ChevronTexaco Deploys Smart Cards For SecurityChevronTexaco is implementing corporatewide use of Schlumberger-provided smart or chip cards for keyless entry and network log-ins, but travel applications could be on the horizon. About half of a planned 70,000 employees had the card as of July, according to Jack Chu, project manager for travel systems in ChevronTexaco's business and real estate services unit. "We plan to add further functions," Chu said. Payment companies and others for years have envisioned a slew of potential uses for smart chip technology, but a lack of infrastructure—namely, equipment that interacts with the card-embedded computer chip—has delayed any meaningful introduction in the United States. Europeans use the technology to a far greater extent. Though payment vendors said widespread infrastructure changes are not expected in the United States anytime soon, the ChevronTexaco project did raise eyebrows. Chu said one can imagine sliding a smart corporate card through a reader to prepopulate expense reports. It remains to be seen whether or not other large companies will take on the chips as a means to improve security, which could lay the groundwork for usage in travel management. Elsewhere, the U.S. Department of Transportation recently described as a priority the development of smart cards to be used by airline, airport and Federal Aviation Administration personnel to clear security. Also, the International Air Transport Association is working with Visa to establish global smart card standards.
Visa To Add To Folio, Studies T&EVisa USA this month plans to announce a major hotel chain participating in its electronic folio data reporting program
(BTN, June 11, 2001), said vice president of commercial products and services Janet Zablock. In unrelated news, a new study sponsored by Visa USA and conducted by Deloitte & Touche found that 69 percent of 52 companies polled have implemented a T&E card program. Asked if that was lower than expected, Zablock cited the "fairly untapped midmarket." The study, which identified and scored 13 T&E best practices, reserved its top marks for the three practices that relate to corporate payment systems. Deloitte & Touche also found 70 percent of those polled have a centralized travel management function.
Amex Takes IBM Expense Mgmt. To MarketAmerican Express has begun rolling out to clients its new midmarket expense management system, American Express @ Work Reconciliation Management. Less than 20 companies will get the product in its initial phase. Developed and hosted by IBM
(BTN, March 25), the product is designed for smaller and midsize companies.
Diners Adds MasterCard ATMsDiners Club International and MasterCard International last month announced that Diners cardholders with personal identification numbers as of late August will be able to access cash at more than 780,000 ATM locations in more than 100 countries using the Cirrus Network. The benefit stems from Diners' first contractual agreement with Cirrus, which in many new markets replaces Visa's Plus ATM network for Diners cardholders. "In a world where payment card issuers are continually challenged to provide a better service to customers," said MasterCard Global Development Group chief debit officer Ann Camarillo, "Cirrus offers an easy way to increase revenue while enhancing cardholder satisfaction." Diners said it soon would begin informing travelers of the benefit.
MasterCard Consolidates Expense Feeds, Offers SAP LinkMasterCard International's latest announcement, timed with the National Business Travel Association convention, indicated that the payment company had established automatic data feeds from its global data repository in St. Louis to six expense management products: Captura, Concur, Extensity, Gelco Expense Management, Necho and MasterCard's own SmartLink. SmartLink, a licensed application from South Africa's SPS International, is designed to work with the SAP R/3 enterprise resource planning system. It was certified by SAP in March.
U.S. Bank Ready For Extensity SixU.S. Bank, a Minneapolis-based subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp and the leading Visa commercial card issuer, in late June said it will support version six of Extensity Inc.'s expense management product
(BTN, June 24) with integration that allows cardholders to prepopulate expense reports automatically with each transaction. "We are committed to working with and supporting whichever vendor our customers choose and are pleased to include Extensity in that list," said Chris Pieroth, senior vice president of product and marketing at U.S. Bank Corporate Payment Systems. Los Angeles-based Elite Information Systems, a systems provider for accounting, engineering, legal, marketing, management and IT consulting firms, in late June announced it would offer Extensity Six to hundreds of customers under the Elite Travel Expense Manager brand.