Vivotech

ViVOtech is a company which produces software and hardware for the Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile payment and promotion market. Founded in 2001, it is based out of Santa Clara, California. The company develops and produces technology is designed to enable consumers to download their credit, debit, loyalty or prepaid cards as well as personalized coupons and location-based promotions to NFC mobile phones and use it to pay by just waving the phone at point of sale systems enabled with radio frequency contactless readers.

ViVOtech's products are used for contactless credit/debit cards, mobile phones, and key fobs payments in business such as retail stores and gas stations to vending machines and taxi cabs. ViVOtech's products have been put to use in 33 countries. ViVOtech has worked in collaboration with corporations such as Bank of America, MasterCard, Discover, Citibank, VISA, Chase, Sprint, AT&T, SingTel and Sony.

Products

ViVOtech has developed an end-to-end contactless/NFC payment and promotion solution that allow consumers to make easy payments with radio frequency-enabled credit cards, debit cards, key fobs, and NFC-enabled mobile phones. These innovative solutions enable:

- Existing merchant systems to accept contactless card, fob of phone payments with minimum changes; - Secure issuance of over the air (OTA) credit, debit, prepaid and loyalty cards to mobile phones; - Targeted provisioning of coupons, promotions, loyalty and messages to mobile phones in a SPAM-free authenticated network; - Next-generation contactless gift and loyalty programs based on contactless and OTA technology and intelligent transaction processing.

Hundreds of thousands of ViVOtech products are currently in use in over 35 countries and have been recognized with several industry awards.

ViVOpay

The ViVOpay readers are some of the best selling secure contactless terminals available today. They are currently in use in movie theatres, fast food restaurants (QSR), CASUAL dining establishments, convenience stores, petrol stations, grocery stores, buses, taxicabs, and vending machine locations. These devices are available for global contactless payment applications such as MasterCard PayPass and Visa payWave, as well as specialized closed-loop payment, loyalty and promotions applications. This allows ViVOtech the ability to reach a vast range of markets that can benefit from contactless convenience. The entire ViVOpay series is compatible with most POS and ECR systems assuring quick and easy integration into the merchant's existing legacy systems.

Countertop / In-Store:

The ViVOpay solutions consist of many general purpose solutions such as: ViVOpay 5000, ViVOpay 5000m, ViVOpay 4500, and ViVOpay 4500m. These solutions are well suited for general store/payment applications where versatility, scope and small footprint are required. The "M" series, ViVOpay 4500m and 5000m, is compatible with both contactless cards as well as magnetic stripe cards, allowing customers tap their contactless cards, key fobs and NFC mobile phones or swipe their magnetic-stripe cards on the readers to make a payment.. These customer-facing devices let consumers keep control of their payment devices at all times reducing chances for fraud. The 4500 device can also be physically integrated and mounted onto existing POS devices saving additional counter space.

Unattended / Self-Service:

ViVOtech also has a line of products for the unattended and self-service vertical markets in the ViVOpay Vend, ViVOpay DTc Drive-Thru, and ViVOpay Kiosk I and Kiosk II. These solutions are well suited for vending machine, drive through, kiosk, transit/turnstile, ticketing machine and parking meter type applications. All are ruggedized readers able to stand the environment in outdoor and self-service locations and are also easily integrated with host systems - without requiring the host system to go through lengthy re-certification. All of these specialized devices include support for contact-less cards, key fobs, and mobile phones. This range of specialized products allows ViVOtech to reach unique markets that will benefit from contactless technology, but require their own set of specialized features. This also CREATES a solution that requires less customization rather than offering a general purpose solution for every circumstance.

ViVOnfc

The ViVOnfc infrastructure software solution from ViVOtech allows companies to enable cell phones for use in mobile payment, marketing, and loyalty programs. This implements the use of near field communication technology (NFC) for payments, promotions and advertisements directly to close proximity cell phones (at the point of sale). This allows marketing to take place in locations where it is relevant, and forego the use of cumbersome paper advertisements. All ViVOnfc solutions are managed using a two server architecture (patented) which allows in-depth control over marketing and payment data from cell phones. This solution places control of sensitive issuer data used in the transaction in the hands of the ViVOnfc issuer server; while the mobile network service provider’s server, ViVOnfc control server, is responsible for the security of the customer’s personal information. Payment with cell phone devices is capable via ViVOtech’s ViVOwallet solution. This is a niche offering that ViVOtech is specializing in, and in a scenario where the push for NFC implementation is lacking in North America, ViVOtech’s NFC offering and push will provide the momentum to the industry at a much needed time. ViVOtech has done close to 30 NFC mobile payments and promotion pilots in United States, Canada, Asia, Europe and Latin America.

ViVOnfc - ViVOwallet: The ViVOwallet is a software application that runs on NFC mobile phones and allows consumers to securely download multiple soft-cards for credit/debit cards, coupons, and loyalty cards into their cell phones. This application allows cellular devices to make contactless payments, or redeem digital coupons via a contactless near field communication payment terminal. This solution also allows for cell phones to make near field transactions regardless of if the device is able to connect to the cellular network or not. This is possible because the ViVOwallet stores the user’s important information securely directly on the device (eliminating the need for a cellular connection at the time of the transaction). This is important, as it allows companies the freedom to implement this technology with the confidence that it will work regardless of location and coverage. The ViVOwallet compliments the ViVOnfc, in that it goes hand in hand with the readers, and offers a truly portable package for companies looking to bring convenience and security to their transactions. This is an extremely useful software application that can currently help many network operators partner with ViVOtech and ensure that the “top of wallet” factor ties in with the contactless and softcard issuance trends in the North American region.

ViVOnfc™ - Issuer Server: The Issuer Server is the standalone server that allows a card issuer to provision a soft card to a ViVOwallet application running on an NFC-enabled phone. The Issuer Server, which is hosted in the card issuer network or a trusted party, holds all the personalization algorithms, features, functions, procedures, and interfaces for a card issuer. Additionally, it provides all the personalization data from the issuer back-office and is responsible for personalizing the ViVOwallet with all the required information for users to download the issuer’s cards, coupons, or tickets.

ViVOnfc™ - Control Server: The Control Server provides the Over-the-Air (OTA) provisioning control function for the Mobile Network Operator. Mobile Operators use the Control Server to manage ViVOwallet applications residing on their NFC-enabled phones and connect to the Issuer Server supporting the card issuer backoffice systems.

ViVOplatform

The ViVOplatform software is composed of 2 modules that leverage contactless, NFC and mobile technologies to deliver new services and tools to merchants:

Gift and Loyalty Application: The ViVOplatform Gift and Loyalty Application is the application software platform ViVOtech offers in order to process prepaid, loyalty, and promotion transactions, manage functionality, and gather customer statistics. This platform is browser-based for all users, including administrators, merchants, and consumers. This allows a simplistic approach to be used for all parties accessing the platform. This can decrease the amount of training necessary for employees and increase customer retention due to ease of use. The ViVOplatform is also designed to seamlessly integrate with existing loyalty and payment infrastructure, resulting in minimal deployment time and necessary resources. This system is also internet enabled, which makes it possibly for customers to be able to check their transaction history online and for the company (the owner of the system) to be able to electronically manage customers and loyalty programs. This allows for a system that is highly dynamic and conveniently accessible for all parties.

Smart Poster Management Software Application: ViVOplatform Smart Poster Management Software Application is a one-on-one mobile marketing software system that enables merchants to drive business through the creation, management, and delivery of personalized and context-sensitive information to consumers’ mobile phones. Smart posters are similar to traditional posters or billboards but contain one or more embedded NFC tags. By tapping a NFC enabled mobile phone on a smart poster a consumer is automatically connected to a backend content server over the wireless data network. The content server sends personalized and location based information back to the user based on the mobile phone number and NFC tag ID. Consumers can then view the content and redeem the promotions at participating merchants.

ViVOtag

The ViVOtag is offered in form of a sticker that can be attached to any convenient form factors such as card, key fobs, mobile phones or 3D images for efficient contactless payment transactions. These stickers can be used for prepaid transactions, credit, or loyalty products; which adds flexibility for a variety of paying styles for a diverse range of users. This is made possible through the ViVOwallet software technology that is included on these devices, making them suitable for store and restaurant use. Through this flexible technology and wealth of features, ViVOtag are able to offer increased speed over cash transactions, multiple form factors for multiple uses, and allow the user to only use one card for different retailers. .

Management

Corporate officers

Investors

Capital Raised: ViVOtech raised an undisclosed amount in their last round of financing completed in February of 2009. Investors in the firm include Alloy Ventures, Citigroup Private Equity, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, First Data Corp., Miven Venture Partners, Motorola Ventures, NCR Corp., Nokia Growth Partners.

Awards and Recognition

- ViVOtech receives the prestigious Frost and Sullivan North American Smart Cards Product Line Strategy of the Year Award - 2009 - ViVOtech named #1 in ABI Research Contactless & NFC Reader Ranking Report - 2008 and 2007 - ViVOtech chosen the Top Contactless Payment Technology Vendor in Aberdeen Group’s “Retail Contactless Payment Report” - 2007 - ViVOtech wins MasterCard “Best Vendor Partner Award" in the APAC region – 2006 - ViVOtech chosen as Frost & Sullivan’s “Electronic Payment Enabling Technology of the Year Award” – 2005. - ViVOtech awarded the Electronic Transactions Association’s (ETA) first “Technology Innovation Award” – 2005.

External links

• Official website

de:ViVOtech es:ViVOtech fr:ViVOtech