Aether & Euronet Announce Partnership To Offer Secure, Reliable Wireless Financial Transactions
Aether & Euronet Announce Partnership To Offer Secure, Reliable Wireless Financial Transactions
Targeting financial institutions such as banks, credit unions, brokerages and mutual fund companies, Aether and Euronet offer account access and event messaging services as a completely outsourced, wireless ASP solution which is powered by Euronet’s ArrowzTM Integrated Transaction Management system. Aether and Euronet manage every aspect of the integration between the financial institution’s back-end systems and the wireless devices, including secure, reliable, high-performance connectivity to all major wireless carriers. Euronet was recently ranked number two on the Deloitte & Touche Technical Fast 500, a ranking of the fastest growing technology companies in North America.
The new products created by Aether and Euronet are immediately available and financial institutions interested in these services can be operational within 90 days. Once deployed, their customers can establish and maintain alerts to track their personal accounts and portfolios. Using a web-enabled phone and, ultimately, other devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and pagers, customers are able to conduct secure, real-time transactions and access personal account information.
The wireless event messaging capability is driven by the individual customer’s preferences as established through their financial institution’s website. Once activated, invaluable information such as account balances, confirmation of direct deposit to accounts, status of checks, or loan rates reaching specified targets is immediately presented to the user based on their personal specifications.
“This is the strategic answer for banks and other financial institutions looking to quickly offer a full spectrum of wireless services to their customers,” said George Davis, President and Vice Chairman of Aether. “By teaming with Euronet – a company with outstanding experience, electronic payments technology and global market coverage – Aether now has the ability to offer reliable and powerful wireless services to banks and financial institutions all over the world.”
The Bank of Cyprus in Athens, Greece chose Euronet to provide wireless banking services for its customers. “We were amazed at how quickly and easily the system was implemented,” according to Leonidas Isodiou, Group Companies Information Technology Manager at the Bank of Cyprus, Inc. By implementing Euronet's wireless banking and event messaging we now offer service and convenience to our customers which is unmatched by any of our competitors."
Aether and Euronet each provide valuable expertise and services to this new offering. Aether lends its expertise in wireless application hosting and development, end-user customer care, and airtime and service agreements with all major wireless carriers. Euronet, meanwhile, is a global leader in delivering innovative software and integrated financial networks to assist financial institutions establish end-to-end secure electronic transaction solutions. “Aether is the obvious technology leader in multi-platform wireless solutions. The rollout of this wireless offering marks a major milestone in our efforts to make on-the-go financial transactions a reality,” said Mike Brown, Euronet Worldwide Chairman and CEO. “Together with Aether Systems, we have created a new standard in wireless financial services by making it possible for our client’s customers to enjoy the convenience of secure access to their accounts anytime, anywhere – right from the palm of their hand."
These new wireless services are immediately available for implementation and the two companies are jointly marketing these wireless products and services.
Media Contacts: Investor Contacts
Greg Abel Gregg Lampf
Aether Systems Aether Systems
443.394.5189 443.394.5165
gabel@aethersystems.com glampf@aethersystems.com
Erich Shea Jim McCRoy
Weber Group for Aether Systems Euronet Worldwide
703.351.5605 913.327.4232
eshea@webergroup.com tmcroy@euronetworldwide.com
Richard Stern
Euronet Worldwide
913.327.4263
rstern@euronetworldwide.com
About Aether Systems, Inc.
Aether Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of wireless and mobile data products and services allowing real-time communications and transactions across a full range of devices and networks. Using its engineering expertise, the ScoutWare family of products including the Aether Intelligent Messaging (AIM) software platform, and its network operations and customer care center, Aether seeks to provide comprehensive, technology-independent wireless and mobile computing solutions. Aether develops and delivers wireless data services across a variety of industries and market segments in the United States and internationally.
About Euronet Worldwide
Euronet Worldwide is a global provider of secure electronic financial transaction solutions. The company provides financial payment middleware, financial network gateways, outsourcing, and consulting services providing banks, financial institutions, and mobile operators the ability to provide their clientele access to their personal financial information and perform secure financial transactions - any time, any place. Arrowz TM, the company’s proprietary transaction management system, powers financial transaction solutions for over 250 clients in 60 countries as well as the company’s processing centers located in the United States, Europe, and Indonesia. The company owns and operates the largest independent ATM network in Europe with corporate headquarters in Leawood, Kansas, USA, and European headquarters in Budapest, Hungary. Additional information is available at the company’s web site, www.euronetworldwide.com
This press release includes forward-looking statements based on current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions about Aether that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability of Aether and Euronet to successfully integrate their technologies and business, the ability to offer services on a cost-effective basis and market acceptance of products developed by Aether and Euronet. These risks and other risk factors are described in Aether's report on Form 10-K with respect to the fiscal year ending December 31, 1999 and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Aether undertakes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.