Bangkok Bank has awarded an EMV consultancy contract to French smart card outfit Gemplus, as it prepares for mass-market migration from magnetic stripe to chip card technology.
Under the terms of the project, Gemplus will advise Bangkok Bank on the migration path to EMV and the upgrade of the card payment system. Additionally, Gemplus will deliver the functional specifications of the system components and provide project management and technical co-ordination throughout the pilot.
Gemplus consultants' first task is to analyse the bank’s existing infrastructure, define its EMV migration objective, evaluate different EMV migration paths, conduct a cost analysis, propose an appropriate path and finally map out a project plan for the bank. The bank has already selected a versatile chip card platform that is able to support loyalty schemes, Internet access and secure Internet shopping.
The deal is the first of its kind in Thailand and could open doors for further consultancy work for Gemplus as banks in Asia Pacific gear up for the full-scale roll-out of chip card technology.