Knet participated in the Electronic Government Exhibition which was organized by Kuwait University / College of Engineering and Petroleum, Khaldiya. The exhibition aimed at spreading knowledge of the application of e-government, and how government services could be computerized so as to be readily accessible and more effective for the public. The University had invited several organizations to participate in the exhibition (which took place over three days in March), to display their applications, perspectives and their vision of future services in the government.

Knet was privileged to be a sponsor and part of this very successful exhibition, where the Knet services of POS, Kiosk, and especially Payment Gateway were showcased, particularly as these services could be used as vehicles for provision of e-government services. All types of POS terminals were exhibited, paying special attention to three categories, i.e, the Desktop, the Wireless, GSM and the GPRS. Knet’s Desktop Point-of-Sale was showcased as a possible channel that could be employed by ministries to facilitate payment of bills using bank cards rather than through cash, wherein shortage of amounts on hand was a common hazard. The wireless could be utilized in locations with limited infrastructure or in the case of GSM and GPRS, those with no infrastructure at all, as it operates through the mobile SIM card provided by local telecommunication companies. These communication subsystems, like GPRS, in the point of sale technology also offer unlimited mobility, and a possible application would be for the Ministry of Interior in aiding the collection of traffic fines.

Such services would also reflect positively on the government’s ability of dealing with money, whereby instead of counting, collecting and hiring security to convey the bulk amounts to the bank, the fees collected would be directly credited to the respected ministry’s account, thereby minimizing or even eliminating the need to handle cash. Another benefit to be reaped from these applications is the minimization of cash handling cost and risks for the amount that will be deducted from the citizen’s bank account and credited directly to the ministry’s bank account within seconds.

Another payment channel exhibited was that of Payment Gateway, enabling customers to go online and check their bills, in addition to paying them using their debit cards. Knet gave complete demonstrations to those who visited with the purpose of learning how the PG service worked, by recharging their mobiles there itself with KD.1, as a small gift from KNET.

The Mobile Payment option was another service exhibited, at which payment could be made through a page especially designed for mobiles. This payment option could also be utilized by the ministries for payment of utility bills like electricity and water.

Yet another service was the Kiosk service, another way of enabling the public to pay their bills received from governmental organizations.

The exhibition of these services served to demonstrate how they could work in conjunction with the numerous governmental organizations to help the public in paying for the various services provided by the government of Kuwait, in an entirely uncomplicated manner.

Dr. Maitham Safar, consultant for the Government E-Payment project. Dr. Maitham has a Ph.D
in Computer Science from the University of Southern California, and has been involved with Kuwait University for quite a length of time, as a student, a teaching assistant and now an instructor.
Dr. Maitham said, “The idea behind the formation of this E-Payment project is that the Kuwaiti government wants to make the giant move towards a paperless government in the very near future, and one of the ways to do this, is to go electronically and well, this is what Knet is famous for. When the contract was signed between Knet and the Government, Knet enlisted me as a consultant to both monitor and advise; to guarantee that the project is a success. I joined to ensure the realization of this project in line with the Government’s vision. I work in the Computer Engineering Department at the University, and the Engineering School hosts the E-government project at the University, thus my exposure to it. We ensure that standards for e-payment match those around the world. I can tell you that the government is very keen for this project to go live. Handling cash is a major problem everywhere, so this service will be seen as a plus; it’s instant debit and credit. It will be more organized, easier to reconcile, easier to follow up on claims; everything will be done electronically. I forecast going live possibly early next year; the reason being that most ministries providing services to the public already have the infrastructure and are ready to implement the service. I am here only in a consultancy role, but from what I’ve seen, I know that the Knet team can pick up the project by themselves in the near future; they are well qualified and experienced. Knet is really committed to the success of this project. Their belief is based on the fact that this service will revolutionize the payment situation in Kuwait. In actuality, they are doing a great service, whereby the government, citizens and expatriates will benefit alike. Basically the technology being used for e-payment has been used before; the Government has seen it work for the private sector, they have also seen how Knet works, and they are in no doubt about applying the technology for their business. I believe a major advertising campaign is in order, and I understand that Knet is working on this. Kuwait picks up new trends very fast, we are very much into technology. With new strides in technology like the upcoming smart card civil IDs, we shall be able to integrate most services to provide information and bill payment options electronically.”

Knet Mobile Device

Service Description:
GPRS POS are wireless devices that have Zain SIM cards within them. They authenticate payment using K net cards or Credit Cards by processing the transaction over Zain’s secure and fast data network.

Main Advantages:

Wireless Payment using Knet GPRS POS machines have many benefits for both the end user as well as the Merchant.

Major Benefits :

• Can reach out to his customer, no matter where he is located in Kuwait, thanks to Zain’s nationwide GPRS coverage and secure data network
• Improve service delivery by offering a secure and more convenient payment option
• Fully authenticated by Knet and supported by Zain

Who can benefit from wireless GRPS POS?

Target market segments are, among others, Food Delivery Companies, Restaurants, Hotels, Transport (Taxi) companies, Customer Service Centers, Gas Stations, Large Trading Houses, Web based businesses, and any other outdoor based activity.

How to get Wireless GPRS POS?

The merchant has to approach his bank for the service. Should the merchant require any assistance or information about the service, Knet POS team will gladly provide help.

What are the fees?

The merchant has to contact his bank for more info regarding fees.

What is the support process?

K net Help Desk is the main point of support for the merchant.