BBH and The Human Chain Partner to Bring Near Field Communication to U.S. Markets

WHEELING, Ill. and OXFORD, England, March 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- U.K.-based management consultancy The Human Chain and U.S.-based BOWE BELL + HOWELL (BBH) have signed a consulting agreement designed to enable both firms to meet the needs of the evolving mobile marketplace.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two will partner on certain projects, combining their knowledge and expertise to help deliver new services in the loyalty, membership, payment and access control markets across multiple form factors such as smart phones, cards, microSD and stickers.

BBH has a strong background in card-based fulfillment, issuing and processing, and has built an impressive track record in the financial services and retail sectors. By working with The Human Chain, it aims to open up a new stream of business that harnesses its traditional capabilities and customer relationships to deliver new offerings based on mobile-based technologies, including contactless/near field communication (NFC).

"By partnering with The Human Chain, our customers get access to some of the leading thinking around mobile and NFC. It means we will be in a good position to offer consulting services that enable them to develop their strategy and evolve from traditional credit, gift and loyalty cards to virtual cards on various form factors including mobile and NFC," says Tim Wright, director, Business Development, BBH.

Dean Warner, vice president, Business Development, BBH agrees: "Our goal is to bring a whole set of solutions and a future road map to our customers who want to increase the marketing value of their products and other print communications. In addition, we want to provide services to The Human Chain, enabling it to expand its consultancy in the cards, mobile and NFC space in the U.S."

The Human Chain will be able to draw on BBH's resources as it enters the U.S. market. "Our combined knowledge and expertise will provide a unique opportunity to understand, evaluate and deliver new and innovative services," says Tim Jefferson, managing director, The Human Chain. "By working together, we will be able to help our new U.S. clients evaluate opportunities for emerging technologies and business models; scope and design new services and products; and create go-to-market strategies based on mobile technology."

Both firms expect to add value to their client relationships – and help their clients create further value and functionality in the relationship they have with their own end-customer base – in the new mobile age. "By helping our clients move toward the mobile form factor, we're helping them offer new services and product features, thereby adding more value and helping them maintain and grow their market position," says Wright.

For more information on BOWE BELL + HOWELL, visit www.bowebellhowell.com. For more information on The Human Chain, visit www.thehumanchain.com.

About BOWE BELL + HOWELL

Headquartered in Wheeling, Ill., BOWE BELL + HOWELL is a leading provider of high-performance document management solutions and services. The company pioneered gripper arm mail-inserting systems in 1938, and has one of the world's largest installed bases of such inserters as a result of the technology's flexibility, performance and reliability. The company's complete portfolio of inserting, sorting, plastic card, integrity, cutting, packaging, print-on-demand and software solutions is the most comprehensive product offering for paper-based and digital mail communications. These solutions are supported by one of the largest dedicated service organizations in the industry. For further information on BOWE BELL + HOWELL, please visit www.bowebellhowell.com.

About The Human Chain

The Human Chain is a U.K.-based management consultancy that specializes in mobile and wireless telecommunications in Europe and North America. Its expertise is scoping and defining new products and services on mobile and helping clients exploit mobile and wireless technology to deliver real business benefits. It works with Mobile Network Operators/carriers, service providers and technology providers, including systems integrators, infrastructure vendors, UICC SIM and terminal manufacturers as well as end-user companies including major brands in banking, retail, transport, hospitality and logistics sectors. For more information, please visit www.thehumanchain.com.

SOURCE BOWE BELL + HOWELL