EDPWeekly's Vol.39 No.49 - General Instrument's TV Terminals Could Soon Accept Visa Smart Cards

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EDP Weekly IT Monitor issue (Dec 14, 1998) reports major technology and telecom developments. Highlights include Visa and General Instrument’s plan to enable Visa-branded multi-function smart cards on cable TV broadband networks via the Visa Open Platform, supporting interactive services such as pay-per-view, home banking, and electronic coupons. The issue also covers AT&T’s planned acquisition of IBM’s Global Network Business, plus broader market signals like Internet connectivity growth across PCs and Japan’s smart handheld device forecast.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryTechnology

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Pages9

Reading Time23 min

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GENERAL INSTRUMENT'S TV TERMINALS COULD SOON ACCEPT VISA SMART CARDS

AT&T ACQUIRES IBM CORP.’S GLOBAL NETWORK BUSINESS FOR $5 BILLION IN CASH

JAPAN PROVES PERFECT BREEDING GROUND FOR SMART HANDHELD DEVICES

EDPWeekly's Vol.39 No.49 # GENERAL INSTRUMENT'S TVTERMINALS COULD SOONACCEPT VISA SMART CARDS Deal Would Allow Card Holders To Shop,Pay For Movies With Their Cable TVs Cardholders using a Visa smart card couldsoon be able to access new interactive services overtheir cable television network,according to Visa Inter-national and General Instrument Corp. Visa and General Instrument signed a memo-randumofunderstanding last week which wouldenableGI's broadband digital network system to accept Visabranded multi-function smart cards.Under a moredefinitive agreement the two firms are reportedly draw-ing up,the Visa Open Platform would be made avail-able to broadband network operators and integrated byGI for implementation on advanced interactive digitalset-tops and systems. The Visa Open Platform is a non-proprietaryplatform that enables development of globallyinteroperable multiple application smart card systems.The Visa/GI agreement would further expand accep-(Continued on Page 2) Over 60Million PCs NowConnect To The Internet The number o PCs connected to the Internetincreased by an astounding 35 percent from 45 millionin January to just over 60 million in August -whichmeans 53 percent of total PCs are now connected to theInternet.Workplace PCs showed the most significantgains,accounting for over half of the Internet connec-tion increasc.In the workplace,the number of PCsaccessing the Internet increased 52 percent from 16 to24 million.Even so,home PCs still represent thedominant market segment of all PCs on the Internet.Some 28 million home PCs were connected to theInternet in August,a 28 percent increase from January1998,according to research from Ziff-Davis. IT Monitor Formerly "EDP Weekly"The Leading Information Technology News Summary--In Its 37th Year December 14,1998 Page 1 # AT&T ACQUIRES IBM CORP.’SGLOBAL NETWORK BUSINESSFOR S5 BILLION IN CASH Awards IBM Two OutsourcingContracts Worth S4 billion AT&T Corp.announced two massiveoutsourcing contracts with IBM Corp.late last weekvalued at S4 billion as part of its agreement to acquireIBM's Global Network Business for $5billion in cash.Expected to close by mid-1999,the total deal is esti-mated to be worth S9-10 billion.AT&T expects thearrangement to bring in $2.5 billion in additional rev-enue in the first full year of operation. Well-known law firm Milbank,Tweed,Hadley&McCloy represented AT&Tin negotiating and struc-turing the two outsourcing contracts.Commenting onthe complicated transaction,Daniel Mummery,a part-ner in Milbank's Global Technology TransactionsGroup,said the agreements are“mutually bencficial asthey capitalize on the companies'respective strengthsand focus on growth.AT&T will concentrate onnetworking and IBM will provide business applicationsfor networked companies.” (Continwed on Page 6) IN THIS ISSUE. Japanese Users Love Handheld Device.… *……2Intergraph Lands Big Wintel PC Award…… -….3Kingston Shipping 48MB Flash Memory Card.…--….3FORE Builds Big ATM Backbone For Feds …3MARKET RESEARCH… … 4NEC Offering 256MB DRAM Chips For S250-…---…6DataPath Gets Big Cash Infusion From NEC…-…6Court Finds UMAX Scanners Not Really 36-Bit.…..6PEOPLE ON THE MOVE… …7CSC Gets 55 Billion To Fix IRS Computers----…7Unified Messaging Market Set To Explode … -….8 tance of the Visa Open Platform into yet anotherindustry sector.Last month,the European Telecommu-nications Standards Institute(ETSI)agreed to use theOpen Platform as a basis for specifications to enablesmart cards to be loaded with applications via GSMmobile phones. According to Philip Yen,senior vice president,Emerging Products at Visa,“There must be atruly openstandard for smart card technology that not only ben-efits the financial sector but the entire smart cardindustry.GI's commitment to offer the Visa OpenPlatform to network operators furthers the creation ofa common technological base which will enable thebanking industry to work with the c

FAQs

What change would Visa smart card users get through the cable TV network?

The memo between Visa and General Instrument aims to let Visa-branded multi-function smart cards access interactive services over the cable television broadband network.

What is the Visa Open Platform described in the agreement?

It is a non-proprietary platform intended to support development of globally interoperable multiple application smart card systems.

What major acquisition is discussed in the same issue?

AT&T announced plans to acquire IBM’s Global Network Business for $5 billion in cash, alongside related outsourcing contracts.

Sep 29, 2026

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