COMMON ELECTRONIC PURSE SPECIFICATIONS IMMINENT.

One of the most limiting factors of electronic purses at present - their lack of interoperability across national borders - may be eased by the emergence over the next five weeks of new common specifications by the European bank card organisation, Europay, and other card companies, including Visa. Laboratory testing for security will take place from the end of December, and from the end of January 1999 the final version will be made public. The new specifications will be...