By joining forces, the two companies will create the leading international prepaid and payment network with an extensive presence in key regions of the Americas and the Caribbean. The combination of Emida and Q Comm will result in a retail network of more than 21,000 prepaid points of sale in retail locations in 21 countries worldwide. They have a combined annual dollar payment volume in excess of $456 million, processing more than 34 million prepaid transactions annually.

Following the closing of the merger, the new company, which will do business as “Emida,” will focus its North American go-to-market efforts specifically on meeting the needs of independent sales organizations (ISOs), retail chains and independent retailers through a commitment to outstanding customer service and innovative product development.

“Retail merchants and major distributors, such as American Wireless, now have a large, financially stable company focused exclusively on our needs,” said Bruce Hallinan, vice president of prepaid services at American Wireless, a major partner of Emida. ”It is important for us to have a provider with a long-term commitment, an extensive distribution network in the market and excellent customer service. The support and innovative products we get from Emida have allowed us to build a very strong partnership.”

The new company will provide an extensive product portfolio for prepaid wireless, calling cards and financial services for all customers. The combined product portfolio will include Emida’s market-leading, point-of-sale solutions for real-time top up, which enable wireless carriers and their customers to instantly replenish their accounts regardless of location. Emida has also pioneered cross-border payment solutions, which provide real-time payments and wireless account replenishment to suppliers and their customers across geographies in any currency.

Dennis Andrews, CEO of Emida, views the merger as combining two dynamic and similar companies that share the same goals and strategic direction. “While in some ways looking at each other is like looking in the mirror, we found that we have very complementary strengths. By joining forces, we deliver a substantial mix of prepaid products, services and technology solutions that provide unique value across our various geographies and put us in a leadership position, particularly in the Americas and the Caribbean.”

Mike Keough, CEO of Q Comm, added that he sees the merger as a strategic move to capture market share in the prepaid market. “During the last couple of years, we have witnessed rapid growth and consolidation in the industry, in addition to an ever-increasing demand for better services and programs for various markets, including retail chains, independent retailers and the ISOs that service them. We believe this merger will position us at the forefront of serving these markets and will better enable us to capitalize on the accelerating growth in the market for all types of prepaid products and services.”

Andrews will continue to lead Emida as CEO, and Keough, as president of North America, will have responsibility for the company’s operations in the United States and Canada. The combined management team of the merged companies possesses more than 200 years of aggregated professional experience in transaction processing networks, payment systems, information systems, customer support, international management, product innovation and financial management. The combined organization will continue corporate operations in both Foothill Ranch, Calif. and Salt Lake City.

For more information, please visit http://www.emida.net and http://www.qcomm.com.