Barnes International Joins GlobalPlatform’s Expanding Membership
23 July 2008 – Barnes International Ltd (Barnes), a leading provider of testing tools and software to the global card market , has joined GlobalPlatform, the international smart card specifications body, to align its testing solutions – which simplify the identification of interoperability issues – with GlobalPlatform’s own work towards smart card interoperability.
Barnes joins GlobalPlatform as an Observer Member. This level of membership will enable Barnes’ representatives to participate in the association’s Advisory Council meetings, providing the company with the opportunity to track the work of the GlobalPlatform technical committees, influence the direction of GlobalPlatform’s Task Force initiatives and exchange ideas on best practice, issues and trends with other leading players in the smart card community, including the GlobalPlatform Board of Directors.
Brian Summerhayes, Managing Director at Barnes, acknowledges that the company’s decision to join GlobalPlatform was driven by a combination of technical and strategic factors. “The common technical objectives on interoperability shared between Barnes and GlobalPlatform, and the active engagement of a number of our customers within GlobalPlatform means that Barnes’ membership to the association makes strong commercial sense. We envision contributing to future discussions on overcoming the challenges associated with chip testing for contactless cards and bringing to market test products for testing compliance with GlobalPlatform Specifications.
“Barnes’ commitment to GlobalPlatform is also intended to reinforce the strength of the company’s position within the global card market. Overall, we look forward to a long and successful association with GlobalPlatform. ”
Marc Kekicheff, Vice-Chairman of GlobalPlatform and Senior Business Leader of Product Technology at Visa Inc., adds: “Barnes’ expertise in ensuring conformance to industry standards through testing and diagnosis fits perfectly with our own efforts to simplify and accelerate the global and cross-industry adoption of interoperable smart card applications. Barnes is a valued and welcome addition to our membership.”
For further details on different membership opportunities at GlobalPlatform visit https://globalplatform.wpengine.com/showpage.asp?code=globalcoop.
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About Barnes International
Barnes International is a world leader in the development and supply of Chip Card Test Tools and Magnetic Stripe Analysers. Barnes world class Test Tools enable the Manufacture and Issue of valid Magnetic stripe, Contact and Contactless EMV Chip Cards, help enable first time approval by Payment Schemes and minimise pre-issue costs. It’s Test Tools for Laboratory, Manufacturing and Bureaux include QC testing to ISO, EMV, Amex, Discover, Interac, JCB, MasterCard, Visa and GSM specifications. Barnes also offers EMV Consultancy and Card Testing and participates in various industry working groups to help develop effective standards and ensure Barnes Test Tools and customers are kept up to date with fast changing requirements . For further information about Barnes International, visit www.barnestest.com
About GlobalPlatform
GlobalPlatform is the global leader in smart card infrastructure development and its proven, technical specifications for cards, devices and systems are known as the standard for smart card infrastructure. GlobalPlatform is a member driven association with cross-industry representation from all world continents. For more information about GlobalPlatform, visit: www.globalplatform.org
For further media information on GlobalPlatform, please contact Georgina D’Arcy or Sarah Jones at iseepr: globalplatform@iseepr.co.uk or on +44 (0) 1943 468007
