Banco Santander and Calypso Networks Association announce the creation of a common working group concerning the convergence between  public transport application and the  University Smart Card promoted by Banco Santander, through Santander Universities Global Division. This card is based on Javacard Platform.

Banco Santander, through Santander Universities Global Division, has more than 700 full partnership agreements with universities in Europe (Spain, Portugal and UK), America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela and USA) and elsewhere around the world (China, Morocco and Russia).

One of the most noteworthy technology projects that Banco Santander runs with universities is the University Smart Card, which uses the latest chip technology to provide functionality tailored to the specific requirements of more than 200 university communities that use them. The cards are used as personal identification, as well as offering other services such as checking academic records at ATMs and self-service kiosks installed on campus, managing library loans, and controlling access to restricted areas and computers. Holders can use them as electronic purse cards or debit cards, and benefit from discounts at a wide range of shops. The latest services that have been added to cards include electronic signatures, special discounts on public transport in certain cities in Spain and America, and managing sports services at universities. To date, Banco Santander has jointly issued 3.7 million university cards in more than 200 universities in 10 different countries. 

The main purpose of the card is identification, in accordance with the needs of the universities, which encourages open standards. Following the work done by the university smart card technical observatory at the University of Cantabria, which we support, Java was chosen in October 2000 as the best platform to support the current and future needs of universities, without imposing any restrictions on services provided by the banking or any other sector. In the same time Calypso  Networks Association has achieved the specification and the development of the Calypso applet and the corresponding tools for remote downloading "on demand".

Thus it is no more necessary to use native cards for the public transport application. Calypso Applet can be loaded in all the Java devices at any phase of its life cycle. Thanks to the development of Sim cards mobile phones Java platform is very well spread all around the world.

Calypso has two main advantages in this field: its original secure specification based on the use of microprocessors and its absolute compatibility with all the international standards. Calypso is the unique existing ticketing scheme fully compatible with Open  Platform specifications.

The Calypso applet loaded in new generation of Javacard devices is compatible with the public transport requirement in term of transaction time ( 200 ms) .

The common working group between Banco Santander and Calypso Networks Association will have both technical and marketing objectives. At the technical level it will validate the feasibility and the performance of the use of Calypso applet in the University Smart Card of Banco Santander and secure the different phases of the life cycle: download installation, personalization, deletion. Very concretely the parties are already collaborating in Porto were the  card issued to more than 35,000 students, teachers, researchers and staff at the University of Porto is the first to include the Calypso applet. The tests performed with Transportes Intermodais de Porto in 2008 (the city's metro, bus and train operator) were successful and they are currently in the process of extending the service to the university community.

At the marketing level it will study the condition of a common promotion of  the convergence between university and public transport.

For Vicente Prior, director at Santander Universities Global Division of Banco Santander, it is the answer to a strong requirement of the market as the ability to access for public transport in several universities, according to the annual user surveys, is one of the service most valued by students. Calypso is the system used in public transport in several countries where we issue the card, especially in Portugal, where we are significantly increasing our presence.

For  Philippe Vappereau , chairman of  Calypso Networks Association , it is a great opportunity to demonstrate at an international level the possibilities and performances of  the spread of Calypso applet on existing cards in the field of universities which has strong synergies with public transport and offers lot of opportunities of development in many countries.

The issue of almost 4 million university smart cards in more than 200 universities is one of Santander Universities Global Division initiatives. Banco Santander created ‘Santander Universities' in 1996 to support the Higher Education sector in such areas as teaching and research, international cooperation, knowledge and technology transfer, entrepreneurial initiatives, student mobility and innovation. Santander Universities Global Division has signed co-operation agreements with more than 700 universities in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States and Uruguay. 

Banco Santander (SAN.MC, STD.N) is a retail and commercial bank, based in Spain. At the end of 2008, Santander was the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization and third in the world by profit. Founded in 1857, Santander had EUR 1,271 billion in managed funds at the end of 2008. Following the acquisition of Sovereign Bancorp. of the U.S. in January 2009, Santander has 90 million customers, more than 14,000 branches - more than any other international bank - and over 170,000 employees. It is the largest financial group in Spain and Latin America, with leading positions in the United Kingdom and Portugal and a broad presence in Europe through its Santander Consumer Finance arm. In the first half of 2009, Santander registered €4,519 million in net attributable profit.

Calypso Networks Association is  a non for profit international organisation created by Calypso founders. The main tasks of Calypso Networks Association are: to establish long lasting relations with all the partners using the Calypso specifications; to define and direct the reference specifications, implement a certification policy, to guarantee the compatibility of all current and future products ; to establish a Calypso label issued by an independent organisation ; to promote Calypso to operators and manufactures to yield its distribution ;to contribute to the international standardisation process ; to  facilitate and harmonise the shared members' needs and experiences ; to encourage all actions of mutual assistance in the implementation of Calypso e- ticketing systems.

Calypso is spread in 21 countries and  80 cities with more than 39 million contactless cards and 300,000 terminals in service.

Contacts Press :

For Banco Santander : (www.santander.com/universidades)

Santander Universities Communications
Tel : +34615902946 / +34615907404
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For Calypso Networks Association : ( www.calypsonet-asso.org).
Philippe Rousselet
Chairman'Advisor
Tel : 0033611628519
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