Product certification at the heart of STS Interoperability

We live in an interconnected world, where devices, software and system components from different manufacturers need to seamlessly communicate and function with each other. The expectation from consumers nowadays is that everything must be ‘plug and play’, and the only way to achieve this is through interoperability.

The STS Association achieves this by meticulously testing products so that they adhere to a very high standard of compliance and functionality, ensuring that all STS systems are Simple, Trusted and Secure.

Who needs to certify?

All products that display the STS logo must be certified by an STS accredited test house. This applies to manufacturers of STS compliant products whenever they release a new product or make changes to an existing one that could affect their STS compliance.

It also applies to product resellers that wish to make any changes to an existing STS compliant product (software, firmware, company branding etc). Both scenarios require active STS membership which must be renewed annually.

Membership to the STS Association allows you to… 1) Submit products for compliance testing, 2) Have you access to the suite of specifications and companion specifications, 3) Have access to the library of development tools created to assist members during their product development process.

What does the entire process look like?

If you are submitting a product for testing, you are encouraged to first conduct your own extensive testing ‘in-house’ to ensure that you are compliant. This first step is not mandatory but is highly advised due to the cost involved with certification. The library of STS development tools was created for this very reason.

The next step is to request a quotation via our website, after which you will receive instructions on how/where to send your products to the STS accredited test house. Any products submitted will undergo a set of meticulous tests to verify its compliance to the IEC62055-41, 51, 52. Once the test house has received the products with all the appropriate annexure documents and requirements, then the testing can begin and is usually completed within 2 weeks.

If your product passes all the tests, you will receive a compliance certificate that will be displayed on the STS website, and you can now manufacturer / resell this product bearing the STS logo. If your product fails the tests, you will be allowed to have one free retest, but if it fails again then you will have to re-apply for a quotation and pay again for another round of testing.

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What are the common challenges with compliance testing?

The testing process itself is very straight forward and does not have any direct challenges other than the turnaround time, so the real challenges faced by the test house come from whoever is submitting the products. There are 4 main areas that need to be looked at when submitting to ensure that testing can begin without any delays…

1. Annexure Documents: These must be filled in correctly and submitted along with the products that are being tested. Ensure there are English descriptions if your product is coded in a different language.
2. Labelling: The testing process requires various samples be sent, and they must be specifically coded to be compatible with the testing process. These samples must be labelled correctly to reflect this.
3. Incorrect Version: Ensure that the products being tested have the correct Software / Firmware version.
4. Functionality: Each product being tested is allowed to have an array of functionality options.  The test house must be made aware of these, so that they know what they are testing for.

In Conclusion, the testing processes adopted by the STS Association are internationally recognised and have been proven to be invaluable. Certification and compliance testing exist at the heart of interoperability, ensuring that products meet the necessary standards and can work together seamlessly. While these processes do come with some challenges, their benefits in terms of quality assurance, risk reduction, and market competitiveness make them indispensable and non-negotiable in today's demanding technological landscape.

As industries continue to evolve, the role of certification and compliance testing in achieving interoperability will only become more critical. By investing in these crucial processes, companies can deliver products that not only meet consumer expectations but also contribute to a more connected and efficient world.

For more information about the STSA, please visit our website at www.sts.org.za

Written by STSA

The Standard Transfer Specification (STS) has become recognized as the only globally accepted open standard for prepayment systems, ensuring interoperability between system components from different manufacturers of prepayment systems.