Re Agreement

Telefonica SA 31 May 2001 Document Dated 30 May 2001 SPANISH STANDARD CREATED FOR MAKING PAYMENTS VIA MOBILE HANDSETS - On 30 May, Telefonica Moviles, BBVA, BSCH and Airtel concluded an agreement paving the way for the launch of a Spanish technological standard for making payments via mobile handsets. AMENA has also confirmed its intention to join the project. - Caja de Madrid, Banco Popular, Banesto, Banco Sabadell and Xfera will also be part of the agreement and will contribute their expertise in this field. - The standard is intended to provide a safe and secure mechanism for activating credit and debit cards, drawing on the expertise of existing payment processing systems. - The agreement entails integrating various projects already underway in Spain and participation will from the outset be open to all financial institutions, mobile operators and payment processing companies active in Spain, paving the way for possible future expansion into international markets. - By using a single technology, this agreement will allow for open competition among financial institutions for clients and among mobile phone operators, for users. Madrid, 30 May 2001- BSCH, BBVA, Telefonica, Moviles and Airtel have concluded an agreement to integrate the various projects each had been developing individually in the field of Payments via mobile handsets. The new project will from the outset be open to all financial institutions, mobile operators and payment processing companies active in Spain. Amena has also signed on to the project and there is an agreement in principal to bring on various other organisations, including Caja de Madrid, Banco Popular, Banesto, Banco Sabadell and Xfera. Thus the agreement marks the creation of a Spanish technological standard, with a clear will for international expansion. This agreement takes Spain to the forefront in the development of new business models and co-operation between financial institutions and mobile operators and strengthens its leadership in the use of new payment system technologies. Likewise, the project is in line with the objective of the European Union to strengthen advanced European solutions to lead the technological development of the information society. The new standard is based on recognition of the role which mobile telephony will play in consumers' daily life, making it an ideal tool for providing payment platform for their everyday expenses. It will make the transition to the euro easier and makes it possible to provide in advanced payment system for mobile businesses (household deliveries, household repairs, etc). The new standard will extend the range of businesses which have used advanced payment methods to date and will open the door to the youngest segment of the population. The security offered by the new system will make on-line shopping easier, give a decisive boost to mobile businesses, and open huge business opportunities by bringing together the advantages of mobile telephony and advanced payment systems. It uses the mobile telephone to identify the account holder who can confirm each transaction via a secret number, different to that used to activate the telephone. The parties to the agreement envisage that large credit card companies such as VISA and Master Card will enter the agreement and the international company. The agreement will result in the creation of two companies charged with establishing the standard in Spain and abroad, respectively. The project will involve initial investment of close to seven billion pesetas (42.07 million euros) and envisages the launch of a pilot service in the fourth quarter of this year and the marketing launch before the end of the year.
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