TERAS Teknologi Sdn Bhd
Teras Teknologi (TERAS), a subsidiary of PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PMB), is a Malaysian global corporation based in Petaling Jaya. TERAS is the creator, developer, and leading system integrator of Touch n Go and SmartTAG in multiple platform technology widely used throughout Malaysia as highway, parking and public transportation payments, and access control system by over 6 million users (in June 2009).
With 1,800 toll lanes committed to date, TERAS is the leading provider of Electronic Toll Collection system in South East Asia and control over 70% market share in Malaysia. TERAS now diversified its technology capabilities into transportation and property market.
History of TERAS Teknologi Sdn Bhd
1994–1997: Founding
TERAS was formed on 15 September 1994 by Renong Berhad to address the urgent needs of providing cost-effective, reliable and locally supported Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) as the outcome of Malaysia's large-scale program of public enterprises privatization outlined in Privatization Masterplan (PMP) in 1991. The program had enabled the imposition of tolls on roads previously built by the Public Works Ministry or the Malaysian Highway Authority (Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia, or LLM).
Following the incorporation of TERAS, Abd Karim Hercus who was instrumental in setting up Electronic Data Processing Department of Projek Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan (PLUS) was appointed as the first managing director. This in turn enabled PLUS TAG, predecessor of SmartTAG and South East Asia first ETC to be immediately developed through technical collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation of Japan and PLUS.
In 1996, TERAS created its own internally developed ETC named TERAS Revenue and Collections System (TRACS) which was instantly deployed for Penang Bridge, North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE) and North-South Expressway (NSE/PLUS Expressways) nationwide highway network of over 800 lanes.
By 18 March 1997, TRACS was enhanced with development and introduction of Touch n Go (pre-paid smart card electronic payment system) at Jalan Pahang Toll Plaza. The year also marked TERAS first international venture as ETC supplier and integrator for Manila-Cavite Expressway, Philippines.
TERAS was formed on 15 September 1994 by Renong Berhad to address the urgent needs of providing cost-effective, reliable and locally supported Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) as the outcome of Malaysia's large-scale program of public enterprises privatization outlined in Privatization Masterplan (PMP) in 1991. The program had enabled the imposition of tolls on roads previously built by the Public Works Ministry or the Malaysian Highway Authority (Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia, or LLM).
Following the incorporation of TERAS, Abd Karim Hercus who was instrumental in setting up Electronic Data Processing Department of Projek Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan (PLUS) was appointed as the first managing director. This in turn enabled PLUS TAG, predecessor of SmartTAG and South East Asia first ETC to be immediately developed through technical collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation of Japan and PLUS.
In 1996, TERAS created its own internally developed ETC named TERAS Revenue and Collections System (TRACS) which was instantly deployed for Penang Bridge, North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE) and North-South Expressway (NSE/PLUS Expressways) nationwide highway network of over 800 lanes.
By 18 March 1997, TRACS was enhanced with development and introduction of Touch n Go (pre-paid smart card electronic payment system) at Jalan Pahang Toll Plaza. The year also marked TERAS first international venture as ETC supplier and integrator for Manila-Cavite Expressway, Philippines.
MIFARE Contactless Technology
Touch ‘n Go card is a prepaid smartcard which information contain in this card can be read and written via magnetic induction using specified radio frequency and smartcard software. Touch ‘n Go card uses MIFARE contactless technology. MIFARE is an international standard for contactless smartcard which is the NXP Semiconductors-owned trademark of a series of chips widely used in contactless smart cards and proximity cards. According to the producers, billions of smart card chips and many millions of reader modules have been sold. The technology is owned by NXP Semiconductors (spin off from Philips Electronics in 2006) with headquarters in Eindhoven, Netherlands, and main business sites in Nijmegen, Netherlands, and Hamburg, Germany. The MIFARE name covers proprietary technologies based upon various levels of the ISO/IEC 14443 Type A 13.56 MHz contactless smart card standard. For Touch n’ Go card, the type of MIFARE contactless technology use is the Multi SAM Reader. Multi SAM Reader is a high performance contact and contactless smart card reader designed for easy integration in payment automatic fare collection systems.