IBM and paybox to offer Wireless Payment Solutions

Stuttgart/Frankfurt, August 15, 2002 – IBM Global Services and leading international mPayment provider, paybox.net AG, have announced a joint initiative to drive m-commerce through an integration of systems and an expansion of services.  IBM Global Services will combine its wireless e-business consulting, services and integration capabilities with paybox mobile payment solutions. This collaboration unlocks m-commerce potential through innovations that include wireless vending machine payments and retail point-of-purchase solutions.

Adding this wide range of point-of-sale outlets to paybox’s existing person-to-person, on-line, mobile, and conventional payment solutions, IBM and paybox will enable even more everyday transactions to be securely initiated and authorized from wireless devices. 

Providing wireless operators and retail, finance and banking organizations with a range of robust, reliable and convenient m-commerce services, the joint offerings will be based on an integration of paybox applications with IBM's WebSphere platform and IBM retail solutions. paybox mobile payment can be easily integrated into the service portfolio of banks and wireless network operators.

“As organizations seek to incorporate wireless transactions into their multi-channel payment strategy, they need to build fully-integrated, secure and scalable mobile payment platforms,” said Dr Martin Mähler, Director, Wireless e-business at IBM Global Services, Central Region. 

"The combination of IBM's leadership in wireless consulting and integration services with paybox's application and payment processing expertise is a big step forward in maximizing the value of companies' existing e-business investments and providing a key building block to enable business transformation."

Core aspects of the agreement include the joint development of mobile payment applications, the distribution of existing paybox services and activities designed to gain new licensing partners, opening up new m-commerce markets. “This collaboration with IBM not only enhances support for both of our existing customers but this cooperation is also a significant step forward for international mPayment and its vital role in future business strategies", stated the paybox Chief Marketing Officer, Peter Seipp.

This cooperation will broaden and deepen the customization and service possibilities for the paybox Intelligent Architecture (PIA), a modular application infrastructure that is deployed and managed by paybox. PIA uses standardized products to deliver a custom mobile payment and authorization system to corporate customers, meeting the highest standards of security, performance and service.

IBM m-commerce solutions and services enable wireless service and content providers, retailers and banks to deliver clear business value to buyers and sellers of various types of products and services. M-commerce enhances the transaction roles of banks, payment processors and emerging payment service providers, offering added customer value, security, and convenience. 

IBM works with a wide range of wireless, financial and retail sector customers, leveraging its wireless e-business and cross-industry expertise and offering hardware, software, and services capabilities. IBM also partners extensively with industry-leading wireless ISVs and telephone equipment manufacturers to deliver a wide range of secure wireless solutions that enable m-commerce.

paybox solutions will also integrate with IBM’s Service Provider Delivery Environment (SPDE), an open-standards-based framework built on IBM’s WebSphere e-business infrastructure software. Such joint development of payment services will be designed to give wireline and wireless service providers the flexibility to introduce new revenue generating voice, text and Internet-based services to their customers faster, easier and at a lower cost. 

Additionally, by building on the WebSphere platform, paybox Software will be compatible with IBM MerchantReachTM, a portfolio of solutions for integrated multi-channel retailing.

For more information: www.paybox.com

MobileInfo Comments and Advisory:  This partnership is important for paybox because IBM is deeply entrenched in large financial companies who will ultimately influence or even dictate the software infrastructure for m-commerce. Carriers are trying and will continue to try to take control of m-commerce payment system architecture. Our projection is that carriers will succeed only with micro-transactions. In either case, IBM and paybox should be successful. Integration into WebSphere will greatly enhance paybox's appeal to other application server vendors evaluating m-commerce software infrastructure space.