IP: Plugged In: Hong Kong Embraces the Octopus Card

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: "the terminal of Geoff Goodfellow" <geoff () iconia com>
Date: Sun, 9 Jun 2002 16:09:44 +0200
To: "Dave E-mail Pamphleteer Farber" <farber () cis upenn edu>
Subject: Plugged In: Hong Kong Embraces the Octopus Card

Plugged In: Hong Kong Embraces the Octopus Card

  HONG KONG (Reuters) - For years, the notion of a cashless
society has been a futurist's dream deferred almost everywhere
-- except, to some extent, in Hong Kong.

Here, just about everyone carries an Octopus card -- a
rechargeable, contactless card that is passed over a scanner to
access almost every train, bus or ferry. The territory's 6.75
million inhabitants make nearly seven million Octopus
transactions each day, worth about HK$48 million (US$6.12
million).

And while cash remains king in this commercial hub, an
increasing number of retail merchants, from Starbucks to
fast-food chains and 7-Eleven, accept the Sony-made card.
Still, getting around on the city's sprawling public
transportation network accounts for over 90 percent of Octopus
transactions.

--SNIP--

The next frontier for Octopus is as a security device. Already, some
30,000-40,000 cards are used as main door access devices for residents of
the housing estates where many Hong Kongers live.

--SNIP--

http://my.netscape.com/corewidgets/news/story.psp?id=200206082252000273947

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geoff.goodfellow () iconia com, Prague CZ * tel/mobil +420 (0)603 706 558
"success is getting what you want & happiness is wanting what you get"
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/01/biztech/articles/17drop.html



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