Penki kontinentai Group: Keeping Up With the Latest Technologies for 25 Years

Penki Kontinentai group of companies dates back to January 10, 1992, when Penki kontinentai company was founded. From the first day of its existence, the company is developing technologies that help customers achieve their goals, open new business opportunities, and save their time and money. The company cares about new technologies‘ transparency and accessibility: that‘s why it holds beginner‘s computer courses and invites to scroll through the web in one of first Lithuania‘s Internet cafes.

Telecommunications

1996: Penki kontinentai company started providing Internet services, including creating Internet sites, server data storage, and e-mail.

1996: The company developed www. search.lt – the first Lithuanian search engine. 1999: won the Grand Prix at the IVth WWW Lithuanian championship. 1999: set up www.chess.lt (virtual chess) and Top100 (Internet most popular tracking) systems.

October 28, 1998: Penkių kontinentų centras komunikacijų centras subsidiary started establishing Skynet – a fiber-optic network that guarantees high-quality, stable, and high-speed Internet connection.

February 14, 2001: For the first time in Lithuania live Internet broadcast of the Techno Valentino party from Vilnius Palace of Culture was held using IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) technology.

2005: The “e-school” project submitted by Penkių kontinentų komunikacijų centras and designed to link all Lithuanian educational establishments won 1st place in the nationwide Lietuvos inovacijų prizes (Lithuanian Innovation Prize) competition.

2005: Skynet fiber-optic network received the silver medal in the Lietuvos gaminys (Lithuanian Product) nationwide competition.

Since 2006: the IPTV format is available to all Skynet clients. Interactive TV received the gold medal in the Lietuvos gaminys (Lithuanian Product) nationwide competition twice (in 2007 and 2012, respectively). In 2012, the IPTV.iQ user interface was in the final of the international Connected Content Technology Awards competition.

2012: All Skynet clients were offered the then fastest (1Gb/s) Internet in Lithuania.

Banking technologies

Soon after founding Penki kontinentai company, the special banking technology division, which in 2001 was transformed into a Penkių kontinentų bankinės technologijos (BS/2) subsidiary company, was opened.

1995: The company was granted partner status from Wincor Nixdorf (now – Diebold Nixdorf), a global leader in banking technologies.

1999: The banking technologies subsidiary was established in Azerbaijan, in 2000 – in Latvia, in 2003 – BS/2 subsidiary companies established in Ukraine and the United States, in 2006 – in Estonia, in 2007 – in Belarus, in 2008 – in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, in 2009 – in Kyrgyzstan and Georgia.

July 19, 2001: The first Baltic-based self-service terminal (or “insurance mat”), through which clients could obtain casco policies, was put in Vilnius in cooperation with Lietuvos draudimas insurance company.

2001: The BS/2-developed VAM 1.0 system for all bank card payments via the Internet received a diploma in the Lietuvos gaminys (Lithuanian product) nationwide competition.

2002: BS/2 was awarded the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) prize for ATMeye as the best solution to ensure the ATMs security.

2006: The BS/2-developed ATMeye video surveillance system received the silver medal in the Lietuvos gaminys (Lithuanian product) nationwide competition. In 2008 its upgraded version received the gold medal in the same competition.

2007: The BS/2-developed SmartSafe ATS management system was awarded the gold medal in the Lietuvos gaminys (Lithuanian Product) nationwide competition.

BS/2 and Diebold Nixdorf partnership resulted in various awards: in 2013 – for Payments. iQ as the best solution, and for the best banking equipment maintenance; in 2014 – for the best banking equipment maintenance; in 2016 – for the successful implementation of the ATM network modernization and optimization project in one of the Baltic States‘ largest banks.

2016: The BS/2-developed VTM.iQ self-service financial transaction hardware/software package was awarded the prize as the „Best Innovative Product of the Year. “

Electronic signature

July 1, 2004: Skaitmeninio sertifikavimo centras (SSC), the first Lithuanian officially qualified digital certificates provider, was established at Penki kontinentai.

2004: Having become a EuroPKI infrastructure member, SSC started a collaboration with the official and commercial institutions in the creation of the electronic signature infrastructure in Lithuania.

February 23, 2005: SSC became the first Lithuanian officially qualified digital certificates service provider.

2005: Justa GE software allowed the civil servants to use the electronic signature and check it out, was developed and introduced. A year later, the electronic signature distance learning system for public servants was offered.

Electronic payments and loyalty systems

1998: ASHBURN International (ASHBURN) was established.

2002: The prepaid mobile services e-commerce system, which allowed users to replenish their accounts in hypermarkets and shopping centers, was introduced.

2002: Palink and Statoil Lietuva networks started to offer pre-paid codes for GSM services.

2003: ASHBURN introduced and started supporting the IKI PREMIJA loyalty program.

2008: The company started to supply to Lithuania POS-terminals from Ingenico Group, the world‘s top payment equipment manufacturer.

2009: PayLo payment and loyalty management system was developed.

2012: Mylimiausia („The best-beloved“) loyalty program, which unites six various companies and allows to serve all loyalty operations in a single system, was introduced together with a brand plastic card.

2012: The solution allowing customers to pay for insurance policies with the card was developed and introduced in collaboration with the PZU Lietuva insurance company.

2013: The company became an official Ingenico Group, one of the world’s largest payment terminals, a partner in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

Development projects

2005: Penki kontinentai group started constructing a residential Loft Town quarter at Kareivių / Kalvarijų crossroads in Vilnius. The first official housewarming was celebrated in the summer of 2014.

Loft Town is the first and largest loft quarter in Eastern Europe. It has spacious apartments, studios, lofts, and offices of various sizes. The cozy and well-protected area is designed for those who care about safe and comfortable living space, as well as the environment.

The project developers were awarded in several national competitions: in 2012 and 2014 – in Žalias fiestas geriatrics NT EKO projects (The Green City – The Best Real Estate Development Ecological Project), in 2015 – in Už darnią plėtrą (For Sustainable Development) and 2016 – in Žydintis Vilnius (Blooming Vilnius) events.