Leadway Technology Investments Holdings Limited formerly known as Advanced Card Systems Holdings Limited & HNA Technology Investments Holdings is a Cayman Islands-incorporated offshore holding company. Its subsidiary, Advanced Card Systems Limited, was incorporated in

British Hong Kong Hong Kong was under British Empire, British rule from 1841 to 1997, except for a Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, brief period of Japanese occupation during World War II from 1941 to 1945. It was a crown colony of the United Kingdom from 1841 ...

in 1995 by Denny Wong. In 2017,

HNA Group HNA Group Co., Ltd., was a Chinese conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in Haikou, Hainan, China. Founded in 2000, it was involved in numerous industries including aviation, real estate, financial services, tourism, logistics, and ...

, via HNA EcoTech Group and HNA EcoTech Group's subsidiary, acquired Advanced Card Systems Holdings as part of a

reverse IPO A reverse takeover (RTO), reverse merger, or reverse IPO is the acquisition of a public company by a private company so that the private company can bypass the lengthy and complex process of going public. Sometimes, conversely, the public compan ...

. ACS develops

smart cards A smart card (SC), chip card, or integrated circuit card (ICC or IC card), is a card used to control access to a resource. It is typically a plastic credit card-sized card with an Embedded system, embedded integrated circuit (IC) chip. Many smart ...

, smart card readers and related products, and distributes them to over one hundred countries. It was ranked by Frost & Sullivan as one of the world's top 3 suppliers and

Asia Pacific Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

's top supplier of PC-linked Smart Card Readers. In 2010, 2014, and 2015, it was listed among ''

Forbes Asia ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The c ...

''s "Best Under a Billion", a prestigious list of 200 top-performing companies with sales between US$5 million and US$1 billion, selected from publicly listed enterprises in Asia Pacific.

History

Advanced Card Systems Holdings was acquired by

, via a subsidiary HNA EcoTech Group () in January 2017. HNA Group owned more than a third of the share capital of HNA EcoTech Group. Advanced Card Systems Holdings was renamed to HNA Technology Investments Holdings Limited in August 2017.

Products and services

ACS develops and supplies smart card reading and writing devices, smart cards, and other related products categorized into the following product lines: * Smart card and card

operating systems An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources, and provides common daemon (computing), services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems scheduler (computing), schedule tasks for ...

* PC-linked smart card readers * Mobile card readers *

Contactless Contactless may refer to: * Contactless smart card * Proximity card, a contactless integrated circuit device used for security access or payment systems * Contactless payment, systems which use RFID for making secure payments * MasterCard Contactl ...

readers * Smart card readers with PIN-pad * PC-linked readers with

mass storage In computing, mass storage refers to the storage of large amounts of data in a persisting and machine-readable fashion. In general, the term ''mass'' in ''mass storage'' is used to mean ''large'' in relation to contemporaneous hard disk drive ...

* Dynamic Password Generators * Smart card reader modules *

Software development kits A software development kit (SDK) is a collection of software development tools in one installable package. They facilitate the creation of applications by having a compiler, debugger and sometimes a software framework. They are normally specific to ...

ACS products are certified and compliant with global and national industry standards. These standards include NFC Forum Certification;

EMV EMV is a payment method based on a technical standard for smart card, smart payment cards and for payment terminals and automated teller machines which can accept them. EMV stands for "Europay International, Europay, Mastercard, and Visa Inc., ...

Level 1 & 2; Visa payWave; MasterCard PayPass; American ExpressPay; Discover Zip; UnionPay QuickPass;

Mondex Mondex was a smart card electronic cash system, implemented as a stored-value card and owned by Mastercard. Pioneered by two bankers from NatWest in 1990, it was spun-off to a separate consortium later on, then sold to Mastercard. Mondex all ...

; EMV CAP and VISA DPA; qPBOC and PBOC (the People's Bank of China); NETS (Singapore); CE; UL/CSA; U.S.

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

(FCC); VCCI (Voluntary Control Council for Interference by Information Technology Equipment); FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards); and

Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is a European Union regulation dating from 18 December 2006, amended on 16 December 2008 by Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008. REACH addresses the production and use of che ...

(REACH). ACS also offers product customization services to meet customer specifications. These include custom branding on ACS smart card and reader products. ACS also provides end-to-end, smart card‒based services. ACS has already delivered automatic fare collection (AFC), retail, and micropayment services all over the world. Furthermore, ACS conducts consultation and training sessions to help grow the smart card industry. In 2008, ACS offered an elective course on smart card technology in

De La Salle University De La Salle University (), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private, Catholic coeducational research university run by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools with main campus in Taft Avenue, Malate, Man ...

–

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

. In 2010, it conducted the first ever basic smart card training in the Philippines. It also conducted a two-day training on smart cards in the Information Technology Services Center (ITSC) of the

Chinese University of Hong Kong The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public university, public research university in Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Established in 1963 as a federation of three university college, collegesChung Chi College, New Asia Coll ...

(CUHK).

Applications

System integrators,

software developer Software development is the process of designing and Implementation, implementing a software solution to Computer user satisfaction, satisfy a User (computing), user. The process is more encompassing than Computer programming, programming, wri ...

s and service houses worldwide use ACS smart card and card reader technologies, to create smart card-based applications for security systems in various sectors, including

banking A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...

transportation Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...

identification Identification or identify may refer to: *Identity document, any document used to verify a person's identity Arts, entertainment and media * ''Identify'' (album) by Got7, 2014 * "Identify" (song), by Natalie Imbruglia, 1999 * ''Identification ...

e-health eHealth describes healthcare services which are supported by digital processes, communication or technology such as electronic prescribing, Telehealth, or Electronic health record, Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The term "eHealth" originated ...

e-government E-government (known for electronic government) involves utilizing technology devices, such as computers and the Internet, for faster means of delivering public services to citizens and other persons in a country or region. E-government offer ...

access control In physical security and information security, access control (AC) is the action of deciding whether a subject should be granted or denied access to an object (for example, a place or a resource). The act of ''accessing'' may mean consuming ...

and

e-commerce E-commerce (electronic commerce) refers to commercial activities including the electronic buying or selling products and services which are conducted on online platforms or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile co ...

Banking

In 2009, ACS deployed 100,000 ACR38 Smart Card Readers for the implementation of an online home banking project in an

East Asian East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

country. The project involved ACS's cooperation with the country's local bank and telecommunication company, to integrate ACS smart card technologies into

VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also known as IP telephony, is a set of technologies used primarily for voice communication sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet. VoIP enables voice calls to be transmitted as ...

-enabled desktop phones that customers used to access

online banking Online banking, also known as internet banking, virtual banking, web banking or home banking, is a system that enables customers of a bank or other financial institution to conduct a range of financial transactions through the financial institut ...

services at home. In 2009, ACS also received over 60,000 orders of ACR30 Smart Card Readers from Hong Kong banks. This banks were complying with the Hong Kong secure e-banking project, which entailed using the Hong Kong Identity Card. Following

Hong Kong Monetary Authority The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is the central bank, central banking institution of Hong Kong. It is a government authority founded on 1 April 1993 when the Office of the Exchange Fund and the Office of the Commissioner of Banking merge ...

(HKMA) guidelines that took effect in July 2005, these banks employed two-factor authentication tools, like e-Cert, for high-risk online banking transactions. The

Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America) (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in ...

(Asia), BOC Credit Card (International) Limited,

Bank of China The Bank of China (BOC; ; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Banco da China'') is a state-owned Chinese Multinational corporation, multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered in Beijing, Beijing, China. It is one of ...

(Hong Kong), Chiyu Banking Corporation Limited,

Nanyang Commercial Bank Nanyang Commercial Bank (NCB, ) is a bank based in Hong Kong and a wholly owned subsidiary of China Cinda Asset Management China Cinda Asset Management Co., Ltd., doing business as Cinda or China Cinda, is a Chinese distressed asset manageme ...

Bank of Communications Bank of Communications (BOCOM or BankComm) is a Chinese multinational banking and financial services corporation. It was originally established in 1908 and was one of a handful of domestic Chinese banks that issued banknotes in modern history. ...

(Hong Kong Branch), The Bank of East Asia,

CITIC Ka Wah Bank China CITIC Bank International (; CNCBI in short) is a Hong Kong full-service commercial bank. China CITIC Bank Corporation Limited, via its wholly-owned subsidiary CITIC International Financial Holdings Limited, is CNCBI's controlling share ...

and

Dah Sing Bank Dah Sing Banking Group Limited (DSBG) is a Hong Kong–based banking and financial company, headquartered in Wan Chai. It has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 2004. It has three main banking subsidiaries (Dah Sing Bank, Banco ...

all used ACS's ACR30 to read smart ID cards embedded with Hong Kong Post e-Cert.

Access control

In 2011, ACS was chosen as a smart card reader supplier for a service intended to secure US embassies worldwide. The

US Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...

(DoS) had initiated a tender for a reader to secure physical and logical networks for embassy employees. Partnered with one of the bidders, ACS proposed the ACR3801 Smart card reader, a TAA-compliant, FIPS 201‒certified PC-linked reader. These standards enabled the ACR3801 to meet the security challenges presented by the DoS. ACS also participated in the security enhancement project set up by the

World Olympians Association The World Olympians Association (WOA) is an independent association of Olympic Games competitors. Its stated objectives are to promote the Olympic ideals and fair play, advance environmental protection, educate against doping and drug use, supply ...

(WOA) for the

2008 Beijing Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fro ...

. ACS provided ACOS3

Microcontroller A microcontroller (MC, uC, or μC) or microcontroller unit (MCU) is a small computer on a single integrated circuit. A microcontroller contains one or more CPUs (processor cores) along with memory and programmable input/output peripherals. Pro ...

Smart Cards to identify around 4,000 guests, and ACR88 Handheld PIN-Pad Readers to read the smart cards. ACS partnered with Artemis Solutions Group (ASG), which specialized in providing a complete credential management system for attendees of the Olympic Reunion Center (ORC).

Transportation

In August 2009, ACS supplied ACR122

Near Field Communication Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols that enables communication between two electronic devices over a distance of or less. NFC offers a low-speed connection through a simple setup that can be used for the boots ...

(NFC) Readers for

EZ-Link The EZ-Link card is a rechargeable contactless smart card and electronic money system that is primarily used as a payment method for public transport such as bus and rail lines in Singapore. A standard EZ-Link card is a ISO/IEC 7810, credit-ca ...

cardholders to manage their new EZ-Link cards at home. Via the EZ-Online System, cardholders can check and print their 20 most recent transaction records, top-up their cards from a bank account, and load EZ-Coupons that may be used to redeem bonuses once the Ez-Link cards are presented to retail shops.

Government

In 2013, ACS was chosen by a Middle Eastern country's Ministry of Labour to supply smart card readers that will help make labour transactions paperless and performable outside government offices. ACS supplied the ACR89, which was distributed directly to organizations and installed in service centers throughout the country, so that they may be more conveniently accessed by company operators and owners. This accessibility, coupled with a secure authentication system, generated savings for both the government, and various companies and organizations; simplified processes; and improved records management. Also, over 100,000 ACS ACR38 Smart Card Readers were deployed during the pilot run of the project, "Belgian eID card reader for the 12-year-olds" in 2006. The decision to utilize ACS smart card readers was issued by the Federal Information and Communication Technology (FedICT) Department of the Belgian Government. In the same year, the

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

ian Government, began issuing smart

taxation A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal person, legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to Pigouvian tax, regulate and reduce nega ...

cards to taxpayers for security reasons. ACS's ACR100 SIMFlash Smart Card Readers were used to input, check and back-up transaction information of the taxpayers.

eHealth

In 2008, ACS won a tender to supply 600,000 units of PC-linked contact smart card readers to the regional government of

Lombardia The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. The readers were used for read and write operations on health cards used by Lombardian citizens, pharmacies, doctors, hospitals, etc., to access medical services, as well as online government services.

Retails

In 2013, ACS was chosen as the primary technology partner of the Philippines' largest mall developer/operator and retail company for an end-to-end loyalty, payment, and automated fare collection (AFC) service. ACS's scalable service enabled faster and convenient transactions for mall visitors, while improving generation, accessibility, and management of transaction reports. In 2006, ACS's ACR120 contactless smart card readers were adopted by a high-end Japanese supermarket in Hong Kong for its customer

loyalty program A loyalty program or rewards program is a marketing strategy designed to encourage customers to continue to shop at or use the services of one or more businesses associated with the program. Single-company vs. coalition programs Loyalty progr ...

, which began transitioning from contact to contactless smart card technology in 2005. Meanwhile, ACS was selected to provide ACR122 contactless card readers to

Pacific Century CyberWorks PCCW Limited (formerly known as Pacific Century CyberWorks Limited) is a Hong Kong–based information and communication technology (ICT) and telecommunications company. The company is the major owner of telecommunications company HKT Limited, a ...

Limited (PCCW) Hong Kong in 2008. ACR 122

Octopus card The Octopus card ( zh, t=, j=baat3 daat6 tung1, is a reusable Contactless payment, contactless stored value smart card for making Electronic money, electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong. Launched in September 1997 to ...

readers were made available to be connected to PCCW's multimedia VoIP phone, thus allowing cardholders to check their card balance and their ten most recent transactions in the Hong Kong Octopus Card without the need for Octopus Enquiry Machines that are located in MTR stations only.

References

External links

ACS - Advanced Card Systems Ltd.
{{Use British English, date=June 2011 Smart cards Companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Offshore companies of the Cayman Islands Holding companies of Hong Kong Computer companies of Hong Kong Computer hardware companies 1995 establishments in Hong Kong 2003 establishments in the Cayman Islands HNA Group