Incotec, owned by El-Op, has submitted a bid in the banks’ electronic wallet tender, in partnership with the French company Monitel of the Swiss Ascom group. The group also includes the Federman group which controls El-Op.
Monitel specialises in smart cards, public telephones, cash registers, and card protection.
The group bid on the basis of VEPS electronic wallet technology which has been in operation in South Africa for several years.
Incotec general manager Meir Morag claimed that the banks’ professional steering committee did not give enough time to prepare for the tender. Bids were submitted on April 15, six weeks after the tender was published.
In fact this is the second tender published by the Banks Association for the electronic wallet, after Siemens and IBM reached the final of the first tender. Morag claims that the detailed specifications were written in consultation with the two groups which reached the final in the first tender.
Seven groups have submitted bids in the Banks Association electronic wallet tender: Olivetti, through Olivetti Israel; IBM, with an international European conglomerate, Tadiran Information Systems, Fortress, and CSI; Digital Israel and German company G&D; Siemens Nixdorf of Germany through Eldor; Monitel of Switzerland through Incotec of Israel; the Banksis group through Comsec of Israel; and the international Visa-Cash company.
The subject of the tender is a secure plastic card (chipcard) which it will be possible to load with cash and use as an electronic wallet, as a bank card, and as a credit card.