The Hong Kong Awards for Industry is one of the most prestigeous event in local product design. All entries were judged according to design, quality, function, technological advancement, marketability and safety.

The winning entry from SPECTRA Technologies is the elegant and exquisitely designed S9000i Cordless Transaction Terminal, al all-in-one electronic transaction system which supports al major international credit cards, IC cards, electronic cash cards, bonus point cards and charge cards issued by retailers. Its cordless detachable design allows cards to be swiped in front of the customer for more safety. Easy to operate with multi-lingual display, the S9000i supports all communication standards and protocols, can be connected to an ECR/POS system and can be customised for different retail environments. Impeccable pre- and after-sale service from SPECTRA Technologies has made the S9000i an automatic choice of the banks within a short period of time.

TIMELY INNOVATION FOR GREATER CHINA

With the arrival of a new era of electronic transaction, both retailers and consumers demand more transaction convenience in lieu of cash and cheque. The S9000i is a timely innovation which has met with success quickly throughout Greater China.

Today over 90% of acquiring banks are using the S9000 series of advanced cordless transaction terminals, which are also the terminals of choice for EPS, the single largest user. Thousands of terminals were installed within the first 18 months by EPS and affiliated banks.

In Taiwan, SPECTRA Technologies developed the first MasterCard Smart Card that conforms to the international Emv2.0 standard for the USA chain store Toys'r'us.. The card, which is credit card, debit card, loyalty bonus point scheme, smart card and magnetic card all in one, is issued by China Tryst Commercial Bank with SPECTRA Technologies serving as both system integrator and supplier.

Together with the China Construction Bank, SPECTRA Technologies launched the first Electronic Purse in Guangzhou this June - even before the launch of VISA CASH in Hong Kong. Named the "Dragon Card", which can be an IC Cash Card or IC Debit Card, it also includes EPS functions and is widely accepted at affiliated outlets. Consumers who supply for their IC Cards at hospitals can have their medical record stored on the card to facilitate future consultation or emergency, the first of its knid in China. SPECTRA Technologies have also installed the bank's first international card processing system and thousands of S9000 and S9000i POS terminals to handle the "Dragon Card" as well as VISA, MasterCard, American Express, JCB and Diners Cards.

The S9000i prove that a locally designed product can compete successfully against world class hi-tech products from the West, which is exactly that the Hong Kong Awards for Industry aims to promote.

SUCCESS THROUGH R & D

Established in Hong Kong only as recently as 1993, SPECTRA Technologies specialises in the development of electronic transaction technologies and products. With headquarters in Hong Kong Industrial Technology Centre, the company now has branches and subsidiaries in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Taipei and Taichung. Total number of staff now exceeds 80 and the management team is made up of experts with over 10 years' experience in the development of electronic transaction technology and POS terminals.

Commitment to research and development is the key reason for their speedy success in the highly competitive market of Hong Kong. And since SPECTRA Technologies are able to develop their own technology as well as products ranging from terminals to processing systems, they are also able to make necessary adaptations to meet the different application needs.

Apart from the award winning S9000i, other patented products from SPECTRA Technologies include Payment Express Terminals of Hong Kong Utilities, Terminals integrated with Electronic Cash Register, Electronic Funds Transfer Controller for ECR/POS Systems, Universal Automatic Ticket Vending Machines, Hong Kong Regional Council Facility Interactive Vending Terminals and Outdoor Terminals for Bank Balance Inquiry & Electronic Purse Reloading.

SPECTRA Technologies has also developed Electronic Fund Transfer Network Access Controller and wide range of customised systems such as EDC Server Systems, Hotel Card Settlement System (CASH), Mail Order Processing System (MOPS), Department Store Card Processing System (DCPS) and International Card Processing System (ICPS).

While the future looks extremely promising for SPECTRA Technologies, the competition is also keen. Without adequate copyright protection, S9000i is confronted with 7 imitation products in Greater China, though none of them comes closes in terms or quality, technology, function and after-sale service.

Winning the Hong Kong Awards for Industry not only boosts the moral of the R&D specialists at SPECTRA Technologies, it also confirms their belief that success can only come from innovation.

As electronic money such as VISA CASH and the Mondex system now being developed in the UK come on stream, consumer behaviour is going through some fundamental changes and new products will have to be developed to meet the ever changing needs of retailers and consumers. With their proven expertise in product R&D, SPECTRA Technologies is well positioned for further success in the future.