UK bank Abbey has completed testing for its Chip and PIN rollout programme using EMV test tools from London-based smart card software vendor Aconite.
Abbey deployed Aconite's EMV toolkit, which comprises EMV Facilitator and End System Simulator applications, to migrate its network to EMV standards.
EMV Facilitator is a testing system can predict or verify the outcome of EMV transactions at terminals. The product delivers problem diagnosis and data interpretation in both test and production environments.
The End System Simulator in turn provides emulation of any entity in the transaction processing chain. The application allows 'soft programming' of smart card commands and network messages for all levels of testing, from proof of concept through to pre-integration and regression testing.
Andy Sampson, ATM systems manager, Abbey, says: "The challenge we were confronted with was to effectively plan, test and rollout EMV compliant systems while minimising time, cost and risk.
"The Aconite tools have proven to be invaluable and instrumental in achieving final sign-off of chip cards prior to full rollout to customers."