Wacom, the leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays and intuitive interface devices, today announces that the major home furnishings retailer IKEA has adopted the electronic receipt storage solution from TeleCash GmbH & Co. KG based on Wacom’s LCD signature tablet technology - the STU-500 (or SignPad) - across Germany. In pionieering this solution, TeleCash is using the market leading technology from Wacom for generating electronical signatures. TeleCash has chosen the STU-500 due to its accuracy, its ability to significantly reduce process costs, simplify service at the point of sale and reduce the amount of paperwork needed for a transaction. The STU-500 accuracy in particular allows customers to sign naturally as if using paper.

Wacom's LCD signature tablet STU-500, is an intuitive and easy to use device with a high resolution that can capture high quality signatures, enabling cardholders to sign for their purchases on the Wacom developed electronic pad, rather than on a paper receipt.

By using Wacom products TeleCash enables IKEA to enjoy a number of benefits - when the customer signs the STU-500, the payment receipt is electronically archived, which can then be conveniently accessed through a secure website. The service for capturing receipts electronically and archiving them centrally is offered by TeleCash, one of the leading network service providers (NSP) for the processing of card payments in Germany. Customers continue to be given a paper copy of the receipt.

The service can significantly lower process costs, as only one copy of the receipt needs to be printed, greatly reducing the need for materials such as voucher rolls. The process is also quicker, streamlining flow at the checkout meaning less queuing in stores. As the signature process is electronic, refund payments are also faster, limiting inconvenience to customers and retailers.

Peter Sommer, General Business Development Manager at Wacom Europe, said: "This partnership with TeleCash has resulted in a solution that offers benefits for both, merchants and customers alike. The STU-500 will make the payment process simpler and faster and offers a significant potential for cost saving. We’re delighted that IKEA has chosen the electronic receipt storage service from TeleCash to adopt this technology across its stores in Germany."

The STU-500 has been developed in partnership with Softpro GmbH, the leading software specialist for signature capture and verification. The tablet was specifically optimised for reliable authentication and it implements the highest security standards to prevent fraud. Softpro markets the device branded as 'SignPad eSignio'.

The solution installed at IKEA has been developed in close cooperation with TeleCash - a subsidiary of First Data Corporation - with an installed based of more than 200,000 payment terminals.

More information on Softpro and TeleCash/First Data can be found on: www.softpro.de/signpad and www.firstdata.com

For more information on Wacom's STU-500 and how it can help system integrators and solution providers, please contact Wacom here.

-end-

Wacom Company Ltd., (Tokyo Stock Exchange 6727), is a global company based in Japan with subsidiaries in the United States (Wacom Technology Corporation), Germany (Wacom Europe GmbH), China (Wacom China Corporation), Korea (Wacom Korea Co., Ltd.), Australia (Wacom Australia Pty, Ltd) and Singapore (Wacom Singapore Pte. Ltd.). In addition to these subsidiaries, Wacom has affiliate offices around the world to support marketing and distribution in over 150 countries. Founded in 1983, Wacom's vision to bring people and technology closer together through natural interface technologies has made it the world's leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays, and digital interface solutions. The advanced technology of Wacom's intuitive input devices has been used to create some of the most exciting digital art, films, special effects, fashion and designs around the world and provides business and home users with their leading interface technology to express their personality. Millions of customers are using its cordless, battery-free, pressure-sensitive pen technology.