I will check this out if tasked at a modest diem by the list...
eBay Oz to double in 2003
20 January 2003
AUSTRALIA is one of the fastest growing markets for online auction house
eBay, which expects to double its local traffic in the coming year.
AND ALSO...
ERG set for US deal
James Riley
JANUARY 20, 2003
PERTH-based smartcard specialist ERG has been selected as preferred
tenderer to build and operate a $36 million integrated public transport
ticketing system in Washington DC and surrounding areas.
The project involves the establishment and operation of a smartcard
customer service centre, and the clearing and settlement of smartcard
transactions across 17 different transport organisations in Northern
Virginia, Maryland and the Washington DC area.
ERG was selected for the contract with partner Northrop Grumman IT by the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The decision means
the contract for the project can now be awarded to ERG, following final
negotiations and the expected approval of the Maryland Transit Administration.
Work on the system, dubbed "SmarTrip", is expected to begin by the end of
the first quarter.
News that ERG had been approved for the deal was cheered by the Australian
share market, which boosted ERG's long-suffering share price by 24 per cent
in the hour following the announcement.
The SmarTrip project will let passengers use a single stored-value
smartcard across the different transport groups in different government
jurisdictions.
Transport authorities said the SmarTrip card base would grow to more than
one million in its first five years of operation.
ERG has previously won contracts for similar integrated transport ticketing
systems in San Fransisco, Toronto, Las Vegas and Ventura County in Southern
California. The SmarTrip system represents the company's first project win
on the US east coast.
ERG said it would leverage its existing central computer processing centre
installed in San Fransisco to provide all data processing services,
including clearing, settlement and financial management.
While ERG will supply, install and operate the system, Northrop Grumman IT
will be responsible for the distribution of smartcards and operation of the
project's customer service centre as a sub-contractor and partner to ERG.
Under the terms of the deal, ERG will operate the system for five years,
and has two subsequent one-year options.
The deal represents the first that ERG has won with partner Northrop
Grumman IT - a division of military-industrial giant Northop Grumman. The
company said it planned to pursue a variety of other future smartcard
contracts in both transit and non-transit applications with Northrop
Grumman IT. END.
These smart card builders need close attention as some are already
producing ID cards for fascist regimes.
