Portal for issuing virtual loyalty cards opened

fun communications presents the virtual loyalty card for the Internet. Now available at webcard-loyalty.com - long-term customer loyalty with virtual loyalty and bonus cards.

Karlsruhe, 9th September 2008. Following successful completion of the beta phase, fun communications GmbH today Tuesday opens its new portal for creating, issuing and administering virtual loyalty cards. Dealers and portal operators can generate their very own virtual loyalty and bonus cards in just three steps at www.webcard-loyalty.com.

Beginning with the design and contents of the cards, over the definition of limited time voucher and discount campaigns, through to the issue of the virtual loyalty cards to customers via e-mail or as a download link; the free portal offers all of these features in a single user interface. Detailed statistics show dealers how successful their promotion campaigns have been. The virtual loyalty card complements existing customer loyalty programs and links them with the virtual world of the Internet.

WebCard Loyalty offers customers, dealers and the issuers of customer loyalty cards true added value. For the customers, the virtual loyalty card means that different user names and passwords are now a thing of the past. The technology is based upon the open standard for information cards that is available for almost all operating systems and browsers. Also, for example, information cards are implemented in the Windows CardSpace™ technology. CardSpace provides a reliable and secure authentication and authorization mechanism (User-Centric Identity Management), which due to its Client technology is immune to phishing attacks. The login process is significantly simplified. Dealers benefit from this as well: It raises the entry barrier, increases the utilization volume, as well as enhancing the data quality. Not only this, but the virtual loyalty card provides both dealers and identity providers with an instrument for targeted marketing measures (bonus point programs, discounts on partner sites, partner advertising, coupon promotions) that enable them to build up long-term customer and partner loyalty. The customer identification and improved customer profiles open up interesting and profitable business models within the partner network.

"We are delighted that with WebCard Loyalty we have today presented the first application with virtual loyalty cards based on information cards. WebCard Loyalty combines in a unique way the benefits of User-Centric Identity Management with a customer loyalty and bonus program," says Stefan Bamberg, Managing Director of fun communications GmbH. fun communications has been developing successful solutions in the Identity Management segment for many years.

"With information cards, Windows CardSpace creates the basis for future online transactions where security and data protection are concerned," says Tom Köhler, Director Security Strategy & Communications at Microsoft Deutschland. "CardSpace helps users to effectively safeguard themselves against phishing attacks and at the same time to maintain control over their personal data. WebCard Loyalty from fun communications ideally combines marketing and security requirements. The easy use of CardSpace in conjunction with the loyalty cards will lead to a high degree of acceptance among Internet users and in doing so make online shopping more secure."

Visit www.fun.de and www.webcard-loyalty.com for more information.

fun communications will be presenting WebCard Loyalty at the Internet World trade fair and congress in Munich on 21st/22nd October 2008 (Booth 30).

© All the company, product or service names mentioned here can be trademarks or service marks of the corresponding owners.

fun communications GmbH, located in Karlsruhe, offers customized all-in-one IT solutions, products for the banking sector, as well as smart card-based applications for the Internet. fun communications has been successfully establishing itself on the market for e-banking applications for several years. Buhl Data Service, FIDUCIA, Lexware and Postbank are just some of the companies who put their trust in solutions from fun communications. The company is actively involved in the Initiativen “baden-württemberg: connected” (bwcon), CyberForum e.V., Mobile Region Karlsruhe, the Initiative GeldKarte e.V., the Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Multimedia-Diensteanbieter (FSM), and internationally with the OSIS (Open Source Identity Systems) initiative, in the Information Card Foundation, on the Liberty Alliance Project and on the European technology platforms eMobility and NESSI.

fun communications GmbH
Lorenzstrasse 29
D-76135 Karlsruhe
Senior Manager Marketing: Iris Wandler
Telephone: +49 721 964480
Telefax: +49 721 96448263
E-mail: iris.wandler@fun.de

This release was published on openPR.