Advanced Card Systems

Advanced Card Systems Limited
Public SEHK: 2086
Founded Hong Kong (1995)
Headquarters Hong Kong
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 Alice Tsui, Chairman
Products Smart Cards, Smart Card Readers, & Automatic Fare Collection Solutions
Revenue IncreaseUSD31.5 million for 2014[1]
Website www.acs.com.hk

Advanced Card Systems Ltd (ACS) is a Hong Kong-based company founded by Denny Wong in 1995. It is a fully owned subsidiary of Advanced Card Systems Holdings Ltd., a publicly listed company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. ACS develops smart cards, smart card readers and related products, and distributes them to over one hundred countries. It was ranked by Frost & Sullivan as one of the world’s top 3 suppliers and Asia Pacific’s top supplier of PC-linked Smart Card Readers.[2] In 2010, 2014, and 2015, it was listed among Forbes Asia’s “Best Under a Billion",[3] a prestigious list of 200 top-performing companies with sales between US$5 million and US$1 billion, selected from publicly listed enterprises in Asia Pacific.[4]

ACS had 400 full-time employees as of December 2014.[1] The Group recorded in 2014 a sales revenue of more than USD31.5 million.[5]

Management team

[1]

Name Title
Alice Tsui Chairman
Chi Ho Wong Co-Chief Executive Officer
Chi Kit Wong Co-Chief Executive Officer
Keng Boon Tan Chief Technical Officer
Elsie Lai Executive Vice President
Gilbert Leung Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Sammi Suen Financial Controller

Products and services

ACS develops and supplies smart card reading and writing devices, smart cards, and other related products categorized into the following product lines:

1. Smart card and card operating systems
2. PC-linked smart card readers
3. Mobile card readers
4. Contactless readers
5. Smart card readers with PIN-pad
6. PC-linked readers with mass storage
7. Dynamic Password Generators
8. Smart card reader modules
9. Software development kits

ACS products are certified and compliant with global and national industry standards. These standards include NFC Forum Certification; EMV Level 1 & 2; Visa payWave; MasterCard PayPass; American ExpressPay; Discover Zip; UnionPay QuickPass; Mondex; EMV CAP and VISA DPA; qPBOC and PBOC (the People's Bank of China); NETS (Singapore); CE; UL/CSA; U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC); VCCI (Voluntary Control Council for Interference by Information Technology Equipment); KC; FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards); and Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).[6]

ACS also offers product customization services to meet customer specifications. These include custom branding on ACS smart card and reader products.[7]

ACS also provides end-to-end, smart card‒based solutions. ACS has already delivered automatic fare collection (AFC), retail, and micropayment solutions all over the world.[8]

Furthermore, ACS conducts consultation and training sessions to help grow the smart card industry. In 2008, ACS offered an elective course on smart card technology in De La Salle University – Manila.[9] In 2010, it conducted the first ever basic smart card training in the Philippines. It also conducted a two-day training on smart cards in the Information Technology Services Center (ITSC) of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).[10]

Awards and recognition

Applications

System integrators, software developers and solution houses worldwide use ACS smart card and card reader technologies, to create smart card-based applications for security systems in various sectors, including banking, transportation, identification, e-health, e-government, access control and e-commerce.[28]

Banking
In 2009, ACS deployed 100,000 ACR38 Smart Card Readers for the implementation of an online home banking project in an East Asian country. The project involved ACS’s cooperation with the country’s local bank and telecommunication company, to integrate ACS smart card technologies into VoIP-enabled desktop phones that customers used to access online banking services at home.[29]
In 2009, ACS also received over 60,000 orders of ACR30 Smart Card Readers from Hong Kong banks. This banks were complying with the Hong Kong secure e-banking project, which entailed using the Hong Kong Identity Card.[30] Following Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) guidelines that took effect in July 2005, these banks employed two-factor authentication tools, like e-Cert, for high-risk online banking transactions.[31] The Bank of America (Asia), BOC Credit Card (International) Limited, Bank of China (Hong Kong), Chiyu Banking Corporation Limited, Nanyang Commercial Bank, Bank of Communications (Hong Kong Branch), The Bank of East Asia, CITIC Ka Wah Bank and Dah Sing Bank all used ACS's ACR30 to read smart ID cards embedded with Hong Kong Post e-Cert.[32]
Access Control
In 2011, ACS was chosen as a smart card reader supplier for a solution intended to secure US embassies worldwide. The US Department of State (DoS) had initiated a tender for a reader to secure physical and logical networks for embassy employees. Partnered with one of the bidders, ACS proposed the ACR3801 Smart card reader, a TAA-compliant, FIPS 201‒certified PC-linked reader. These standards enabled the ACR3801 to meet the security challenges presented by the DoS.[33]
ACS also participated in the security enhancement project set up by the World Olympians Association (WOA) for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. ACS provided ACOS3 Microcontroller Smart Cards to identify around 4,000 guests, and ACR88 Handheld PIN-Pad Readers to read the smart cards.[30] ACS partnered with Artemis Solutions Group (ASG), which specialized in providing a complete credential management system for attendees of the Olympic Reunion Center (ORC).[34]
Transportation
In August 2009, ACS supplied ACR122 Near Field Communication (NFC) Readers for EZ-Link cardholders to manage their new EZ-Link cards at home. Via the EZ-Online System, cardholders can check and print their 20 most recent transaction records, top-up their cards from a bank account, and load EZ-Coupons that may be used to redeem bonuses once the Ez-Link cards are presented to retail shops.[35]
Government
In 2013, ACS was chosen by a Middle Eastern country’s Ministry of Labour to supply smart card readers that will help make labour transactions paperless and performable outside government offices. ACS supplied the ACR89, which was distributed directly to organizations and installed in service centers throughout the country, so that they may be more conveniently accessed by company operators and owners. This accessibility, coupled with a secure authentication system, generated savings for both the government, and various companies and organizations; simplified processes; and improved records management.[36]
Also, over 100,000 ACS ACR38 Smart Card Readers were deployed during the pilot run of the project, “Belgian eID card reader for the 12-year-olds” in 2006. The decision to utilize ACS smart card readers was issued by the Federal Information and Communication Technology (FedICT) Department of the Belgian Government.[37]
In the same year, the Egyptian Government, began issuing smart taxation cards to taxpayers for security reasons. ACS’s ACR100 SIMFlash Smart Card Readers were used to input, check and back-up transaction information of the taxpayers.[38]
eHealth
In 2008, ACS won a tender to supply 600,000 units of PC-linked contact smart card readers to the regional government of Lombardia, Italy. The readers were used for read and write operations on health cards used by Lombardian citizens, pharmacies, doctors, hospitals, etc., to access medical services, as well as online government services.[39]
Retail
In 2013, ACS was chosen as the primary technology partner of the Philippines’ largest mall developer/operator and retail company for an end-to-end loyalty, payment, and automated fare collection (AFC) solution. ACS’s scalable solution enabled faster and more convenient transactions for mall visitors, while improving generation, accessibility, and management of transaction reports.[40]
In 2006, ACS’s ACR120 contactless smart card readers were adopted by a high-end Japanese supermarket in Hong Kong for its customer loyalty program, which began transitioning from contact to contactless smart card technology in 2005.[41]
Meanwhile, ACS was selected to provide ACR122 contactless card readers to Pacific Century CyberWorks Limited (PCCW) Hong Kong in 2008. ACR 122 Octopus card readers were made available to be connected to PCCW’s multimedia VoIP phone, thus allowing cardholders to check their card balance and their ten most recent transactions in the Hong Kong Octopus Card without the need for Octopus Enquiry Machines that are located in MTR stations only.[42]

Websites

Official ACS information may be found at:

References

  1. 1 2 3 "ACS' 2014 Annual Report". Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  2. ↑ Frost & Sullivan (7 June 2010). "World Smart Card Readers and Chipsets Market". frost.com. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  3. ↑ http://www.acs.com.hk/en/press-release/2068/acs-holdings-ltd.-receives-award-as-one-of-forbes-asias-best-under-a-billion-2015/
  4. ↑ Forbes Asia (24 June 2015). "Forbes Asia’s 200 Best Under A Billion". forbes.com. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  5. ↑ http://www.acs.com.hk/en/financial-summary/
  6. ↑ "INTERIM RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 30 JUNE 2012" (PDF). Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  7. ↑ "ACS Product Customization". Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  8. ↑ "ACS Solutions". Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  9. ↑ "ACS offers elective course in De La Salle University-Manila". 27 August 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  10. ↑ CardsNow!Asia (13 May 2009). "ACS Providing Smart Card Tech Training to CUHK". cardsnowasia.com. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  11. ↑ "Advanced Card Systems receives Frost & Sullivan’s". smartcardstrends.com. 16 October 2003. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  12. ↑ Frost & Sullivan (10 October 2006). "Frost & Sullivan Recognizes Advanced Card Systems Ltd for Business Development Strategy Leadership for World PC Link Readers Market". frost.com. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  13. ↑ "Advanced Card Systems receives D’ucoty’s Product Innovation Award". usasmartcard.com. 27 July 2006. Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  14. ↑ "ACS to Gain Worldwide Recognition in the Smart Card Industry". smartcard.com.cn. 27 June 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  15. ↑ "ACS has achieved ISO 9001:2000 standard for quality management systems". acs.com.hk. 25 September 2007. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  16. ↑ Frost & Sullivan (30 November 2009). "Frost & Sullivan Awards ACS for Smart Cards Product Quality Leadership". frost.com. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  17. ↑ "ACS receives 2009 Best Practices Award 'Product Quality Leadership Award for Smart Card Readers'". smartcardstrends.com. 15 November 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  18. ↑ Forbes Asia (1 September 2010). "Asia’s 200 Best Under A Billion". forbes.com. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  19. ↑ Advanced Card Systems (25 October 2013). "ACS's ACR320 Ticket Validator Design Lauded in 2013 Hong Kong Awards for Industries". www.acs.com.hk. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  20. ↑ Advanced Card Systems (28 December 2013). "ACS was named as one of The Hong Kong’s 100 Most Influential Brands 2013". www.acs.com.hk. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  21. ↑ Advanced Card Systems (10 December 2014). "ACS Receives Certificate of Merit for Communications in APICTA Awards 2014". www.acs.com.hk. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  22. ↑ Advanced Card Systems (19 December 2014). "ACS Wins Technological Achievement Award in 2014 Hong Kong Awards for Industries". www.acs.com.hk. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  23. ↑ Advanced Card Systems (14 August 2015). "ACS Among Forbes Asia’s Best Under a Billion 2014". www.acs.com.hk. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  24. ↑ Advanced Card Systems (3 August 2015). "ACS Selected for "Forbes Asia's Best Under a Billion" for the Third Time". www.acs.com.hk. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  25. ↑ Advanced Card Systems (22 April 2015). "ACS Wins Best Loyalty Programme in Smart Awards Asia 2015". www.acs.com.hk. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  26. ↑ Advanced Card Systems (31 March 2015). "ACS Wins Award for Best Mobile Payment Product Experience in Golden Pine Awards". www.acs.com.hk. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  27. ↑ Advanced Card Systems (11 June 2015). "ACS Wins Innovative Product Award in National Golden Card Project 2015 Golden Ant Award". www.acs.com.hk. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  28. ↑ "ACS Typical Applications". Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  29. ↑ "ACS Supplied 100,000 ACR38 Smart Card Readers for Online Home Banking Project in East Asia". globalsmart.com. 2 September 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  30. 1 2 "Hong Kong banks using ACS smart card readers for two-factor authentication". secureidnews.com. 8 February 2006. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  31. ↑ "Hong Kong Monetary Authority To Require Two-Factor Authentication For Online Banking". paymentsnews.com. 30 May 2005. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  32. ↑ "ACS was chosen by World Olympians Association (WOA) to secure its events in 2008 Beijing Olympic". 22 September 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  33. ↑ "Securing US Embassies Worldwide with the ACR3801 for US Department of State". www.acs.com.hk. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  34. ↑ "Manage the new Singapore ez-link card at home with an ACR122 NFC Reader". morerfid.com. 18 August 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  35. ↑ "Beijing Olympic Reunion Center Access Secured With BioCert Encrypted Smart Card Technology and Portable Identity Verification". micardreader.com. 27 August 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  36. ↑ "ACS's ACR89 Helps Streamline Labor-Related Processes in Middle Eastern Country=13 September 2013". www.acs.com.hk. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  37. ↑ "ACS’ smart card reader chosen for Belgian ID card project". secureidnews.com. 8 May 2006. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  38. ↑ Frost & Sullivan (17 January 2007). "Movers & Shakers Interview with Mr. Denny Wong, Chairman and CEO, Advanced Card Systems Ltd". frost.com. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  39. ↑ "Business Review – For the year ended December 31, 2008". quamnet.com. 31 December 2008. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  40. ↑ "ACS Solution Helps Increase Convenience and Security in SM Prepaid and Loyalty Program". www.acs.com.hk. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  41. ↑ "ACS’ Contactless Smart Card Reader is adopted by a high-end Japanese Supermarket for Loyalty Program". smartcardstrends.com. 4 July 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  42. ↑ "Checking your Octopus card balance at home by ACR122 Octopus Card Reader". smartcardstrends.com. 6 March 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
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