Singapore-based trusted service management (TSM) specialist Cassis International has opened an office in New York, giving it a foothold in the American market for the first time.

The newly formed Cassis Americas is headed by Allen Merrill, previously an executive at MasterCard Worldwide and a former partner at McKinsey & Company. A regional security centre and data hosting capability is also being established to serve customers based in the region.

Cassis has been keeping a close eye on the American market for several years, Merrill told NFC World. “We decided in previous years not to enter the Americas market,” he explained, but the situation is now beginning to change. Our conclusion this year, says Merrill, was that “if we wait 12 to 18 months, it will be too late. When it starts, it will accelerate fast.”

“We see enough evidence of activity, proactiveness and initiative-taking in Canada and the US on the part of telcos and banks,” Merrill added. “The market is starting to move.”

Cassis has been in business since 2002 and has been involved in many of Asia’s largest NFC projects. Its MobileMatrix TSM solution is offered to mobile network operators, banks and others — either on a licensing basis or as a managed service solution where Cassis takes responsibility for providing over-the-air (OTA) provisioning, for managing multiple applications held within a secure element and for providing a comprehensive customer service to end users.

Cassis is also expanding its operations in Europe. The company recently recruited Jean-Philippe Betoin, previously of Inside Contactless and Gemalto, to head Cassis Europe, where customers include BKM in Turkey, Orange Business Services in France and Intesa Sanpaolo in Italy.

“Cassis has achieved unrivalled commercial experience and technical expertise in providing trusted services by working with banks, mobile operators, transit companies and other service providers on a significant number of commercial mobile NFC projects throughout Asia/Pacific and across the globe,” says TH Tan, co-founder and chairman of Cassis International. “These new steps in global expansion build on our success and deep cross-industry expertise for the next phase of global growth.”

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