GPRS is an extension of the GSM network to transfer data at low cost using the mobile network. GPRS is an efficient network in EPOS transaction banking as it increases the speed of transaction banking. Transaction time is 3 to 4 times quicker using the current mobile network rather than the standard telephone line.

To ensure maximum coverage, Lyra Network provides secured EPOS network based on the best performing network carriers located in France: Bouygues Telecom, Orange and Vodafone (SFR)
At present connectivity coverage can be better from one area or another according to the operator. The Lyra Network triple offer is a tool to overcome any network shortage. GPRS network connectivity can be checked from a simple mobile phone.

When purchasing a SIM card to reach the GPRS network, a roaming option can be subscribed to connect EPOS terminals in Europe or elsewhere to the GPRS mobile network. Roaming agreements have been signed by the French network carriers to connect to other existing mobile networks for the Lyra Network secured EPOS gateway to carry card transactions to your bank.

Yes, GPRS is reliable. Operators are organized to ensure antenna maintenance in case of network unavailability.
Retail stores can be located in an area where several antennas are available if it is a population high density area. In this case the EPOS terminal can be connected to another antenna.

Yes it is secured. SSL protocol is compulsory on all GPRS EPOS terminals.

Yes, it goes fast for several reasons: a calculation unit is located directly on the EPOS terminal encrypting data and for other applications which can be added.
40kbits bandwidth per second will be used from the operators' antenna. To request an autorisation, about 250 octets are needed. It takes a couple of tenth of seconds to transfer to the bandwidth (the cell is shared into several connections).

Your bank or the EPOS terminal merchant applies a subscription package according to the retail store needs.

Yes, you will make savings as the cost of GPRS is cheaper than analog calls. GPRS EPOS terminals reduce card payment transaction time. Card payment processing will be faster at the point of sale for the client and for the retail store.

If you have several EPOS terminals, we recommend connecting EPOS terminals mixing the different operators so SIM cards can be swapped.
If there is a single GPRS EPOS terminal in the retail store, check the cables and be aware that the antennas downtime has a very low rate.
Contact your bank or the EPOS terminal merchant for support.

Satisfaction rate is as high as with analog solutions.

GPRS network is used to update applications. Normally your EPOS transaction payment solution subscription package includes application updates.

Mainly 2 issues can be encountered: First aside hardware failure there can be a short antenna downtime. Climate variations like storms, lightning, heat waves, heavy snow can lead to external antenna downtimes. Otherwise an EPOS terminal does data encryption, so the date and time should be checked on the terminal as the certificate issued has a life cycle with a beginning and an end date. SSL session cannot be initiated outside this life cycle range.

EPOS terminal electronic transaction payments just like the mobile industry are part of the new technology generation.
ADSL and GPRS or EDGE, 3G or 3G+ represent network technology of the future.

Most of the new EPOS terminals are manufactured with the RJ45 port ready to connect to the network. The latest banking applications communicate via internet in most cases
(eg. Ingenico EFTSmart+). The broadband box access is supplied with a mini Ethernet switch. You just need to connect the RJ45 cable from the IP EPOS terminal to the broadband box.

It depends of the quality of the wire. Category 5 should be targeted as level of quality. You can easily have 100 meters between the EPOS terminal and the broadband box.

Yes, any broadband provider can be used. The only restrictions you would eventually get would be on the parameters of the box. To enable the data transmission from the EPOS terminals several sockets will have to be opened from the box otherwise the communication will not be possible. The computer administrator should be able to access and open the sockets from the computer administration menu.

There should be an mini Ethernet switch built-in onto which you should be able to connect the Ethernet cable between the EPOS terminal and the ADSL modem.

We recommend changing the USB modem with a ADSL modem with built in Ethernet switch (it will be directly connected tothe computer). Many products are available on the market currently such as Cisco, Linksys, Netgear, D-Link, etc..

Yes. According to banks, the security level is as high as SSL double authentication.
At any security level simple or double authentication, data is encrypted and can only be read by the server onto which the EPOS terminal is connected to. Lyra Network secures IP in SSL V3 double authentication ensuring maximum security of transactions to banks.

A certification committee delivers a certificate to all EPOS machines manufactured. The terminal issues the client certificate linked to the certification as well as a root certificate of the SSL server it is connected to.
On a daily basis or for each transaction (depending on the SSL proxy) the terminal communicates using a dialog exchanging keys. If the key exchange is valid, payment transaction data will be encrypted during the entire SSL session.

Yes for the following reasons:
The EPOS terminal has a dedicated calculation unit encrypting data and another one for the other applications.
Then you use a DSL link with a bandwidth up largely oversized to make payments. An application for authorization requires around 500 bytes (return) when the transfer rate may be higher than 100Kbits per second down and 20Kbits/second up.
During the first transaction the SSL session can take a bit longer as the SSL server and the EPOS terminal are exchanging keys.
Depending on the server within the next 24 hours there can eventually be no key exchange so transmission are short and at high speed.

Your bank or the EPOS terminal merchant applies an IP subscription package according to the retail store needs.

Yes savings will be made because IP is cheaper than analog calls. Final clients will lose less time at the point of sale.

If the network is down the analog backup system can take over if setup on the initial configuration of the EPOS terminal.
To activate the analog backup system on the POS terminal, it implies that the analog line supplied by your operator is only partially unbundled. If the DSL broadband is down, the operator provides total unbundling services, it would affect also voice services so your EPOS terminal wouldn't work.
If the EPOS terminal model allows both IP and GPRS connectivity, you could easily connect a backup SIM card on the EPOS terminal directly. Your bank or the EFT POS merchant can provide the backup SIM cards which are cheaper.
To connect several IP EPOS terminals to a single GPRS backup SIM card. You would connect it to a GPRS router connected itself on the LAN which would be used as gateway to the SIM card mobile operator.
The different EPOS terminals can use the equipment at the same time (depending on the external GPRS equipment) compensating the operator service difference.

The service rate is as high with an analog line. Lyra Network has 2 production sites, one site being the backup of the other carrying secure SSL transaction data towards the banks.

Applications are updated using DSL broadband network which is high speed and cheap comparing to the analog line which costs a lot of time and money. Normally the price of the application updates is included in the transaction payment subscription package.

Electronic Fund transaction payments follow the same trend as mobile services. If you have a broadband access, you connect to VOiP. Today or tomorrow payments will be processed using xDSL wires and it will be part of the standard.

Mainly 2:
If your broadband is unavailable, without a backup solution in place your EPOS terminal will not be able to work.
If date and time is not set up properly on the EPOS terminal then the certificates would not be valid. Date and time need to be checked.