Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan are a few of the countries, where ASHBURN International implements its large-scale projects. The company specializes in the development, implementation and maintenance of EFTPOS terminal networks and loyalty program solutions. The plans for the next 3-5 years include several Asian countries, Germany, the United Kingdom, as well as the markets of the USA and Africa.
Baku, FinanceTime. The company, that is part of Penki Kontinentai Group, began operations in the market of electronic payments and services more than 20 years ago. In 2002, it strengthened its position by creating an e-commerce system for pre-paid GSM services. Nowadays ASHBURN Internationalis focused on improving and implementing its own software solution TransLink.iQ for managing, supporting and monitoring EFTPOS terminals networks. Soon the number of devices running on this platform will reach 300 thousand worldwide.
“We offer one of the most effective software solutions. TransLink.iQ helps banks and processing centers to manage and monitor the network of payment terminals, regardless of the size and complexity of the existing infrastructure,” says ASHBURN International Executive Director Žoržas Šarafanovičius.
Active development abroad
The company has earned the trust of the large banks across different regions - SEB bank, Swedbank, Citadele, Bank of Georgia, Pasha Bank (Azerbaijan), Kapital Bank (Azerbaijan), a commercial bank Turkmenistan and others.
After signing a long-term strategic partnership agreement with the Common Republican Processing Center (CRPC) of Uzbekistan, ASHBURN International launched one of the largest projects in its history. The contract concerns the sale of 250,000 licenses for EFTPOS terminals (administered by CRPC and belonging to 28 banks of Uzbekistan), and the implementation of the software solution TransLink.iQ.
“The Uzbek electronic payment market is developing at an extraordinary pace. The Common Republican Processing Center predicts an increase in the number of payment terminals operating on the TransLink.iQ platform by more than 50,000 units per year. There are more than 22 million cards and 250 thousand POS terminals in the country. It was important for us to offer a solution that would ensure the smooth operation of such a huge infrastructure. We have expanded the capabilities of TransLink.iQ, while retaining the existing functionality and versatility,” says Žoržas Šarafanovičius.
Different tests, experimental work on system integration and certification of international payment systems were carried out during the project preparation. The company has created software solutions for working with Uzbek payment cards and converting local currency into dollars. As a result, an optimal solution, most suitable for the Uzbek market, was found.
“The TransLink.iQ advantage is the ability to automate the payment system with one tool, regardless of the size or complexity of the infrastructure. It reduces expenses of financial institutions. Managing large-scale infrastructure does not require additional staff or administrative resources,” explains the representative of ASHBURN International.
Another advantage is wide functionality. The solution structure allows us to customize it according to the specific client’s needs. In the process of updating or expanding the network of EFTPOS terminals, TransLink.iQ can be adapted to payment terminals of different manufacturers and cards of all payment systems.
CRPC is not the only institution that cooperated with ASHBURN International. A similar project was implemented in Azerbaijan. A network of EFTPOS terminals owned by two commercial banks of a large financial group is connected to the TransLink.iQ platform.
Among the company's projects is the introduction of a PSP (Payment Service Provider) model in Georgia. ASHBURN International (through another company of the Penki Kontinentai group) took over the management of 15,000 POS-terminals belonging to one of the largest commercial banks in the country. The company began to provide the bank with the POS-terminals network for rent. The bank took off its obligations to maintain the network of terminals, monitor, update software and repair all devices, and optimized its costs.
“We are constantly improving our product. Although the TransLink.iQ solution can be adapted to any market, the scale in our industry is important. Accordingly, we pay special attention to countries with wide banking network and great potential for increasing the number of financial transactions,” says Žoržas Šarafanovičius.
Safe and unique product
In fact, TransLink.iQ is the middle link between banks and points of sale, where the payments are concluded. This solution allows to make payments with traditional and contactless cards of both local and international payment systems (VISA, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay, Diners Club, etc.), and loyalty cards. TransLink.iQ is compatible with EFTPOS terminals of major international manufacturers (Ingenico, Verifone, PAX).
The remote control function allows updating the payment terminal software, changing its settings and eliminating most errors quickly and without extra cost.
“For example, one of the requirements of international payment systems is the regular updating of cryptographic keys. The financial institutions cannot avoid financial and time costs by performing it manually, directly in each terminal. Our platform gives the opportunity to change cryptographic keys centrally without the extra costs,” explains Ž. Šarafanovičius.
TransLink.iQ system is not only functional, but also safe. PA-DSS (Payment Application Data Security Standard) certificates confirm that all modules of the software solution that provide storage, processing and transmission of cardholder data at the stage of authorization and transaction conforms to high international security standards.
Security has always been a priority of ASHBURN International. Since 2007, the company has been undergoing annual auditing for compliance with the requirements of PCI DSS Level 1, which guarantee the highest level of data security for payment cards. Last year, ASHBURN International received a VISA PIN certificate confirming the security of management, use and transfer of PIN codes used in the process of online transactions at ATMs and EFTPOS terminals.
Numerous certificates show that the company and its software for POS-terminals meet all international standards for the security of bankcards and billing data.
Uninterrupted operation
According to the Head of the company, ASHBURN International works in two key areas. The first of them is the development, support and sale of software solutions for the operation of the POS-terminals network. The second specialization is the introduction of a PSP model or the provision of payment terminals for rent. This service ensures an uninterrupted process of financial transactions and their delivery to processing centers, banks or trading organizations.
ASHBURN International resolves malfunction quickly and advises users on making payments. Customer service requires a professional team that works around the clock. Currently, such services are provided in the Baltic States and Georgia, and live monitoring is carried out from the Vilnius office.
“We want to save our customers from the headaches associated with infrastructure management. The company offers the TransLink.iQ platform and ensures its stable operation. The malfunction, even for a few minutes, incurs huge losses for the client, so we cannot allow this to happen,” says the Head of ASHBURN International.
The growth of export and functionality
The company has extensive plans for the future. According to Ž. Šarafanovičius, ASHBURN International promises to increase the complexity and functionality of TransLink.iQ. This will allow customers to carry out most of the activities related to payments and financial operations via this software solution.
“We not only expand the territorial boundaries of our activities and export services abroad, but also expand the functionality of the product. To keep the position on the world market, we need to improve the product continually, and expect the trends to offer our clients and their customers the most innovative solutions right now,” says Ž. Šarafanovičius.
