EANS-News: Hoeft & Wessel successful with e-Ticketing systems in South Africa

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Subtitle: - 700 integrated Almex on-board computers and ticket printers for bus
- Integrated e-Ticketing based on latest EMV contactless technology

Hanover/Germany, 09/11/2010. (euro adhoc) - The Almex division of the Hoeft &
Wessel Group will deliver 600 integrated on-board computers and ticket printers
to Durban Transport in South Africa based on the eThekwini Municipality tender
for new electronic ticketing equipment. The almex.optima devices will replace
current equipment from Almex which has reliably served Durban Transport for
almost 15 years.

Hoeft & Wessel has received several orders for almex.optima from public
transport operators in South Africa in 2010. New client orders were placed by
the bus operators Maluti Bus Services and Mkuze Bus for rollouts in 2010 and
2011, increasing the total order volume to over 700 units. Earlier in 2010,
Durban´s transport operating company People Mover for Durban´s golden mile
transportation went successfully live with their new Almex ticketing system in
time for the FIFA world cup. The local project implementation, installation and
maintenance for the ticketing systems will be provided by Almex´ long term
partner SA Cash Register.

The rugged, hard-wearing design of the devices, the fast computing and printing
speed as well as the excellent maintenance services provided in South Africa
have contributed to the decision of the bus operating companies to select Almex
solutions again.

Key to the recent success however is the innovative system solution that allows
starting the integration of e-ticketing with the South African EMV contactless
bank issued fare media initiative for debit card transactions. This initiative
is driven by the National Department of Transport (NDoT) in conjunction with
the member banks of the Payments Association of South Africa (PASA), in the
case of Durban The Standard Bank (SBSA). The electronic fare collection data
structure (EFC) utilises specific tags on the EMV chip for recording and
retrieving public transport related data.

The EMV contactless solution for Durban Transport will be the first
implementation in South Africa that will be based on standards conforming to
the Card Association specifications (for example MasterCard PayPassTM, Visa
payWaveTM). Durban will be using the MasterCard PayPassTM standards.

The primary mode of fare payment and access to public transport services will
be through contactless EMV dual interface smart cards hosting the NDoT AFC Data
structure. In addition, commuters will be enabled to pay for single fares in
cash on board the bus.

The NDoT gazetted draft regulations are envisaged to regulate the use of
electronic fare collection systems in public transport, nationwide and in a
multi-modal environment by future integration of Bus, BusRapid Transit, Rail,
and Minibus-Taxi services.

SA Cash Register has been involved with Almex ticketing systems for almost 15
years and have sold more than 2.000 devices in the South African market. All of
these products are due for upgrade to the new almex.optima devices during 2011
and 2012. Almex are confident, that the large interest in the new e-ticketing
solutions will result in additional growth in South Africa.

The Almex business division of the Hoeft & Wessel Group is one of the leading
providers of ticketing systems for public transport in Europe and throughout
the world as well as of mobile communication solutions for railways.

www.almextransport.com
www.almex.de

Press folder with photos: http://www.presseportal.de/pm/12945/hoeft_wessel_ag/

About the company:
The Hoeft & Wessel Group is the leading German IT and engineering technology
group for ticketing, parking and mobile solutions. Founded in 1978 by the two
entrepreneurs of the same name, the company listed on the stock exchange since
1998 (ISIN DE0006011000) has developed into a corporate group with sales
revenues of just under EUR 100 million and a workforce of 500 employees. Its
headquarters are Hanover, Germany, and Swindon, UK, to the west of London. In
the field of Research and Development, which is of key importance for the
Group´s technological orientation and employs more than one third of the
workforce, the annual investment volume is at roughly 10 per cent measured in
terms of sales revenues. In line with its internationalisation strategy, the
group of companies operating in the business-to-business segment already
generates more than 50 per cent of its sales revenues abroad.

Further inquiry note:
Arnd Fritzemeier
Tel.: +49-511-6102-300
E-Mail: PR@hoeft-wessel.com
end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: Höft & Wessel AG
Rotenburger Str. 20
D-30659 Hannover
phone: +49-511-6102-0
FAX: +49-511-6102-411
mail: ir@hoeft-wessel.com
WWW: http://www.hoeft-wessel.com
sector: Technology
ISIN: DE0006011000
indexes: TecDAX, Prime All Share, Technology All Share
stockmarkets: regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt, free trade: Berlin,
Hamburg, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Hannover, München
language: English

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