areeba, the leading e-payment provider in the Middle East, chooses MagicCube's Contactless SoftPos platform and its differentiating Software Defined Trust (SDT)

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Jun 15, 2020, 08:00 ET

SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MagicCube, the creator of the world's only Software Trusted Execution Environment (SDT) platform, and areeba, the leading issuing and acquiring services provider to banks, financial institutions, merchants and retailers in the Middle East, today announced a technical partnership to deploy a joint product offering contactless SoftPos in the region.

SoftPos is a software-only Point of Sale system that turns any Android-based smartphone or tablet into a contactless payment acceptance terminal. Merchants will need to download the areeba mobile application from Google Play to their mobile device, which then allows their customers to make their payments by tapping their contactless cards, HCE mobile wallets or wearables on the merchant's mobile device.

Last year, MagicCube was awarded the first certification of a software-based Trusted Execution Environment issued by EMVCo, the consortium owned by American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, UnionPay and Visa. MagicCube's SDT is completely hardware-independent and works on all major card networks. It offers easy integration, quick deployment, easy operation and unmatched security.

"The Middle East is a huge area of growth that is positioned to benefit greatly from reducing the cost and complexity associated with accepting digitized payments. When software replaces hardware, everything becomes downloadable and upgradeable, allowing the market to grow exponentially. This is akin to upgrading from physical media to streaming services," MagicCube CEO Sam Shawki said. "Enabling micro merchants can have a great economic impact and can also be a great accelerator for financial inclusion."

"As one of the leading technology payment providers in the Middle East, we are proud to partner with MagicCube to launch this revolutionary product that will be a game changer in our region," areeba CEO, Maher Mikati, said. "With the SoftPos application, areeba will be able to provide a cost-efficient card and mobile payment acceptance solution for all micro merchants, enabling them to accept contactless payments directly via their Android smartphones and increase their sales by embracing digital payments. This will lead to displacing cash usage and switching to a modern cashless economy."

Other major financial institutions in the region are also taking notice, as MagicCube also announced today that CVentures, CIB's venture capital arm has made an investment in MagicCube, joining a group of investors led by Bold Capital, Epic Ventures, Sony Innovation Fund, NTT Data, Azure Capital, Visa Inc., and Luqman Weise Capital.

After being named to Network World's '10 Hot IoT Startups to Watch' List, heralded as a Cool Vendor in Security and Risk Management by Gartner, and partnering with the PCI Security Standards Council, MagicCube is positioned to lead the SDT category, disrupting the current dominance of hardware based security.

About Areeba
areeba is an electronic payment technology company licensed by Visa and MasterCard and has an agreement with American Express. Established in 2017, areeba adopts the latest technologies and provides solutions and payment services to banks, governments and merchants to suit their aspirations and needs.

areeba offers services tailored to global requirements, from card issuance and management, non-contact payment solutions, contactless and mobile payment. It also provides merchants and governments with the latest e-commerce platform and point-of-sale machines that adopt the highest standards and safety systems. areeba operates a wide range of loyalty programs, including collecting points and miles, cashback programs, and providing consultancy services for the planning, design and development of electronic products and payment solutions. areeba's philosophy is based on three core principles: upgrading technology to higher levels, innovation in products and services, and establishing reliable and long-term relationships with its customers.

For more information, visit www.areeba.com, or @areebalebanon on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram.

areeba media contact: Nouchka El Hage, 01-954325 - [email protected]

About MagicCube
MagicCube is leading the Software Defined Trust (SDT) category with its software TEE-based platform. The technology enables large-scale deployment and management of IoT and mobile-secure solutions to consumers. For more information, visit www.magiccube.co or follow us on Twitter @Magic3inc.

EMVCo facilitates worldwide secure interoperability and acceptance of payment and digital transactions.

* EMV is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries and an unregistered trademark elsewhere. The EMV trademark is owned by EMVCo, LLC.

SOURCE MagicCube