Lenovo and VeriFone Announce Mobile Point of Sale Platform with PAYware Mobile Enterprise

News release:

Lenovo and VeriFone Announce Mobile Point of Sale Platform with PAYware Mobile Enterprise

Transforms Retail Customer Service with Secure Payments Anytime, Anywhere 

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – May 2, 2012: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) and VeriFone Systems, Inc. (NYSE: PAY) today announced the ThinkPad Mobile POS, a complete mobile point of sale (POS) platform for retail outlets built on the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet and a custom version of VeriFone’s PAYware Mobile Enterprise for Tablet payment solution. With the ThinkPad Mobile POS, retailers can easily configure, customize and manage an end-to-end point of sale platform that  delivers a more efficient and flexible alternative than stationary cash registers, helping to create new revenue opportunities for retailers, and improving the shopping experience for customers.

“The ThinkPad Mobile POS platform joins the rich ThinkPad heritage of productivity and durability with VeriFone’s global leadership in secure electronic payment solutions,” said Dilip Bhatia, vice president ThinkPad Business Unit, Lenovo. “The end result is a versatile and secure mobile platform that increases customer transaction speed and helps advance retail shopping to a new level of personal service.”

Retailers can remotely manage the ThinkPad Mobile POS with ease, including individual device tracking, managing applications, checking status on individual units and even remotely wiping and resetting devices to minimize on-site support intervention.  Information Technology managers also have full control over timing for operating system updates, which means avoiding unnecessary business disruptions and security risks created by unvetted updates from hardware vendors.

“Mobile solutions are enabling retailers to reimagine the point of sale and Lenovo’s ThinkPad Tablet solution with PAYware Mobile Enterprise makes it possible to engage customers in the aisle or wherever goods are being sold,” said Jennifer Miles, VeriFone executive vice president, North America.

Secure Shopping Experience
With the average cost of a cardholder data breach exceeding $6.6 million¹, security is paramount in payment devices. The ThinkPad Mobile POS meets or exceeds PCI 3, EMV 1 and 2, UKCC and Interac requirements, ensuring secure acceptance of all forms of payment, including EMV (EuroPay, MasterCard and Visa), NFC (near field communication), debit and gift cards, electronic coupons, loyalty programs and promotions. VeriShield Total Protect encrypts cardholder data the instant it enters the tablet and the ThinkPad Mobile POS keeps cardholder data encrypted until receipt at a secure data center, eliminating the risk of data compromise.

Smart and Reliable ThinkPad Design for Multi-Function Use
Built to rigorous ThinkPad MilSpec standards that characterize all ThinkPad hardware, the ThinkPad tablet offers industry-leading durability with a brilliant display, multi-touch or pen input and dual HD cameras. The ThinkPad Mobile POS is the retailer’s mobile workhorse, powering customer service, store management, analytics, inventory control, scheduling and more. Unlike consumer tablets, Lenovo uniquely gives ThinkPad tablet users full control over the operating system, letting retailers determine what can run on the tablet and when it is updated.  Coupled with an enterprise-class service and support, the ThinkPad Tablet is ideally suited to mission critical application.  

The POS case, designed by Targus, provides a clean contemporary look with a lightweight and ergonomic design. The multi-charge station charges up to five POS units, with case, in a single charge point.

1 “2008 Annual Study: U.S. Cost of a Data Breach”, the Ponemon Institute.

About LenovoLenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a $US21 billion personal technology company serving customers in more than 160 countries, and the world’s second-largest PC vendor. Dedicated to building exceptionally engineered PCs and mobile internet devices, Lenovo’s business is built on product innovation, a highly-efficient global supply chain and strong strategic execution. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include legendary Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile Internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.

About VeriFone Systems, Inc. (www.verifone.com) 
VeriFone Systems, Inc. (“VeriFone”) (NYSE: PAY) is the global leader in secure electronic payment solutions. VeriFone provides expertise, solutions and services that add value to the point of sale with merchant-operated, consumer-facing and self-service payment systems for the financial, retail, hospitality, petroleum, government and healthcare vertical markets.  VeriFone solutions are designed to meet the needs of merchants, processors and acquirers in developed and emerging economies worldwide. 

Verizon Wireless To Conduct Spectrum License Sale

Verizon Wireless To Conduct Spectrum License Sale

Stephens Inc. to Manage Offering Process

News Release ShareThis

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – April 18, 2012 –

Verizon Wireless today announced plans to conduct an open sale process for all of its 700 MHz A and B spectrum licenses in order to rationalize its spectrum holdings. The licenses cover dozens of major cities across the country, as well as a number of smaller and rural markets.

Verizon Wireless obtained the 700 MHz A and B licenses, as well as nationwide 700 MHz upper C licenses (with the exception of Alaska which has since been acquired), in FCC Auction 73 in 2008. Verizon Wireless is deploying its 4G LTE network, which currently covers more than 200 million people, on its nationwide 700 MHz upper C spectrum. If Verizon Wireless is successful in acquiring additional AWS (Advanced Wireless Services) spectrum licenses, it will use AWS spectrum in conjunction with its 700 MHz upper C band spectrum to deploy additional LTE capacity.

Accordingly, the sale of the A and B licenses is contingent on the close of Verizon Wireless’ pending purchases of AWS licenses from SpectrumCo (an entity jointly owned by Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks), Cox and Leap Wireless. These transactions are at varying stages of review by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) and are expected to close by mid-summer.

The company is announcing the sale plans now and will begin the process of soliciting interest from potential buyers to ensure the process can move forward quickly once the AWS license transfers have been completed.
“Since wireless operators, large and small, have expressed concern about the availability of high-quality spectrum, we believe our 700 MHz licenses will be attractive to a wide range of buyers,” said Molly Feldman, vice president of Business Development for Verizon Wireless. “Moreover, provided our acquisition of AWS spectrum is approved, our open sale process will ensure these A and B spectrum licenses are quickly and fairly made available for the benefit of other carriers and their customers.”

Stephens Inc., a nationally recognized, independent financial services firm based in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been engaged to manage the offering process. Interested parties may contact Stephens Inc. at vz_spectrum@stephens.com or 501-377-8134. Stephens Inc. will later release information about efforts to reach out to potential bidders, including minority-owned and female-owned businesses, to participate in the process. All sales will be subject to applicable regulatory approvals.

Following is a list of the markets covered by the 700 MHz A and B licenses:

A Block Licenses (Economic Areas)
New York, Philadelphia, Washington-Baltimore, Orlando, Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Austin, Houston, San Antonio (CMA area only), Denver, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Francisco and Sacramento
B Block (Cellular Market Areas)
Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Cincinnati, Rochester, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Greensboro-Winston Salem, Charlotte, Youngstown, Raleigh-Durham, West Palm Beach, Fort Collins, Pueblo and Colorado 4 – Park; Bradenton and Florida 3- Hardee; Athens, GA; Idaho 5 – Butte; Lake Charles, Alexandria, Louisiana 1- Claiborne, Louisiana 2 – Morehouse and Louisiana 3 – De Soto; Maryland 3 – Frederick; Billings, Great Falls, Montana 8 – Beaverhead, and Montana 9 – Carbon; Nevada 3 – Storey; New Mexico 5 – Grant and New Mexico 6 – Lincoln; Rapid City and South Dakota 1 – Harding; Lubbock, Amarillo, Waco, Longview-Marshall, Tyler, Texarkana, Odessa, Laredo, Midland, Texas 2 – Hansford, Texas 6 – Jack and Texas 18 – Edwards; Utah 1 – Box Elder, Utah 4 – Beaver, Utah 5 – Daggett and Utah 6 – Piute; Virginia 10 – Frederick; Washington 2 - Okanogan; Casper and Wyoming 2 - Sheridan

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves nearly 108 million total wireless connections, including 92.2 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with nearly 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library atwww.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.



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