Interview with Lord Avebury - Home Affairs Spokesperson in the House of Lords

You've been a member of the House of Lords for over 30 years. What are the greatest changes/transitions have you witnessed?

I've been a member of the Lords since 1971, but I was a member of the Commons from 1962 to 1970. The composition of the Lords there has changed a lot, with more women and members of ethnic minorities. Since most of the hereditaries were evicted in 1999, there are rules for the number of representatives of the parties and of cross-benchers, which mean that the Government can always be defeated when the opposition combines. There are more Select Committees; the average attendance has improved; there are so called 'family friendly' hours which mean that all-night sittings are a thing of the past.

What are your view on the proposed stage 2 reforms? Do you think they will ever go ahead?

It would be rash to say 'never', but I would be very surprised if they materialise in the near future. As the general election approaches, the Government aren't going to waste time on a matter that isn't any good at all electorally, and could be contentious. Harold Wilson thought he had cross-party agreement to reforms in 1968, but gave up after 21 sitting days of abortive discussion on the floor of the Commons.

Are you in favour of a directly elected second chamber?

I'm not keen on a wholly elected second chamber, because there's a strong case for having the expertise of people who aren't connected with political parties such as the President of the Royal Society or the former Chief Inspector of Prisons. On the other hand, if the only alternative on offer is an 80% elected chamber of 450 members, with bishops retained in proportion, I would have to plump for the 100% solution, seeing no reason why the Church of England should have any special treatment.

You were liberal chief whip - a great honour. What was the most challenging aspect of the role?

Generally, being Whip of a small and cohesive party wasn't difficult, but when any Member defied the Party, there were no effective sancttons. When Roddy Bowen accepted the Deputy Speakership in 1964, for instance, effectively depriving the Parliamentary Party of a twelfth of its force, there was nothing Jo Grimond or I could do to stop him. The most troublesome Member in the 1968-70 Parliament was Peter Bessell, who made a habit of coming to my office shortly before a division to say that his conscience was stopping him voting with the Party – even though he had said nothing at the Party meeting a day before.

You voted strongly against the introduction of ID cards, what other bills have you strongly opposed/been in favour of?

I was against ID cards, but I fear it's a losing battle. The Tories wouldn't join us in voting against the introduction of ID cards for immigrants, and that was the thin end of the wedge. And now, with the increasing threat of terrorism and identity theft, I think the general public won't support last ditch attempts to stop the progressive roll-out of ID cards to the rest of the population.

I am strongly against legislation that increases the prison population, and badly thought out measures on immigration. I'm in favour of Bills to ensure that adequate accommodation is made available for Gypsies and Travellers, and I want to see the Government adopting a real strategy to curb the harmful effects of alcohol.

Despite your allegiance to the liberal democrats - you rebelled against your party's view on the hunting bill. Is this common in the chamber?

I very rarely feel it necessary to vote or speak against the Party line, and that applies to most Members in all three Parties. The only consistent rebels in the Tory and Labour ranks have been the anti-Europeans.

Describe an average day in the Lords.

Normally, I do paperwork in my office at home in the morning, arriving at the House in time for the start of business. Two days from last week:

Tuesday, President Khama's meeting in the Grand Committee Room. I told him that his father Seretse Khama and I were freshmen together at Balliol in 1945. Then, initiated a motion to disapprove the Immigration Rules changes. Support for postponing the changes from all sides of the House, but the Tories wouldn't vote with us, though David Cameron had an identical motion, not debated, in the Commons.

As a result, the changes come into effect tomorrow, halting research programmes in the universities and PCTs.Wednesday, a presentation by the General Teaching Council to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gypsies and Travellers in the morning and in the afternoon, fielded a Queston on the processing of visa applications from Sri Lanka and the Maldives, then spoke in the debate on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The session was prorogued at 20.00, giving us a few days off until the new session begins on December 3.

But what may not always be realised is the volume of work outside the chamber. In the last two weeks, for instance, I have had meetings with a prominent member of the Democrats about the US Presidential campaign; the directors of a wine distributors about loss-leading sales of wine by supermarkets; the Eritrean Ambassador about the situation in the Horn of Africe; a Bangladeshi TV presenter about the forthcoming elections there; with two experts on Somaliland, and with two leaders of the United Resistance Front of Darfur.

Outside meetings in the same two weeks: the Irish Travellers Movement; 15th anniversary dinner of the Kurdish Human Rights Project (KHRP) (of which I'm President); KHRP book launch the following evening; all day Saturday AGM of the Peru Support Group (of which I'm also President), and an all-day meeting in Oxford of an educational trust of which I'm chairman.

You're a greatly respected Lord and politician, with an excellent record in human rights efforts. What has been your greatest achievement politically?

I think its very seldom justified for an individual to claim credit for political changes, whether in human rights or any other endeavour. Changes happen when there is a minimum critical mass of support for them, and one person can only say that he was active in pursuit of a particular goal.

For many years, for example, I was Chairman of the Eritrea Support Group, which campaigned for the self-determination of the people of Eritrea. When they finally won their independence it was largely through military victory and a referendum, and the contribution made by anybody in the international community was only one of moral support.

I founded the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, chaired it from 1976 to 1997, and continue as vice-chair. I do take pride in the fact that the Group is more effective than ever today in raising the profile of human rights, under the able leadership of Ann Clwyd MP.

Interview with Radio Jackie Court Reporter - Stuart James Ross

Describe a normal day in the courtroom.

I don't know if there's such a thing as a typical day in the courtroom. As a journalist you could end up reporting on minor misdemeanors that are only of particular interest to a couple of local newspapers and radio stations, or you could be reporting on more major cases that may have drawn the attention of the national media. In more serious cases the atmosphere can be quite intense, and it can be quite intimidating to come face-to-face with the full apparatus of the British legal system for the first time. As a reporter you'll have to prove your status before you'll be allowed to sit in the press gallery, so make sure you bring some form of accreditation, and that your news organisation has spoken to the court about your presence in advance.

What are the key skills required for being a successful court reporter?

As certain reporting restrictions may be in place when a trial is occurring it is essential to have knowledge of what these could potentially be. Also as electronic devices are not permitted within the courtroom the good old-fashioned skill of shorthand comes in useful. It's especially useful to accurately jot down that killer quote in what otherwise may be rather dull proceedings.

Best/worst part of the job?

Court reporting can be exciting when the court hears something revelatory within a trial for the first time, and thus providing you with your headline. It can however also be quite tedious as individual details of a case are painstakingly picked over again and again. The need to be fast and accurate with your shorthand can be a negative aspect if you're not up to speed.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to get into the business?

With regards court reporting it's probably worth going to see some trials in advance to become familiar with the surroundings and procedures, although if you are sitting in the public gallery you probably won't be allowed to take notes.

Credit Crunch hits DVLA plans – but is it all about the money?

The Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has cancelled the purchase of a facial-recognition system for checking driving-license applications, dispelling the myth that government security programmes are recession-proof. The Department of Transport withdrew the plans for the implementation of the pilot stating the project was shelved explicitly ‘due to the existing economic climate’. Perhaps the reality is a lot more complex than that. The question remains; is the biometric driving license really just another victim of the credit crunch or a case of government bigwigs getting cold feet when opting to push ID cards through the back door?

The planned facial recognition project had been heralded as a means of reducing the number of fraudulent driving licenses in circulation. Initially costing up to £10 million, the process was expected to hold 50 million digital images of drivers and prevent the evasion of disqualification or passing on of penalty points. A similar system is employed by the Identity and Passport services (IPS) where submitted photographs are checked against those already used to dig out any duplicates. The DVLA database was designed to run checks on thousands of license applications and penalty point registrations each day to check the same face doesn’t appear anywhere else on the official records. The collapse of the tender is disastrous news for DVLA officials. The agency has no efficient means of checking fictitious identities, and subsequently it is feared as many as 100,000 duplicate licenses have been issued in the United Kingdom.

The manual checking procedures that the DVLA currently exercise are effectively pointless when trying controlling the 39 million driving licenses in circulation. 29 million of these are first generation plastic cards, whereby the images are of such a low quality they cannot even be digitally matched. Throw in the inevitable risk of human error and the huge scale of the task and the Department of Transport has a serious problem on their hands. Having been forced to cancel the pilot system at short notice, the DVLA finds itself at a distinct disadvantage to the increasingly elaborate security systems springing up around Britain’s borders. Ironically, while DVLA officials are tightening their purse strings, the Home Office has advertised a £700 million contract for the production of a new generation of biometric passports while several US states including Virginia have recently introduced facial recognition databases with successful results. So much for the credit crunch then.

It’s unlikely that a lack of cash was the only shortcoming in the Government’s plans. The Home Office is already lumbered with an unenviable track record of binning a series of national IT projects to the tune of £300 million pounds. These included the faulty child support agency database in partnership with EDS, scrapped NHS, MoD and Pensions databases, and of course, the costly and delayed National Identity register. The disintegration of the driving license facial-recognition tender is the latest in a long line of security blunders. In this case, the DVLA initially appointed L-1 Identity Solutions (formerly Identix and Viisage), a facial geometry biometrics specialist, to trial the database and to gauge whether photo card licenses could be used to automate driver identification.

It was a potentially foolish decision by the Department of Transport. A New Scientist magazine article published back in 2002, reported on the problems with Viisage’s software at Fresno Yosemite International Airport, California. Six years on and seemingly, it hasn’t got any easier for L-1 Identity Solutions. The company announced forecasted revenues of $220 million for the financial year in 2007. This may paint a rosy picture, but any company which reports their earnings before interest, tax; depreciation and amortisation do so because there are no profits left. Perhaps Department of Transport officials came to the same conclusion as well.

There were concerns from anti-ID groups and campaigners that the biometric driving license was another means of forcing compulsory ID onto the British public and would be intrinsically linked to the much-maligned UK identity card. However, while Transport Minister Alastair
Darling accepts driving licenses will ‘go biometric and at some stage’ he maintained the license will remain a ‘distinct document’ from the National Identity scheme. The equivalence between the DVLA systems and the proposed National Identity register is simply that the DVLA is an example of a current large scale UK Government system, although far smaller than the proposed National Identity Register. Having said that, given that the same information will be required for both passports and driving licenses it would make sense to co-operate on them.

One would assume the Department of Transport would use the ID scheme’s biometric enrolment centres and equally logically, biometrics already gathered on ID cards could be added to a driving license. It's simple really. On the contrary, licenses and ID cards won’t be linked. Honest. One reason for this is that providing the National ID scheme rollout goes to plan, (which is by no means a safe bet) ID cards will be out in force long before biometric driving licenses. What Darling really means when he says the two documents will be ‘distinct’ is that they will be as distinct from ID cards as any other Government-controlled service - basically not at all.








(Smartcard News Ltd, 2008)

Critically examine Herman and McChesney’s (1997) book 'The Global Media: the new missionaries of global capitalism.'

Herman and McChesney’s ‘The Global Media: the new missionaries of global capitalism’ traces the emergence of the global media system and analyses the impact of the digital revolution and the ongoing ascendancy of the internet. The authors argue that while the commercially-driven elements of the media effectively drive globalisation, the process has negative consequences for the public sphere and state broadcasting systems across the world. The book examines how the operations of the global media (dominated by ‘three or four dozen large transnational corporations’) affect the intricate structure of a number of global countries. At an economic and political level, the media plays a key role in creating a ‘common culture’ and a unique system of values. In this essay, I will critically examine Herman and McChesney’s view that the primary effect of globalization is to serve ‘market ends’ and not ‘citizenship needs’, testing the validity of this theory. I will trace the emergence of capitalism within the media and evaluate the impact of the digital revolution along with the ‘Americanization’ of global news.

The Public Sphere

The creation of the public sphere is essential to understanding how the media influences the working of democracies. Herman and McChesney define the public sphere as ‘all the places and forums where issues of importance to the political community are discussed and debated, and where information presented is vital to citizen participation in society.’
The German philosopher Jurgen Habermas argues in ‘The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere’ that the public sphere works most effectively for democracy when it is ‘institutionally independent of the state and society’s dominant economic sources’, supporting his assertion that capitalism and globalization is intrinsically linked. This bears relevance when we consider that non-profit public service broadcasters like the BBC have greater journalism freedom and subsequently can present the news with a degree of objectivity. Conversely, Herman and McChesney contend that as ‘pre-eminent vehicles of communication’ the media, even when partially controlled by commercial bodies, are so economically and politically powerful that their representation of news maintains a strong influence over the public’s decision-making. However the authors do acknowledge that privatized systems of media tend to represent a narrower class interest than their non-profit counterparts. With the advertiser’s interests of huge importance to broadcasters, the private media often finds itself closely aligned to large corporations.

While the authors maintain that the model of globalisation breeds negativity and an incompatibility with ‘democratic order’ there are contrasting schools of thought among academics and experts. Daya Kishan Thussu, a professor of International Communication, argues in his book ‘International communication: Continuity and change’ that the ‘economic liberalization’ and ‘commercial intensification’ sparked by the development of international communications has allowed the media to flourish. He refers to the spreading of capitalism illustrated by the inception of Reuters in the 19th century and the parallel growth of colonial empires. Thussu claims the ‘rapid dissemination of popular culture’ and the ‘promotion of fundamental western values’ have positively impacted upon a globalizing media, suggesting the possibility of continued change. Another benefit of globalization is the introduction of fresh perspectives from Multinationals into areas where they would otherwise not exist, thus improving the quality of life for those living in less economically developed areas.

The Rise of the Global Media

Although the global media system truly thrived in the late 80’s and 90’s, Robert McChesney suggests that the global markets are centuries old. However, McChesney claims that it wasn’t until the late twentieth century and the rise of ‘neo-liberal free market’ policies when the relationship between capitalism and the westernised media was established. The roots of capitalism were set initially by the slave trade, which created a global market system. This laid the foundations for the industrial revolution, a process that greatly improved communications and enabled capitalism to rapidly expand across national boundaries conceiving ‘monopolistic and oligopolistic enterprises’. The first significant form of global media was the foundation of the international news agencies. German Wolff, French Havas and British Reuters were domestic press agencies with particular interest in foreign news.

The trio eventually formed a cartel and were joined by US based Associated Press and United Press. McChesney underlines the importance of these agencies describing them as ‘in effect, the global media... with a near-monopolised control over international news’. McChesney also argues that the news agencies were tailored to the needs and interests of the wealthy nations who provided their revenue, and therefore initiated the rise of TNC’s or transnational corporations. A TNC ‘maintains facilities in more than one country and plans its operations from a multi-nation perspective’. McChesney suggests that a number of U.S firms sought to exploit the foreign markets and induced a ‘huge wave of mergers’, extending globalisation to Western Europe and further extending the rich-poor divide between the MEDC’s (more economically developed) and LEDC’s (less economically developed). In contrast, Oliver Boyd-Barrett argues that rather than limit the weaker economic nations, globalisation has enabled countries to operate with greater freedom in his book, ‘Communications Media, Globalization, And Empire’. He claims TNC’s have facilitated social interaction, ‘creating new channels of political participation’ attributing the process to ‘deregulation of markets and increasing international flows of capital’.

The USA’s financial dominance was aided by probably the most important post-war media technology, television. The US broadcasters exploited the commercial markets abroad, exporting ‘twice as many hours of programming as all other nations combined’ in the mid-late twentieth century. According to McChesney, this provided corporations with the perfect opportunity to expand their market share through ferocious advertising, resulting in the United States accounting for 75% of global advertising in the 60’s and 70’s. McChesney argues that ‘the global media were missionaries of the age, promoting the virtues of commercialization through profit-driven communication policies to everyone.’ It certainly worked; a Nationmaster survey conducted in 2007 revealed that for every person in the world, there are five owned televisions. However, it can be argued that these statistics do not accurately reflect the reality. For instance, India boasts one of the World’s fastest expanding economies and yet 68% of the country still does not own a television or radio. This also contradicts Herbert Mcluhan’s theory of a ‘global village’ in his book, ‘The Global Village: Transformations in world life and media’. Mcluhan predicted humankind will move from ‘individualism and fragmentation to a collective global identity fuelled my media advances.’

The Digital Revolution

In this chapter McChesney examines the significance of the internet revolution in the mid 90’s and explores how the global media has adapted to the accelerated changes. It is important to remember that ‘Global Media: the new missionaries of global capitalism’ was published in 1997, when digital and online technology was still very much in its infancy. While McChesney does accept that ‘the impending social changes will be revolutionary’, he tends to misinterpret the scale of the internet’s potential and the rapidity of its progress. The author comments on how little the internet is influencing global operations in the late 90’s and predicts that it won’t be until ‘2015 for a broadband network to reach fruition in the United States and Western Europe.’ Perhaps most striking is a quote taken from Universal president Frank Biondi in 1996. Biondi said, ‘media firms don’t even think about the internet as competition.’ How times have changed. Today the media focuses the majority of its output and finances on the lucrative internet systems, as journalists find themselves increasingly adapting to a converging, multi-application environment.

McChesney demonstrates his uncertainty over the digital revolution stating ‘all bets would be off concerning the internet’s future.’ He argues that cyberspace will become a haven solely for capitalists, thus enhancing the ‘communication inequality’ between rich and poor nations. The author cites low computer ownership in Asia, Africa and the Middle East (6%) compared to 64% in the USA. He also suggests Japan has been ‘slow to adapt to the internet… and is will struggle to establish itself in the considerable future.’ In fact research conducted in 2007 by Korea’s online newspaper, ‘The Digital Chosunilbo’, revealed that 88% of Japan, Singapore and Korea own home computers, and 80% of the population had logged onto the internet in the last week. In comparison, only 77% of the U.S owned a computer, and just 59% had accessed the web in the previous seven days.

McChesney highlights the internet subscription fee as ‘problematic’, claiming users will not want to pay internet providers for access, subsequently threatening the development of the web. In contrast, findings by http://www.internetworldstats.com/ show 84% of the economically developed world pay for their internet access. The author says, ‘In our view the internet or digital revolution do not pose an immediate or foreseeable threat to the market… the egalitarian potential of the technology will be minimized.’ Alternatively, in ‘Mcquail’s Mass communication theory’, academic and writer Denis Mcquail contends that the internet ‘offers an integrated treatment of the major components of mass communication and demonstrates how theories of mass communication relate to the broader understanding of society and culture.’

Media Globalisation: The US Evolutionary Model

The market dominance of the USA has been the most extensive and complete among the global superpowers. Herman believes that the USA presents the ideal evolutionary model of a commercial media which other countries are inclined to imitate. Herman argues that while ‘virtually all countries are moving discernibly toward the U.S model’, this negatively impacts upon the public sector, ‘weakening finances’, and causing media firms to ‘shrink or self-commercialize’ in an increasingly capital-dominated industry. The author asserts that the ‘Americanisation’ of commercial broadcasting has weakened the public sphere, resulting in a decline of quality journalism and diverse viewpoints. Instead Herman suggests that ‘maturation not only substitutes entertainment… but increases the protection of establishment interests.’

The US evolutionary model has also proved detrimental to American politics. Herman notes that air-time must be purchased from broadcasters, making the quest for political office extremely expensive and offering a distinct advantage to the candidate with greater financial backing. This is still relevant today; the Boston Globe reported this year that Democrat Barack Obama’s advertising campaign is likely to surpass the £200 million dollar mark. Herman condenses the negative impacts of US globalisation into three categories. The first is the loss of community values, and the subsequent strengthening of materialism and broadcasting monopolies. The second is the fortification of conservative politics (which undermine social democratic options), and thirdly the erosion of local cultures whereby Herman believes the likes of France, Japan and even Jamaica will be ‘Disneyfied.’ However, Tyler Cowen’s ‘Creative Destruction: How Globalization Is Changing the World's Cultures’ presents an alternative view. Cowen maintains that rather than erode local culture, globalization has ‘enriched cultural authenticity… driving technology, ideas goods and services more freely than ever before. We are in the midst of an unprecedented boom.’

Clearly, there are evident links between capitalism and the global media, and the authors contest that this relationship can have negative impacts on society, affecting the state of finances, politics and broadening the divide between MEDC’s and LEDC’s. Herman and McChesney argue that the global market system has encouraged ‘polarization, ethnic strife, and a market-based paralysis of democracy.’ While I agree that globalization within the media has enabled capitalism to flourish, I also believe that the process has brought with it a number of benefits and allowed countries such as India and China to reap the rewards of a free-market environment. The modern consumer-driven industry has increased the quality and professionalism of journalists and media, as well as creating strong communication links across the World, providing billions of users with immediate news and information.

In conclusion, globalization has allowed both the media and the development of capitalism to prosper. Today the global media breaks down barriers offering new communication technologies, environments and social action. Herman and McChesney perceive the centralization of the global media order and the associated decline in public broadcasting as ‘dangerous to the workings of democracy’. But while globalization carries risks and ethical uncertainties, it’s capabilities to influence and shape society cannot be denied.

Cartes 2008: Security, convergence, sustainability and contactless

Paris may be better known as the city of romance but every year thousands of the industry’s movers and shakers descend upon the French capital for a different reason – The Cartes and Identification show. This year the international trade show, now in it’s 23rd year, focuses upon Contact less payment, convergence, data and transaction security, sustainable development, and of course NFC. With Barack Obama’s appointment to the White House the talk of the town, it seemed fitting that the United States were the 2008 guests of honour. The USA is particularly advanced in their deployment of applications such as electronic documents and payment cards. Having understood the potential of smartcards in the field of security and access control, the United States were the first in the world to have adopted contact less payment using a chip capable of emulating the magnetic strip of their traditional bank cards. The Americans certainly put their mark on the 2008 show, with over fifty exhibitors including the likes of Smartcard Alliance, Sagem, Verifone, Hypercom, and ABnote making the trip across the pond.

In response to increased environmental awareness, a fresh impetus was placed upon sustainable technology as the Cartes show turned a considerable shade of green. As well as an international summit, hosted by the market leaders, the event made a special effort to reduce their ecological impact. This included access badges in recycled PVC, Visitor bags made with organic material, recycling points and eco stands in the heart of exhibition hall. The industry were also keen to get involved with ABnote introducing it’s biodegradable card, Inteligensa providing PET – recycled cards, and SafeNet launching a PIN issuance innovation that totally eliminates paper-based pin mailers. Equally encouraging, World leaders Oberthur Technologies signed the United Nations Global Compact while Gemalto revealed they had cut carbon emissions by 70%. The Parisian transport workers almost got in on the ‘green’ act too. Their proposed rail strikes (which didn’t really materialize) might have forced some of the event-goers to travel by bike or foot to Villepinte!

It’s a tough call for businesses, desperate to ensure profitability and do their bit for the environment, thus maintaining relations with the global community. Frankly, going green creates a sizeable headache for the industry. While it offers an opportunity to implement efficiencies that will bring economic and eco-friendly benefits to businesses in the long term, it will involve short term additional costs – something that the fickle consumer is unlikely to accept with open arms.

Also on the agenda was the return of the Identification trade show, dedicated to security-related technologies and biometrics, and the Smart Devices Exposition – a newcomer to the event. The exposition enabled spectators to discover a selection of visionary objects enabling contact less performance. These included watches, tokens, bracelets, USB sticks and key rings to name a few. And lest we not forget the NFC Zone, set up in partnership with the NFC forum. It feels like NFC has been around for ages and appears, dare I say it, a little bit stagnant. While the industry continues to plug the technology and heap praise upon its capabilities, NFC is still plagued by standardization and usage issues. At Cartes, it was the case of the same old story. Barclaycard UK’s Richard Mould said, “as far as we’re concerned NFC and contact less technology is here to stay. It’s not a trial it’s an inevitability.” Patrick Sure from ASK emphasized the “market need in the UK” for NFC. But is there really a market need? Tier 1 merchants seem reluctant to adopt the technology and outside of the South-East (where contact less trials were conducted) NFC-enabled readers are practically non-existent.

Mould described it as a catch-22 situation. “Merchants don’t want to adapt technology until a substantial amount of customers have NFC capabilities on their mobiles or
contact less capabilities on their cards. But customers won’t require NFC-enabled mobile devices until they actually have somewhere to use it.”

If NFC is to reach the mainstream, it’s vital that players in the industry combine to expand the contact less infrastructure and also to drive usage. On a financial level it makes perfect sense – the unit cost of regular card transactions are higher compared with NFC or contact less transactions. Of course, the real question is whether retailers and businesses can afford to meddle with unfamiliar technologies in the current economic climate. Ask the majority of merchants hit by the credit crunch, and regaining a short-term profit takes precedence over any long term plans, regardless of how beneficial NFC may prove to be.

On a more positive note, there were a multitude of new and exciting products on display, changing the face of traditional applications such as payment, ticketing and access control with wireless and contact less innovations. Weneo launched ‘Neowave’ a mass storage, highly-secure USB key with e-banking, loyalty and ticketing functionalities. Oberthur Technologies introduced ‘CardBlade’ a data-encrypted USB interface providing a physical access control for transport or banking. Gemalto revealed its e-travel operating system – a large capacity microprocessor boasting 100% interoperability with passport technology. Barclaycard introduced ‘Onepulse’ a combined credit and oyster card for London’s commuters. Samsung launched ‘SWP mobile payment’ an S3FS91J IC specific offering consumers increased personal data security and user authentication reliability. Sagem displayed their A-GPS SIM, the world’s first assisted GPS SIM card forming a network –assisted receiver.

ABnote promoted their ‘smart transaction watch’ a contact less multi-application device. Frederich Tupy of ABnote said, “Watches are won – not carried, so they are literally on hand and as a result are easily accessible. The watch face represents ten times the exposure to the cardholder compared with their card and can be used for banking, transit and prepaid transactions.” Another US based company; security specialists HID revealed their contact less inlay for ID cards. HID’s Apryl Erickson told me, “The product uses the thinnest most secure prelaminate technology, as well as the most secure crack prevention technology. Best of all, the inlay is totally compliant with all relevant industry standards.”

Dutch giants NXP Semiconductors introduced their contact less, Java based ‘SmartMX’. Dominique Brule said, “SmartMX meets the needs of high-volume, multi-application markets such as banking cards, SIM cards, and public transportation.” Closer to home, Scottish based Ecebs launched the ‘ACIS ticketing solutions unit’, a touch sensitive display screen for rail, or bus information. The device has proved so successful that Cambridge shire Council is currently piloting the technology across the county. Ecebs Research and Development engineer Stephen Mcspadden said, “The solution offers the integration of real time information systems and smart ticketing. It has benefits for transport authorities and the traveling public.”

In the last three years, the Cartes show has experienced a 33% growth, the event continues to drive innovations and enable attendees to discover new technologies. Contact less and security markets are currently experiencing strong development with e-commerce and pre-payments gaining momentum. This has encouraged major players to work together across a number of sectors, increasing convergence and the adaptation of businesses. The industry landscape is rapidly changing, and Cartes has proved that the card market has plenty to fear - and look forward too.

(Smartcard News Ltd, 2008)

The Sesame Awards 2008: Peer Recognition

Set among prestigious surroundings at the Pavilion Gabriel, the 13th Sesame Awards provided the perfect start to the Cartes Show. Acclaimed by industry players, the prestigious ceremony celebrates the cream of the industry’s technology and new innovations. The judges look for products that offer a true breakthrough to the card sector, as well as major benefits to the end user. The awards were a climax to a busy year which has seen markets such as contact less rapidly develop. This year, a record 233 organisations entered products with everyone involved eager to scoop one of the industry’s highest accolades. The Sesames aren’t just an opportunity for businesses to pat themselves on the back either. The awards provide an outstanding opportunity for products to gain international recognition, thus enhancing global reputation and credibility. It’s easy to understand why; over two hundred journalists and professionals attend the event on the lookout for new market products.

The Sesames are judged by a panel of experts from the media and industry alike. This year’s jury included members of the NFC forum, Smartcard Alliance, National association of Banking, and a number of publications such as Card Technology Magazine, Cards Now! Asia and Regarding:ID. The awards are divided into three main categories, hardware, software and applications. The hardware category rewards the best smartcard, microprocessor, or manufacturing equipment. The software category aims to promote multi-application programs, algorithms and operating systems.

The Sesame applications award is divided into eight major activity sectors.

Identification – Biometrics, RFID and identity management.
IT Security – Electronic signature and logical access control.
Transportation – Public and private transportation.
Banking and finance – EMV functions, and transaction logs.
Health – Online healthcare services and medical records.
Mobile – Machine to Machine, GSM, GPRS, and m-commerce.
E-transactions – E-government and secure electronic transactions.
Customer loyalty – Spending, bonus rates, and flexibility.

The winners were:

Hardware Sesame – Infineon Technologies won with SLE 78 Family with Integrity Guard. The product provides new levels of security, and can adapt itself to future viral threats, thus maximising flexibility and customer value. Runners-up were Inside Contactless with MicroRead and Infineon Technologies, this time with SLM 76 Security controller for M-to-M applications.

Software Sesame – Gemalto won with Smart Card Web Mash-ups, a Java card 3.0 embedded application that draws upon content retrieved from external data sources to create entirely new and innovative services. Runners-up were Hypercom with Hypersafe 32 and Oberthur Technologies with SafeSTIC.

Identification Application Sesame – Motorola won with Motorola bio-enrol, a flexible solution that allows ergonomic enrolment processes for all applicants and is easily integrated into workflows. Runners-up were Identita Technologies International with ID-touch, Motorola with Motorola Mobile AFIS and Smart Packaging Solutions with Anti skimming solution for e-passport.

IT Security Sesame – GO-Trust won with GO-Trust SD solutions, an embedded smart card chip that enables applications to run over a billion cell phones at one time. Runners-up were Gemalto with BioPIN – enabled Gemalto.NET smart cards, Giesecke and Devrient with StarSign Mobility Token, and Privaris with PlusID 75.

Healthcare Application Sesame – Oberthur Technologies won with WebSTIC.Health, a secure USB portable stick that extends the use of the online health vault in offline mode. Runners- up were Gematik – Gesellschaft fur Telematikanwendungen der Gesundheitskarte with Mobiler Konnector, Hypercom with medCompact and NXP Semiconductors with KeepIn Touch-NFC solutions.

Transportation Application Sesame – Giesecke and Devrient won with Touch & Travel, an NFC mobile ticketing solution that combines classic SIM functionality with NFC technology. Runners-up were Oberthur Technologies with WebSTIC Fly, and Smartsoft Information Technologies with SmartCity.

Mobile Application Sesame – Oberthur Technologies won with Gigantic Wuaow, a multimedia SIM with exceptional potential in terms of interactivity. Runners- up were Neowave with Weneo-NFC and Oberthur Technologies with WebSim Local Advertising.

Banking and Finance Application Sesame – Xiring won with Xi Sign Wallet, a pocket, slimcard - size solution that manages contactless EMV functions, electronic authorisation and transaction logs. Runners-up were Thales with Thales SafeSign Pilot Package for mobile authentication and Xiring with BioPass.

E-Transactions Application Sesame – Atos Worldline won with Fast booking on ATM, an application that enables reserving of tickets through an ATM machine, generating increased income for banks. Runners-up were SafeNet with ViewPIN+, EtherTrust and Sagem Orga with TLS-Tandem, and the Immigration Department of Hong Kong with e-passport self-service Kiosk.

Loyalty Application Sesame – Garanti Payment Systems won with Flexi Card, the World’s first credit card to allow holders to determine specifications compatible with spending habits. Runners-up were Contactless Data with MobiFetch, Experian with Come&Tap, and ViVOtech with ViVOnfc 3.0.

Remy de Tonnac of Inside Contactless said, “The Sesame Awards really bring out innovation and talent and have become a must for the smartcard industry. To be rewarded for our efforts is a great honour to us and our partners.”

(Smartcard News Ltd, 2008)

About MasterMover

Introduction

MasterMover International is the award-winning manufacturer of pedestrian electric tugs and widely recognised as a market leader in providing solutions for moving wheeled loads. Since the company’s inception in 1995 MasterMover have provided handling solutions to some of the biggest brand names in industry, both nationally and globally. Today MasterMover enjoys an annual turnover of £3million and a portfolio stretching to 27 models, all specifically designed to safely and efficiently transport wheeled loads. Deployed across the World, MasterMover products are used within a range of industries in China, Europe, Australia and also by the US military. The Derbyshire based company are committed to British design and employ over 40 people, many of whom live locally.

Our facilities

In late 2007 MasterMover relocated it’s business headquarters from Henmore Trading Estate to George Dutton Business Park, a larger site based at the Airfield Industrial Estate. The new location in the south of Ashbourne enables MasterMover to employ more staff to cope with an increasing workload. Admirably, MasterMover decided not to move premises until a suitable building in Ashbourne had been found, reinforcing the local values and loyalty that the business maintains. The move has proved very successful, with the extra workspace complementing the company’s rapid growth and enabling further progress.

Our Team

Service - The MasterMover service team are extensively trained and dedicated to providing a quick and hassle-free service to their customers. Problems are identified and eradicated with minimum delay and overnight deliveries of parts ensure a rapid response. Supported by a sophisticated analysis and tracking system, the engineers deliver an efficient and professional service. In addition to this, the department’s experts perform annual evaluations of the equipment and it’s performance, as well as discussing issues or individual requirements. A variety of warranty cover plans offered by MasterMover provide further security for consumers and businesses alike.

Sales – The MasterMover sales team combine high-quality consumer focused solutions with the responsibility of increasing the customer base on an international scale. Through relationships built with contacts and clients and an ever-expanding portfolio of products, the team help to develop the sales for contracts, spares and units. The team support the customer with product advice tailored to each individual, personal visits and business development strategies. The department are always striving to reach a diverse range of new markets so that MasterMover can continue the growth pattern they have experienced in the last decade.

Design – The MasterMover design team constantly works to increase productivity and effectiveness of their tugs, while maintaining high health and safety standards. Employing the latest 3D CAD technology the team offer specialist packages to customers requiring unique and inspired solutions. The in-house department uses industrial design software working closely with businesses to provide accurate and desirable products. To ensure that MasterMover operates to maximum efficiency the on-screen concept can be viewed and modified by the consumer prior to manufacture.

Production & Manufacturing – The on-site manufacturing department consists of experienced engineers working with highly developed technology and state-of-the-art assembly lines. Focusing on quality and professional production the facility ensures all models are assembled accurately and specifically to each customer’s demands. The engineers are able to offer complete flexibility on small or large volume orders eliminating any concerns for the consumer.

Our Mission Statement

MasterMover will continue to provide effective solutions and expert support to it’s international customer base. It will strive to achieve the highest standards of quality in their workforce, products and services, whilst maintaining their status as a forward thinking market leader.

Our Guarantee

It is the sole responsibility of MasterMover to ensure the solution delivered is fully mobilised and effective. If the consumer deems the product unsuitable every effort will be made to provide a full replacement or refund. We strive to offer the customer product security through annual assessments, warranty plans and tailored advice from fully trained engineers.

Our Awards

The awards received by MasterMover underline the company’s dedication to achieving the highest standards of health and safety within the workplace.

Safe Contractor - In July 2008, MasterMover gained acceptance to the Safe Contractor national register after reaching health and safety standards in accordance with the Safe Contractor national requirement. The accreditation demonstrates the company’s conviction to prioritise health and safety, reducing the need to complete application forms and therefore saving time, effort and resources.

CHASE - In addition to this, the government-run health and safety body, the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHASE), certified MasterMover after the business demonstrated compliance and management of health and safety legislation. The accreditation reflects the company’s efforts at instilling high standards of safety for it’s workforce and customers.

ISO - MasterMover also successfully renewed their ISO accreditation for the design, manufacture, supply and repair of their electric tugs. The assessment by the Independent European Certification (IEC) was made in respect of their quality management system and successful processes put in place within the company.

(Press Release for MasterMover, 2008)