HARMONIA HOLDINGS GROUP, LLC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: The Navy currently uses a Smart Card based stored value system to provide sailors with the

Description

The Navy currently uses a Smart Card based stored value system to provide sailors with the ability to make purchases on board a ship This system, called Navy Cash, has been implemented on a majority of the ships but the Navy is encountering problems of cost and maintenance is looking for an alternative that will automate back-end processes and allow newer authentication technologies such as biometric to be inducted. Harmonia proposes to develop a system that implements a"Bank ATM/POS-like"system onboard the ship which works in conjunction with standard bank issued debit cards, biometric authentication devices and a Navy-specific PIN set up by the sailor at the time of registration to create a secure and simple environment for cashless purchases. The system also fully automates the bank-end processes for reconciliation of transactions and settlement of accounts with vendors. It also provides a facility for disbursing cash while onboard without unduly taxing the disbursement officer's time. The result is a system that can be implemented systematically and cost-effectively, provides significant savings in terms of management and long-term maintenance and is scalable and upgradeable to newer authentication processes as they mature.