Microsoft recently accepted Worldsmart Technology into the Microsoft Partner Program. The Partner Program recognises companies that have used Microsoft products and technologies to provide solutions for their customers. Worldsmart Technology has been recognised for their achievements in providing networking infrastructure solutions.

Worldsmart Technology is pleased to announce the successful deployment of the ALPA FOODcard Pilot. Worldsmart Technology has been working with it's partners Worldsmart Retech and the Arnhemland Progress Association (ALPA) to provide a solution that is enabling people in remote communities to manage finances and nutritional intake.

The solution utilises smartcard technology with retail Point of Sale integration, to ensure that money set aside by a family for food, is used for that purpose and that the foods purchased are part of a nutritional diet.

"The idea of the ALPA FOODcard is to assist families to provide food throughout the whole pay cycle. It has been designed primarily as a family budgeting tool.

Customers may choose to have money paid into the FOODcard on pay days and at any other time` then spend that money over the remainder of the pay cycle or period on a selected range of food and household essentials.

The FOODcard assists family providers’ to protect money they wish to put aside for food from pressures for other non essential expenditure. The cash registers are programmed to block spending on non essentials from the FOODcard."

Source: Arnhemland Progress Association http://www.alpa.asn.au