Category: event

Trust, innovation and interoperability: key insights from AAMVA conference.

10th October 202510th October 2025by Consult HyperionLeave a comment

Phoenix, Arizona – October 2025 – Fime participated in the AAMVA Relying Party Showcase and the AAMVA International Conference, reinforcing its leadership in advancing secure, interoperable, and scalable digital identity solutions.

The Showcase gathered issuers, wallet providers, reader providers, DMVs, and technology companies under one roof to demonstrate real-world mobile driver’s license (mDL) use cases. Fime’s delegation, including Marcelo Bellini, VP Digital Identity at Consult Hyperion, Consulting by Fime, Gregory Tierno, Business Development Director, Jerrin Thomas, Service Line Manager, and Gaurav Manchanda, Product Manager, participated in both the showcase and conference sessions.

Panel: ensuring trust in digital credentials.

As part of the panel “Ensuring Trust in Digital Credentials in North America and Beyond,” moderated by Tim Roufa Portfolio Director for Identity Credentialing at AAMVA, thought leaders came together to share their perspectives on scaling digital identity. Panelists included Luis Felipe Segura, Field CTO at Incode, Christopher Goh, International Advisor at Valid8 Advisory and Marcelo Bellini.

Marcelo emphasized the role of testing and certification in building trust within the mDL ecosystem, drawing lessons from the payments industry, where testing and certification enabled global scale. He highlighted global digital identity deployments across the EU, Japan, and Australia. Marcelo also underlined the importance of a Digital Trust Service (DTS), such as the one operated by AAMVA, in supporting adoption and scalability.

Demo highlight: two taps to trust.

One of the showcase highlights was the collaboration between Consult Hyperion and Zebra Technologies presenting a live demo, which illustrated how identity verification and payments can be seamlessly managed on a single handheld Contactless Payment ready mobile device (COTS).

The demo featured:

Identity verification using a production Georgia mDL stored in Apple and Google Wallets.
Payment transactions with production Mastercard and Visa EMV contactless cards.
Public key retrieval from the AAMVA Digital Trust Service, enabling the relying party to securely trust the mDL.
A COTS contactless payment device that scans product barcodes, triggers an ID check for age restricted items (e.g., alcohol) and processes payment – all in just two taps: one for identity and one for payments.

The demonstration was praised by attendees for its simplicity, practicality, and potential to transform multiple industries, from stadiums and public transport to law enforcement, alcohol retail, and grocery stores.

“This use case really shows the power of convergence between identity and payments,”

said Greg Tierno, Business Development Director at Fime.

“Having both functions on a single, easy-to-use handheld device makes life simpler for merchants, law enforcement, and consumers alike. It’s a practical, scalable solution that lowers friction and raises trust – exactly what the ecosystem needs to accelerate adoption.”

Building ecosystem momentum.

Following the Showcase, Fime also took part in the broader AAMVA International Conference, engaging with issuers, wallet providers, reader providers, biometric solution companies, and technology vendors. The event offered an unparalleled opportunity to network, exchange insights, and accelerate collaboration towards a trusted digital credential future.

“Our successful demonstration with Zebra underscores the transformative potential of combining digital identity and payments in a single, trusted device,”

added Marcelo Bellini, VP Digital Identity at Consult Hyperion, Consulting by Fime.

Acknowledgement

Fime extends its gratitude to AAMVA and its organizers for hosting a world-class event that continues to drive meaningful dialogue, collaboration, and innovation across the digital identity ecosystem.

Work with an expert partner for a secure digital future.

mDLs are moving quickly from pilots to real deployments, and relying parties must be prepared. At Consult Hyperion, we help organizations bridge the gap between initial awareness and production-level implementation.

Our support spans the full journey: from masterclasses and tailored workshops to build understanding, through business case development to justify investment, and market and vertical analysis to identify opportunities. We assist with use case definition, technical requirements, and RFI/RFP support, helping you select the right vendors and solutions and provide implementation support. And through thought leadership collaborations, we share insights that keep you ahead of the curve.

Our goal is simple: to give you a clear strategy, a strong business case, and a trusted path to deploy mDLs with confidence.

Learn more about Digital identity: a new frontier for payment terminal vendors.

Driving the Future of Fintech

5th November 20245th November 2024by Consult HyperionLeave a comment

Insights from Money20/20 USA 2024 and Consult Hyperion’s Legacy

The fintech landscape has undergone remarkable transformations over the past decade, with Money20/20 USA serving as a pivotal platform for showcasing industry innovations and setting trends. Each year, this premier conference gathers leaders, innovators, and thinkers to discuss the future of financial services. Reflecting on past themes such as cloud computing and blockchain, the 2024 event embraced Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the defining technology of the year.

A Look Back: Cloud, Blockchain, and Consult Hyperion’s Journey at Money20/20

Over the years, Money20/20 has highlighted significant trends that have shaped financial services. Cloud computing allowed institutions to scale operations, enhance customer experiences, and improve efficiency. Blockchain soon followed, presenting decentralized ledger systems that promised more transparency, security, and trust in financial transactions.

For Consult Hyperion, these advancements provided a natural landscape to showcase our expertise. Since our first year at Money20/20, we’ve been committed to the industry’s growth, contributing thought leadership and insights on technological evolution. Our journey at Money20/20 has been one of active participation, attendance and thought leadership. Year after year, we’ve witnessed—and contributed to—the shift in how technology redefines our industry.

2024: The AI-Driven Future of Fintech

This year, AI emerged as the main theme, emphasizing the next evolution in payments technology. Money20/20 USA 2024 was all about exploring AI’s current and future impact. From machine learning to natural language processing, the event demonstrated AI’s ability to drive personalized financial products, enhance security, and transform customer engagement.

Key highlights from this year’s conference included:

AI-Powered Customer Engagement: Many exhibitors showcased AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants designed to streamline customer support and provide tailored advice. This shift towards personalized experiences is already making a significant impact, with AI enabling real-time, intelligent responses.
Enhanced Fraud Detection: Fraud prevention was another focal point, with sessions exploring how AI-driven models are detecting and mitigating fraud more effectively than ever. These solutions promise a safer environment for both financial institutions and consumers.
Personalized Financial Services: As AI grows more sophisticated, it allows for finely-tuned, data-driven offerings that meet individual needs. Financial products are now being tailored with unprecedented accuracy, improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Consult Hyperion’s Continued Commitment to Innovation

Consult Hyperion’s ongoing involvement at Money20/20 reflects our commitment to staying at the forefront of fintech. This year, we’re particularly excited about the potential AI brings to financial services and how it intersects with our expertise in secure payments and identity. As a key player in bridging technology with strategy, Consult Hyperion remains dedicated to guiding the industry through its next stages of digital transformation.

Dave Birch’s Panels on AI, Digital Identity, and Payments

Consult Hyperion’s own Dave Birch, known globally for his thought leadership in secure payment and identity systems, moderated two thought-provoking panels. Each session, focused on AI’s transformative potential in finance, illustrated how we can expect profound changes in secure identity, payments, and customer engagement.

“Have My AI Call Your AI and Let’s Do Lunch” This forward-looking session explored the transformative potential of AI-driven B2B interactions within finance. Birch and his panelists, including Sophia Bantazidis from Citi, discussed how autonomous, AI-driven systems could negotiate and streamline transactions between organizations. Panelists noted that as AI continues to advance, it presents opportunities for improving efficiency in business interactions. However, the potential for AI-to-AI interactions also brings the need for a secure, reliable framework, particularly in digital identity, to ensure all parties’ integrity and security. Bantazidis highlighted the importance of ethical AI in finance and the role of digital identity frameworks to support responsible, trustworthy AI interactions. The discussion underscored that digital identity isn’t just a safeguard but a necessity for enabling safe, efficient AI-driven financial communications, allowing AI systems to engage securely in a trust-based environment.
“The Real Disruption in Retail Financial Services: Customers Getting AI” Hosted on the exclusive “Off The Record” stage, which featured Chatham House rules and a locked-phone policy to encourage open dialogue, this session delved into a critical, often under-discussed topic: the growing role of AI in empowering consumers rather than just enhancing banks’ internal efficiencies. Birch set the stage for a candid conversation, highlighting that while it’s intriguing to explore how banks might use AI to streamline call centers or make marginally better credit decisions, the real disruption lies in customers having direct access to AI tools themselves. This shift represents a fundamental threat to the traditional retail banking model, with the increased intelligence of customers challenging financial institutions to adapt. Joining Birch in this conversation were Matt Harris from Bain Capital and Kirsty Rutter from Lloyds Banking Group, both bringing deep insights into how AI is empowering consumers with data and control previously inaccessible in the standard banking setup. Harris discussed how consumer-facing AI tools are pushing banks to refine their approach to customer engagement, while Rutter highlighted the role of secure, personalized digital identity in offering these AI-driven experiences safely and effectively. Together, the panelists concluded that financial institutions must develop robust strategies to stay relevant and competitive in the face of this new AI-enabled consumer intelligence.

Howard Hall’s Podcast with Lou Carlozo: A Legacy of Leadership in Payments and Digital Identity

In addition to these panel discussions, Consult Hyperion’s Howard Hall, was featured in a podcast with respected financial journalist Lou Carlozo. Hall shared how Consult Hyperion has been pioneering secure digital identity and payment solutions for decades, dating back to projects like the groundbreaking Hong Kong ID card. Hall discussed how this legacy of innovation continues to drive the company’s work in secure digital payments and identity, underscoring our commitment to building resilient infrastructures that adapt to changing regulatory landscapes and technology demands. Hall’s conversation with Carlozo highlighted that Consult Hyperion’s expertise in secure payments and identity frameworks isn’t simply a reaction to industry shifts; it’s a proactive approach that has evolved alongside the fintech ecosystem.

Charting the Path Forward

Money20/20 USA 2024 was a testament to the ongoing evolution within fintech, with AI taking center stage. As the industry advances, Consult Hyperion remains dedicated to contributing expertise in payments, secure digital identity, and emerging technologies that will shape the future. Our commitment to innovation and the fintech community continues, with a focus on building a safer, smarter, and more inclusive financial ecosystem.

Transport Ticketing Global – another fantastic year!

23rd March 20239th January 2024by Lawrence SuttonLeave a comment

The Transport Ticketing Global conference in London two weeks ago was a real treat. A big shout-out to the staff at Clarion Events who organized it. All of the speakers were first rate and provided the attendees an opportunity to learn lessons from experts, all over the world. One example was Sindi Msibi of ICT-Works in Johannesburg, South Africa. She spoke about the challenges they face with load-sharing the servers that run their system as they have rolling blackouts. Some areas will have no electricity for six hours per day. Their system performance is extremely important as their riders spend 40% of their income on transport versus 14% for the EU.

Many of the sessions at TTG focused on Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) systems, including a panel that I led on Successful ABT Implementations. The main lessons that I learned from this session were:

Implementing an ABT system is a journey. Many agencies procure a new ABT fare collection system and think – “Oh boy! I just need to turn this thing on and all of my problems are solved!” That’s not the case. Your riders have many different needs. The good news is that ABT systems can provide you the means to fulfill those needs, but it takes time. My panelists spoke honestly about where they are on that journey, and many were years in and still not done.

Not all ABT systems are equal. There were many vendors with booths that touted that they offered ABT systems. However, a fare collection system can be complicated and has many touchpoints both inside the agency and outside to your riders. It’s important to be sure you procure a system that is mature enough to meet your needs. This is why getting references from similar-sized agencies is important, and a good consultant can provide guidance about the difference between what PowerPoint slides say and the reality of what vendors have done.

To have a successful system, you have to analyze and update your business processes. My first job in transit was as a web developer at DART (Dallas, TX) working on our corporate intranet. Our boss insisted that we not just “web-ulize” their current paper processes but improve them. To get the most out of your new fare collection system, analyze your internal processes and ensure that you take advantage of the capabilities that your new ABT system offers your agency by considering the needs of your Revenue, Finance, Planning, Customer Service and Marketing departments.

And speaking of change, I would be remiss if I did not mention one of the best sessions of the conference titled Ticketing & Fares – Time to Retire. James Bain of Worldline made a great case for retiring the ticket and moving towards a subscription model that many other industries like Netflix and Spotify have successfully implemented. It really made me think hard about some of the basic assumptions I hold.

The final point I wanted to bring up is that I heard many people talk about Open Payment projects. Despite highly successful implementations in London and New York, there are still many misconceptions about this technology. One statement that I heard a few times at TTG was how Open Payments is only for tourists. As a New Yorker who regularly rides MTA and uses my American Express card in my Google Wallet (Thanks Jonathan Hill!) to pay my fare, I think it’s the best way to pay. After all, it’s how I pay for everything else I do in my daily life. I think many people are selling short the convenience that Open Payment brings for ALL riders. I hope they’ll rethink some of their assumptions.

For over 15 years Consult Hyperion has been advising transit agencies/authorities the world over. We have a deep understanding of the challenges in a successful implementation of ABT and Open Payment systems. Want to know more? Reach out to Simon Laker or myself to learn more at info@chyp.com.