SmarTrac leads in contactless

LONDON, UK: SmarTrac NV has been ranked at the top of the latest Vendor Matrix released by ABI Research.

KSW Microtec and Texas Instruments (TI) claimed the second and third spots in the company’s second annual evaluation of worldwide contactless payment and ticketing inlay vendors.

The Vendor Matrix is an analytical tool developed by ABI Research to provide a clear understanding of vendors’ positions in specific markets. Vendors are assessed on the important parameters of “innovation” and “implementation” across several criteria unique to each vendor matrix.

ABI Research principal analyst Jonathan Collins comments: “This year’s Inlay Vendor Matrix includes only companies actually manufacturing contactless inlays. This means that leading players in last year’s Matrix, including Gemalto and Inside Contactless, are excluded this year.

“What emerges is the success of specialized players in the inlay manufacturing space. SmarTrac and KSW Microtec placed first and second respectively, and both specialize in inlay manufacturing. The breadth of their customer bases as well as their production capabilities and volumes are reflected in their matrix standings. Meanwhile, there are still some players with strong capabilities in-house, with Texas Instruments, which manufactures some but also outsources some inlay production, placing third.”

For this particular matrix, under "innovation," ABI Research examined vendors’ product innovation, the breadth of their product offerings, their experience, leadership, and knowledge transfer, and their relevance to global market and industry partnerships.

Under "implementation," ABI Research scrutinized the following criteria: the vendors’ shares of their target market and the total market, the breadth of their products’ adoption, and their cross regional acceptance. Their ability to supply and support customers worldwide was also assessed.