Bezeq has decided to abandon its intention of issuing money-rechargeable electronic wallets. The company is about to end the relevant experiment it has been conducting at the Bar-Ilan University.
Bezeq’s marketing division manager Herzl Ozer confirmed this, noting that the main reason for the decision was the fact that the e-wallet was making no progress, either in Israel or in other countries. Bezeq, he said, was currently coping on fronts far more crucial for its future, and could not afford to invest money without seeing any return in the near future.
Two years ago, the Ministry of Communications approved Bezeq’s application to enter into the e-wallet field, and the company signed a memorandum of understanding with Bank Leumi for the set-up of a joint venture, a subsidiary company that would issue an e-wallet.
Operating in Israel to date are the Mondex e-wallet, in Ness Ziona and Rehovot, most of Israel's colleges and universities and Kibbutz Eilon; the e-wallet project of Beit Hashitta, operating in thirty kibbutzim on the basis of a technology developed by Israeli company OTI; and an ORT e-wallet operating in three kibbutzim in accordance with technology developed by G&D of Germany.
DBC, which intends to supply television services via satellite, a few months ago signed an agreement with Proton World, for the distribution of e-wallets via DBS services and other means.
Published by Israel's Business Arena August 29, 1999