BYNDL Inc., an innovator of hardware and VMS-agnostic mobile marketing, payment and support services, has signed a strategic alliance with USA Technologies, a leader of wireless, cashless payment, telemetry and consumer engagement services for self-serve retail industries, that provides for the two companies to work together to incorporate BYNDL mobile marketing and payment services to USAT’s 6,000 plus customer base.
Foreword Financial has announced the speaker line-up for Foreword Financial Expo, scheduled for September in Chicago. Eighty-eight sessions are scheduled, each featuring senior-level executives from industry-leading companies including David Nelms, Chairman & CEO, Discover Financial Services; Timothy J. Theriault, President-Corporate and Institutional Services, Northern Trust; Omer Simeon, EVP for strategic initiatives, Countrywide Financial and Ed Kadletz, Executive Vice President, Wells Fargo. Keynote presenters include Roy Dunbar, Mastercard Worldwide’s President of Global Technology and Operations; John Swainson, CEO for CA and Glen Salow, EVP of Ameriprise. In addition to the eight targeted conferences, the Expo will provide attendees a comprehensive venue for analyzing strategies and evaluating solutions from 100 exhibitors across the payment and financial services security, operations and technology industries. Foreword Financial produces executive-level programs.
American Express has promoted Stephen Squeri, former president of its Global Commercial Card group, to EVP/CIO. He joined American Express as a manager in Travelers Cheque Group (TCG) in 1985 and subsequently held increasingly senior roles in TCG, Worldwide Marketing and Establishment Services (ES), becoming president of the Global Commercial Card group in 2002. He received a bachelor of science and MBA from Manhattan College. American Express Company is a diversified worldwide travel, financial and network services company founded in 1850.
American Express and IBM signed a seven-year, $4 billion deal Monday under which AmEx with have on-demand access to IBM’s computing resources. The IT partnership will begin with the transfer of AmEx U.S. technologies operations work to IBM starting this Friday. The transfer of American Express international technologies operations work is scheduled to begin in May and will take a phased approach, dependent on the completion of in-country agreements and other matters and compliance with local regulatory requirements. Approximately 1,500 AmEx technology employees in the U.S. will be able to transfer to comparable positions at IBM next month, physically remaining at AmEx properties. About 500 international employees will follow beginning in May. AmEx indicated that fewer than 20 jobs will be totally eliminated as a result of the IBM outsourcing deal. AmEx will continue to retain its core technology competencies, including information technology strategy, strategic technology relationships, the development and maintenance of applications and databases and the management of its businessesâ technology portfolios. IBM will also optimize AmEx’s worldwide computer systems and Web sites.
Compaq Computer Corporation announced it has been awarded a five-year, multi- million dollar contract to provide technology, services, and support to American Express operations worldwide.
Under the terms of the agreement, Compaq Global Services professionals will architect, deliver, and manage a server-based computing infrastructure for American Express. The contract calls for Compaq to deploy 25,000 Thin Clients — supported by 400 Compaq ProLiant industry-standard servers — mostly in the U.S., as well as in Europe, Asia, and South America. The server-based and Thin Client computing solutions are anticipated to provide a cost-effective approach for American Express employees who perform task- oriented, transactional functions, such as customer service representatives.
Compaq Global Services will provide design, deployment, and ongoing management services for the infrastructure. These services include infrastructure and application test labs, monitoring and management of the server environments, and help desk and desk-side support for users of the Thin Client devices.
Compaq’s Thin Client devices process keyboard, mouse, and display enabling input/output offloading of application processing and data storage to centralized servers. The solution is designed to simplify administration and support for the user desktop, resulting in lower overall operational and ownership costs.
“Adopting Compaq’s server-based computing and Thin Client solution supports our overall strategy of using technology that can reduce infrastructure costs, re-engineer our computing environment, and bring operational savings to the bottom line,” said Glen Salow, executive vice president and chief information officer, American Express. “As we set our sights on becoming the world’s most respected service brand, we will seek and deploy cost-effective, flexible technology solutions like Compaq’s that allow us to better align our technology resources with the demands of our internal and external customers.”
“Compaq has all the elements for IT success to offer American Express — leading-edge enterprise products, integrated solutions, and one of the largest and most experienced global services organization in the world,” said Peter Blackmore, Compaq’s executive vice president of worldwide sales and services. Blackmore noted that the agreement is a continuation of a long and productive business relationship with American Express that dates back more than a decade.
Compaq accelerated the delivery of approximately 2,000 of its T1010 Microsoft Windows-based Thin Clients to American Express offices in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to support employees relocated following the September 11th damage to the company’s headquarters in lower Manhattan.
Computing on Demand
“This contract with American Express reflects Compaq’s overall strategy that is focused on providing integrated solutions that create real value for our customers,” Blackmore said. “Compaq’s Computing on Demand approach to managed services, which offers customers the ability to acquire IT at a fixed price per user per month, was an especially attractive financial model for American Express.”
Introduced in July, Compaq’s Computing on Demand initiative provides a set of new solutions that give customers a broad range of computing resources when they need them, where they need them, and at a predictable price and performance level — similar to buying IT as a utility. With Computing on Demand, enterprise customers have greater flexibility and control over the design, deployment and management, and cost of their IT infrastructure.
Compaq Background
Founded in 1982, Compaq Computer Corporation (“Compaq”) is a leading global provider of enterprise technology and solutions. Compaq designs, develops, manufactures, and markets hardware, software, solutions, and services, including industry-leading enterprise storage and computing solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, communication products, and desktop and portable personal computers that are sold in more than 200 countries.
Information on Compaq and its products and services is available at [http://www.compaq.com][1]. Information on Compaq’s Thin Client and Server Computing solutions is available at .
[1]: http://www.compaq.com/
Next year, ‘Blue Cards’ will be energized with a system that enables American Express to offer customized, multiple functions using open technology standards on its smart cards. Utilizing the Proton ‘Prisma DP’ product, AmEx plans to integrate into its Java Card technology-based smart cards of two components: ‘CALC’ (Card Application & Life Cycle Manager) and ‘DFM’ (Data File Manager). ‘CALC’ creates a framework for card issuers to manage multiple applications on a single card, provides the ability to download smart card applications from multiple channels such as the Internet, and offers the ability for smart card users to access multiple applications through a single PIN. ‘DFM’ allows card issuers to customize files and directories to support applications defined by the issuers themselves or by third party application developers, and allows this to occur dynamically after issuance. More than six million AmEx smart ‘Blue Cards’ have been issued in the USA. American Express recently concluded a contest in search of smart card applications for ‘Blue’. (CF Library 4/26/01; 5/24/01)
American Express Company
, TIBCO Software Inc., Infosys Technologies Ltd. and WestBridge Capital Partners today
announced the creation of a new company, Workadia, L.L.C. Workadia will
provide companies with comprehensive, customizable business intranets through
browser accessed hosted portals. The company will also offer consulting
services to help customers select and deploy their intranet applications,
content and services.
Workadia’s solutions are designed to increase productivity by giving
employees the ability to conduct business online, and its hosted model is
designed to decrease the total cost of ownership and deployment of intranet
applications. The portals will let companies select hosted and in-house
software applications, content and services and then integrate them into a
single desktop view. Workadia will integrate systems and automate business
processes, allowing real-time information to flow between the portal and
internal enterprise systems. Additionally, Workadia will offer a wide range
of software applications, online services, content and information, including
financial services, e-mail, expense reporting, corporate travel, news, stock
quotes and more.
The new company will begin operating for the near-term under the guidance of Co-founder and Interim-CEO Mohit Mehrotra, who is currently vice president of interactive business development at American Express, and a board comprising Glen Salow, executive vice president and chief information officer at American Express; Jud Linville, president of corporate services, Canada and U.S. at American Express; Raj Mashruwala, executive vice president, marketing and engineering at TIBCO Software; Phaneesh Murthy, Infosys board member and head of worldwide sales and marketing; and Sumir Chadha, managing director, WestBridge Capital Partners.
to provide superior
customer service and marketing, portal development, and technology
integration. American Express is a global leader in servicing companies of
all sizes in a variety of areas, from Corporate Cards to hosted business
travel applications, and has relationships with thousands of business
customers. TIBCO Software will provide its real-time e-business
infrastructure software, which is used by companies such as AOL/Netscape,
Ameritrade and Enron. Infosys, whose core experience is in software
development and integration of enterprises, will provide the services to
seamlessly link the systems of the new and existing applications for each
Workadia customer. WestBridge Capital Partners is a leading U.S.-India focused
venture capital firm that will help Workadia with various start-up activities,
including recruiting of the management team.
“There is an enormous, growing need for this type of service. This need,
combined with the potential to draw customers from the American Express
customer base, should give Workadia a leg-up in capturing market share,” said
Sally Hudson, research manager, Internet Infrastructure Services at IDC, a
market research company based in Framingham, MA. “This partnership and
technology combination shows that Workadia has a fundamental understanding of
what it takes to create a successful e-business.”
How it Works
Workadia’s easy-to-use browser interface requires minimal training, and
its single log-on is designed to give users a single point of access to many
software applications, content and services. Workadia plans to make numerous
business software applications, services and various types of content
available through the portal, including financial services, e-mail, calendar,
expense reporting, corporate travel, human resources, customer relationship
management, sales, e-procurement, news, stock quotes and more. Workadia
portals will offer customers the flexibility to choose from among the leading
Internet software and online service providers in each category.
Workadia plans to facilitate the flow of information between a company’s
new and existing business systems, software applications and services, which
will eliminate redundant data entry and many manual processes. For example
* Changes to Workadia employee profiles will automatically update
information in a company’s human resources databases, 401K plans,
payroll, travel and purchasing systems;
* Travel reservations will automatically post to employee calendars;
* Online corporate purchases will be automatically settled with accounts
payable.
Workadia will utilize advanced online security technology to help ensure
the privacy and security of employee and company information. In addition,
the TIBCO e-business infrastructure technology is designed to extend access to
wireless devices and mobile phones.
Business Terms
Workadia’s initial round of funding totals $16.7 million, enhanced by the
strategic assets each company brings to the partnership. The company will
generate revenue from three primary sources licensing fees from customers,
consulting fees, and third-party product and service sales.
The new company will begin operating for the near-term under the guidance
of Co-founder and Interim-CEO Mohit Mehrotra, who is currently Vice President
of Interactive Business Development at American Express, and a board
comprising Glen Salow, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer
at American Express; Jud Linville, President of Corporate Services, Canada and
U.S. at American Express; Raj Mashruwala, Executive Vice President, Marketing
and Engineering at TIBCO Software; Phaneesh Murthy, Infosys Board Member and
Head of Worldwide Sales and Marketing; and Sumir Chadha, Managing Director,
WestBridge Capital Partners.
“American Express has extensive experience building strong relationships with and servicing thousands of business customers with a wide range of products and services, including Web-based Corporate Card and travel applications. Through this experience, we know companies have a strong appetite for deploying a broader set of services to their employees,” said Glen Salow, executive vice president and chief information officer at American Express. “We’re pleased to play a role in creating and guiding Workadia, a company with all the right ingredients to quickly deploy a valuable workplace service for corporations.”
“Companies that lack the resources required to integrate and manage critical business systems on the Internet risk extinction,” said Vivek Ranadive, TIBCO chairman and CEO. “Workadia will give companies much broader access to the advantages of real-time e-business in a hosted model, reducing upfront investment and increasing speed to market.”
“Outsourcing of corporate intranets will be the way of the future for companies,” said Phaneesh Murthy, Infosys board member and head of worldwide sales and marketing. “Our own experience in building and integrating systems and connecting enterprises will be invaluable for Workadia as it rolls its services out for all ranges of businesses.”
“Workadia is addressing a large market opportunity and leveraging three powerful corporate partners that provide it with a sustainable competitive edge,” said Sumir Chadha, managing director, WestBridge Capital Partners.
Workadia is currently operating the portal in a pilot phase and plans to
make it more broadly available later this year. More information is available
about Workadia on the Internet at http//www.workadia.com.
About the Companies
American Express Company (http//www.americanexpress.com) is the leading
global provider of commercial cards and expense management solutions. Through
its Corporate Services group, formed in 1982, the company counts more than
70 percent of the Fortune 500, along with tens of thousands of mid-sized
companies, as customers of its Business Travel, Corporate Card, Corporate
Purchasing Card and Consulting Services group. The company offers a variety
of Internet-based products and services for large and mid-sized companies,
including American Express @ Work(R) for online Card program administration
and Corporate Travel Online for online corporate travel reservations. In
addition, the American Express(R) Corporate Purchasing Card offers enhanced
interoperability with most of the leading online purchasing systems.
The American Express Company is a diversified worldwide travel, financial
and network services company founded in 1850. It is a leader in charge and
credit cards, Travelers Cheques, travel, financial planning, investment
products, insurance and international banking.
TIBCO Software Inc. is a leading provider of total business integration
solutions delivering infrastructure software that enables companies to
seamlessly integrate business systems in real-time. TIBCO’s products enable
the real-time distribution of information through patented technology called
The Information Bus(TM), or TIB(R). TIBCO technology was first used to
digitize Wall Street and has since been adopted in diverse industries
including financial services, telecommunications, electronic commerce,
transportation, logistics, manufacturing and energy. TIBCO’s global customer
base includes more than 1,000 customers, such as Cisco Systems, Ariba, NEC,
Enron, Sun Microsystems, GE Capital, Philips, AT&T, Pirelli and AOL/Netscape.
Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, TIBCO can be reached at 650-846-1000
or on the web at http//www.tibco.com.
Infosys Technologies Ltd. is an IT consulting and service provider,
providing end-to-end consulting for global corporations. The company has
partnered with several Fortune 1000 companies providing a wide range of
services for technology driven business transformation initiatives. These
services include e-strategy consulting and solutions, large application
development and enterprise integration services. Infosys also has product
co-development initiatives with numerous communication and Internet
infrastructure companies that are creating the building blocks for the digital
economy.
The Global Delivery Model of the company leverages talent and
infrastructure in different parts of the world to provide high quality, rapid
time-to-market solutions. Infosys’ U.S. headquarters is located in Fremont,
California; the company also maintains offices throughout the U.S., Europe and
Asia. For more information, contact Infosys Technologies at +91-80-8520261 in
India, and 510-742-3000 in the U.S. or visit Infosys on the web at
http//www.infy.com.
WestBridge Capital Partners (http//www.wbcp.com) is a leading U.S.-India
focused venture capital fund with $140 million under management. The fund
primarily focuses on cross-border U.S.-Indian technology companies that are
targeting the U.S. market. WestBridge was founded by Sumir Chadha, KP Balaraj
and Raj Dugar, who are former Goldman Sachs professionals with substantial
experience in venture capital, investment banking and entrepreneurship.
WestBridge’s investors include Goldman Sachs, SUN Technology, Capital Z
Investments, Merrill Lynch, and Fidelity. Individuals, such as Suhas Patil,
Arjun Malhotra, BV Jagadeesh, Rajat Gupta and Laxmi Mittal, have also invested
in the fund. WestBridge has offices in Silicon Valley, Bangalore, India and
Mubai, India.
American Express and two other firms have teamed to setup a new company to provide businesses with business intranets through browser accessed hosted portals. Workadia will focus initially on U.S. companies in need of a complete business intranet service. Many of Workadia’s initial target customers will be middle market companies or companies that want to outsource business activities. The portals will let companies select hosted and in-house software applications, content and services and then integrate them into a single desktop view. The initial funding for the company was $16.7 million.
American Express announced the winners in its contest that challenged Java developers from around the world to create innovative, new smart card applications for potential use on the credit card Blue from American Express. The ‘Code Blue’ contest was co-sponsored by Sun Microsystems and Oberthur Card Systems. Igor Fisher, of Tuebingen, Germany, will receive $50,000 as the first place winner of the ‘Code Blue’ contest, earning the honor with his “Pass Keeper” application. Pass Keeper would enhance a user’s smart card by storing a portable and securely locked list of Internet addresses (a/k/a bookmarks) together with a user’s PINs, passwords, or account numbers that might be required for entering those sites. Sirl Davis of the UK will receive $25,000 as the second place finisher. Mr. Davis’ application would use smart card technology for encrypting and gaining secure access to MP3 files and could be extended to other file formats, software, and video games. The third place winners created a Java Card technology application for couponing and electronic ticketing.
American Express wants to put some “smarts” into its smart card. AmEx has launched a contest for technology developers to create new ‘Java Card’ technology applications for the AmEx ‘Blue’ credit card. AmEx, Oberthur Card Systems and Sun Microsystems jointly launched the ‘Code Blue’ contest that offers a first prize of $50,000. There are over two million ‘Java’ technology developers. AmEx says that through the use of Java technology, AmEx wants to demonstrate its commitment to making Blue an ‘evolving’ credit card by adding new features and services that meet open and interoperable standards. To-date, the smart card feature of the ‘Blue’ card has largely been a marketing ploy to demonstrate leadership in the emerging card technology arena. Currently the AmEx ‘Blue’ smart chip stores a unique digital certificate that, when used with a special smart card reader plugged into a PC, provides extra security when shopping online. The smart card readers are available free for a limited time to AmEx ‘Blue’ cardholders. Contest details are available via CardFlash Online.
American Express announced the appointment of Glen Salow to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer. He succeeds Allan Loren, who will retire from the Company in early May. Mr. Salow has been with American Express since 1997, most recently as Senior Vice President of Technology for the Company’s E-commerce activities and the U.S. Card and Travel Services businesses.