we will see the first widespread deployments," said Fred Metzgen. "Masabi is undoubtedly one of the leading mobile software providers in the market and I’m very excited to be joining the company at such an interesting time in its development".

Metzgen began his career with an American Investment Bank before joining IBM, where he held a variety of technical and marketing position. He holds an MBA in Marketing from Seattle Pacific University. Metzgen is a member of the UK Institute of Directors since 1988.

About Masabi

Masabi is a secure mobile applications developer based in the UK. Its EncryptME system is the only mobile Java security library in the world to be validated by BT and certified by NIST, the US Government’s security standards body. In line with the latest web security standards EncryptME provides end-to-end 1024bit RSA and 256bit AES for all mobile communications by SMS, GPRS, NFC and local data storage on all Java-enabled handsets to protect all data sent over public networks or residing on stolen phones.
The company’s expertise in secure, usable mobile applications which run on even the lowest specification phone handsets is currently being used in a range of mobile commerce, ticketing, casino and financial applications. Masabi is owned by its directors, won the IET Security Award in 2007, was a runner up In “True Mobile Start-Up” category at Mobile Innovation Global Awards and was selected as a finalist for the Red Herring 100 Europe

Media Contacts for Masabi

Oliver Chapman

Temono – Telecoms PR

oliver.chapman@temono.com

+44 (0)7713404571

Related posts:

1. Masabi Unveils Mobile Phone Banking Application
2. Masabi Selected as Runner Up in “True Mobile Start-Up” Category at Mobile Innovation Global Awards
3. Masabi Unveils the Mobile Viral – New Approach for Mobile Apps Distribution

During the presentation Ben will be outlining Masabi’s secure mobile applications technology, including EncryptME, the company’s standards-based, US Govt certified mobile security technology. In a single SMS message, or a few bytes of GPRS data, EncryptME can set up a secure session and sign up a new user, a new credit card and make a transaction thereby bringing fast, secure and convenient m-commerce to mobile users across virtually all handsets in current use.

"Mobile World Congress is the biggest event in the mobile telecoms industry calendar," said Ben Whitaker, head of security development, Masabi. "We are delighted to be presenting at the show alongside such well respected industry start-ups."

About Masabi

Masabi is a secure mobile applications developer based in London. Masabi’s expertise in secure, usable mobile applications which run on even the lowest specification phone handsets was demonstrated in January of last year when the company announced the rollout of international multi-language, multi-currency, multi-branded casino software for Playtech (AIM: PTEC), the world’s largest publicly traded online gaming software supplier. Masabi proved that even on the oldest Java handsets it can provide secure sign-up for new users on the mobile, with credit card, bank transfer and 3rd party payments, and still be able to include games with industry leading graphics and sounds. The company is owned by its directors and in 2007 was selected as a finalist for the Red Herring 100 Europe.

Media Contacts for Masabi

Oliver Chapman

Temono – Telecoms PR

oliver.chapman@temono.com

+44 (0)7713404571

Related posts:

1. Masabi Unveils Mobile Phone Banking Application
2. Masabi Launches NIST-Certified Mobile Security World First and Announces YourRail as Inaugral Customer
3. Masabi Increases Mobile Application Usage by 50% with Encrypted SMS for Mobile Commerce

London based company Masabi won the Security award for their EncryptME technology, the world’s only certified mobile Java cryptography.

EncryptMe technology is a 3kb Java code library providing end-to-end encryption on all Java enabled mobile phones. Masabi is supplying the software for Chiltern Railways trial of mobile phone train tickets using this Java security technology. Historically, mobile phones, while a convenient device for worldwide commerce and communication, didn’t have enough memory to store the security needed. This innovation tackles that issue.

A total of 15 awards, each sponsored by a major company, were presented and at a ceremony at the Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London hosted by TV personality and science enthusiast Johnny Ball.

The host of ‘Think of a Number’ said: “What makes a great innovator? Perhaps a little eccentricity, a desire for improvement, plus vision and the determination to see it through. All that equals the type of projects recognised through these awards. Innovators always ask ‘Why can’t it be better?’ If it wasn’t for innovation we would still have black and white television and mono radio.”

He continued: “Innovation is at the heart of business and wealth creation. It is right that we acknowledge those who push the boundaries of science, engineering and technology and it will be exciting to see how the innovations awarded this year will make their mark in the future.”

Robin McGill, CEO of the IET said: “These awards recognise the vital role that innovation in engineering plays in the global economy. On behalf of the IET I would like to congratulate all the winners who have displayed outstanding innovation in their respective categories.” He added that because of the huge interest in the awards this year details of the 2008 awards would be available immediately on the IET web site at: www.theiet.org/innovationawards

The judges said: “EncryptME technology is truly innovative. Small, fast and easy to deploy and using certified algorithms, it has the potential to have a significant impact on both users and the market.”

The Security Category is sponsored by ARM.

The awards have been supported by the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills and Make Your Mark in Manufacturing & Engineering.

ENDS

about The Institution of Engineering and Technology

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is one of the world’s leading professional societies for the engineering and technology community. The IET has more than 150,000 members in 127 countries and has offices in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. The Institution provides a global knowledge network to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas and promotes the positive role of Science, Engineering and Technology in the world. For more information visit
www.theiet.org.

Media Contacts for IET

Sian Weaver

Media and PR

sweaver@theiet.org

+44 (0)20 7344 5443

+44 (0)7725 498116

Related posts:

1. EncryptME Wins IET Security Award
2. Masabi Selected as Runner Up in “True Mobile Start-Up” Category at Mobile Innovation Global Awards
3. Masabi Launches NIST-Certified Mobile Security World First and Announces YourRail as Inaugral Customer

In January, Chiltern Railways and YourRail were the first to supply rail passengers with tickets delivered to their mobile phones. In March, together with Cubic Transportation Systems, they provided the first rail gate solution able to read mobile phone tickets. Now they have achieved another first working with secure mobile applications company, Masabi to deliver the only complete end-to-end mobile rail ticketing system in the world using EncryptME, the world’s first NIST-certified mobile security software as validated by BT.

Fifty passengers have been selected to take place in this pioneering trial which will allow them to simply, securely and quickly purchase and display train tickets on their mobile phone.

David Whitley, Marketing Planning Manager at Chiltern Railways said: "We understand that our passengers want a secure and easy way to purchase their tickets on the go. This pioneering technology means that our passengers will be able to securely buy a ticket from their mobile and receive it in seconds. As the majority of our passengers all carry mobile phones, this really does mean that passengers will be able to walk up and travel anywhere, any time."

YourRail Director, David Gillick said: "Since January, Chiltern Railways, together with YourRail, has supplied British rail passengers with tickets delivered to their mobile phones. This later included a gate solution from Cubic Transportation Systems. We were the very first to do this. Now we have achieved another ‘first’. A selection of Chiltern’s customers can now buy their electronic tickets directly from their mobile phones in addition to on the web. This innovation, developed for YourRail by Masabi, is a highly secure and convenient method of making purchases on-the-move."

Ben Whitaker, Co-Founder and head of Security Development at Masabi said: "We have developed a completely secure way to perform transactions on a mobile phone, with a compelling user interface. Our EncryptME software sets up a secure session to sign up a new user, a new credit card and make a transaction thereby bringing fast, secure and convenient m-commerce to mobile users across virtually all handsets in current use."

The mobile ticketing trial will last two months and passengers will give regular feedback to developers.

ENDS

About Chiltern Railways

Chiltern Railways are a wholly-owned subsidiary of M40 trains, established in 1994. Since 2002 the company has been wholly owned by John Laing Group’s Laing Rail subsidiary.

We have been one of the most successful train operating companies since privatisation, running scheduled passenger services along the M40 corridor between London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill and London Marylebone to Aylesbury via Amersham along the London Underground Metropolitan line.

In 2002, we extended our operations as far as Kidderminster and in 2004 we took over services between Stratford-upon-Avon and London Marylebone.

As one of the franchises forming the UK’s National Rail network, we’re dedicated to providing passengers with a safe, reliable, welcoming and value for money service which offers a real choice and a viable alternative to other modes of transport. Recently, we won ‘Passenger operator of the year’ at the 2007 National Rail Awards.

About YourRail

YourRail is a Yorkshire-based business that supplies business processes, technological solutions and acillary services to train operating companies and other retailers, that allow end customers – rail passengers – to conveniently purchase and redeem rail travel on the move and make other purchases linked to their journeys. Together with Chiltern Railways, YourRail is first in supplying the mobile rail tickets to British travellers. Companies working in collaboration on the initial roll-out are Cubic Transportation Systems, Mobiqa and ts.com.

About Masabi

Masabi is a secure mobile applications developer based in the UK. Its EncryptME security system has been validated by BT and certified by NIST, the US Government’s security standards body. In line with the latest web security standards EncryptME provides end-to-end 1024bit RSA and 256bit AES for all mobile communications by SMS, GPRS, NFC and local data storage on all Java-enabled handsets to protect all data sent over public networks or residing on stolen phones. The company’s expertise in secure, usable mobile applications which run on even the lowest specification phone handsets was demonstrated in January when it announced the rollout of international multi-language, multi-currency, multi-branded casino software for Playtech (AIM: PTEC), the world’s largest publicly traded online gaming software supplier. Masabi is owned by its directors and was selected as a finalist for the Red Herring 100 Europe.

Coverage

A selection of the coverage that this release generated:

• London Evening Standard -
  Now use your mobile as a train ticket
• ePayments News Network -
  Masabi Announces Mobile Ticketing Trail with Chiltern Railways and YourRail
• Chiltern Railways launches mobile-to-mobile ticketing trial
• Gulf Times -
  Mobiles to make rail travel easier
• The Register -
  Chiltern Railways completes mobile phone ticketing circle
• Total Telecom -
  Chiltern Railways mobile ticketing

Related posts:

1. Masabi Launches NIST-Certified Mobile Security World First and Announces YourRail as Inaugral Customer
2. UK Rail Agrees Mobile Ticketing Standard
3. New Mobile Barcode tickets for UK Rail

“The growth in online fraud is a major concern for consumers, retailers and above all credit card companies. Equally the need for major organizations and governments to provide top-level security access to their data systems and installations is becoming an increasingly important and costly process,” said Ben Whitaker Co-Founder and head of Security Development at Masabi. “The combination of two world-leading UK technology companies has provided an innovative solution which solves these issues in a secure and user friendly manner.”

For the GrIDsure ID technology users remember a pattern of squares on a grid instead of a PIN. The user is then shown a fresh number grid for each log-in or transaction, populated with different numbers each time. To log-in they simply key in the numbers that appear within their chosen pattern, but as numbers are repeated throughout the grid and change every time the system remains secure even if the user is observed. For the mobile
solution when a user is prompted to enter a code at an entry terminal, such as a PC, web site or ATM, the mobile application displays a GrIDsure number grid which is time-synched to the authentication server, giving the user the unique one-time code to enter into the terminal. In the case of financial transactions, the mobile application will be securely sent details of the payment confirming the transaction exactly, thereby preventing so-called ‘man in the middle’ or phishing attacks.

“With the rise in online and identity fraud, it has never been more important to provide user and transaction security,” said Jonathan Craymer, Chairman of GrIDsure. “By combining Masabi’s EncryptME and mobile application development expertise together with our GrIDsure system the result is a breakthrough in ID security for everything from day-to-day web transactions to top-level government security.”

The combined solution is set to see its first commercial deployments in late 2007 with support for the majority of mobile phones as well as Blackberry and Symbian smart devices.

To date governments and other organizations generally employ RSA secure ID key fobs to provide secure access to their systems. These are relatively costly physical devices that users must carry to continually generate new ID pass codes but which have been victim to ‘man in the middle’ attacks. Internet banking generally employs either rudimentary password systems where users only ever reveal certain characters thus protecting the entire code or, again, costly and cumbersome physical chip and pin devices which generate unique passcodes for each access request that can also be victim to ‘man in the middle’ attacks.
This new solution provides improved security without the inconvenience to the user, and the cost to the provider of solutions which employ physical devices.

GrIDsure has been assessed for security, usability and authentication strength by leading academics at Cambridge and University College London.

About Masabi

Masabi is a secure mobile applications developer based in the UK. Its EncryptME security system has been validated by BT and certified by NIST, the US Government’s security standards body. In line with the latest web security standards EncryptME provides end-to-end 1024bit RSA and 256bit AES for all mobile communications by SMS, GPRS, NFC and local data storage on all Java-enabled handsets to protect all data sent over public networks or residing on stolen phones. The company’s expertise in secure, usable mobile applications which run on even the lowest specification phone handsets was demonstrated in January when it announced the rollout of international multi-language, multi-currency, multi-branded casino software for Playtech (AIM: PTEC), the world’s largest publicly traded online gaming software supplier. Masabi is owned by its directors and was selected as a finalist for the Red Herring 100 Europe.

About GrIDsure

With GrIDsure, users create a new-style ‘shared secret’ by picking squares on a grid. To aid memory recall, they can use patterns or shapes – such as an ‘L’ or a ‘tick’. Because the grid fills itself with random numbers each time it appears, new ‘PIN’ or pass codes are created (by reading the numbers in the user’s chosen squares). GrIDsure works without the need for extra hardware, such as tokens – generating ‘one-time’ codes that are more secure and resilient to so-called ‘spyware’ threats.

Coverage

A selection of the coverage that this release generated:

• The Inquirer – Masabi to kill off RSA keyfobs
• The Register- PIN patterns go mobile
• Computing – Secure access goes mobile
• TelecomPaper – Masabi, Gridsure develop grid authentication system
• TMCnet – Masabi and GrIDsure develop secure ID system using mobile phones
• IT Week – Secure access goes mobile

Media Contacts for Masabi

Oliver Chapman

Temono – Telecoms PR

oliver.chapman@temono.com

+44 (0)7713404571

Media Contacts for GrIDsure

Ryan Whelan/Laura Cooper

Johnson King PR

gridsureteam@johnsonking.co.uk

+ 44 (0)20 7357 7799

Related posts:

1. Masabi Increases Mobile Application Usage by 50% with Encrypted SMS for Mobile Commerce
2. Two Factor Authentication (2FA) – Opportunity and Pitfalls
3. Masabi Unveils Mobile Phone Banking Application