Online card payments go open source

NEWS A subsidiary of Red Hat Linux is set to offer European firms an open source software tool designed to support online credit card payments. Hell's Kitchen Systems' (HKS) credit card verification software has already received the backing of numerous ISPs and banks in the US, and the company is now looking to forge alliances with similar firms in Europe. Colin Tenwick, Red Hat's VP EMEA, said that while the underlying software is open source, there is work to be done through these alliances to adapt the product for use outside the US.
"In Europe, each bank, and indeed each country, has a different set of protocols. And so, while the core of the product is clearly open source, we need to tailor the protocols to particular banks and ISPs," he said. "We're looking for banking institutions that want to launch ecommerce transaction payment software. And we're looking for ISPs that want to add more value to the services they offer," he added. Tenwick claims an open source model for credit card payments will cut costs and improve efficiency for retailers. Head of ecommerce at Mondex International, Mike Young, said: "This is a positive step forward in the increasingly complex world of online credit card payment technologies. Whether credit, debit or e-cash, online payments must not only maintain security, but ensure interoperability to survive as the ecommerce solutions of tomorrow". CyberCash, the leading e-cash software provider, was unavailable for comment.