Scandinavian financial conglomerate Nordea has carried out the first public purchase and payment transaction using the interactive digital TV MHP standard over an SSL encrypted connection.
The payment service application platform was developed by Finnish software company Cardinal. It enables users to buy and pay for goods via digital television using a button on the TV remote control. During the transaction the money is transferred in real time from one bank account to another.
At a press conference in Finland yesterday, a CD was purchased from a digital TV record store, and paid for online using Nordea's e-payment service. Other MHP payment transactions completed so far have been performed under laboratory conditions on local area networks. This is the first public MHP based payment transaction, says Jaakko Pellosniemi, president of Cardinal Information Systems.
He adds that the first MHP boxes equipped with return channels will be available at the beginning of next year.
"I believe that payments through digital TV will become more popular than online payments," says Pellosniemi. "An open international MHP standard and a strong Nordic partner will help us spread the Finnish digital TV knowledge and experiences to other countries.".
Cardinal recently secured a EUR2.4 million investment from venture capital group 3i.