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                                                                 EXHIBIT 10.16

                       EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

    THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT is made effective the 11th day of October, 
1996, by and between TANISYS TECHNOLOGY, INC., a Wyoming corporation, with 
principal offices located at 12201 Technology Blvd., Suite 130, Austin, Texas 
78727 (hereinafter referred to as the "Employer"), and Guy Fielder, a 
resident of Houston, Texas (hereinafter referred to as the "Employee").

                            WITNESSETH:

     WHEREAS, the Employer desires to employ the Employee, and the Employee 
and Employer desire to enter into an agreement relating to such employment, 
outlining the duties and obligations of each:

     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual 
covenants herein set forth, it is agreed as follows:

                     ARTICLE I - DEFINITIONS 

     1.1  "Confidential Information" shall mean any and all information held 
in confidence by Employer including information relating to Employer's 
Inventions (as defined below), and to Employer's trade secrets including 
concepts, prototypes, algorithms, research and development, technology 
strategies, product strategies, marketing strategies, supplier lists, 
customer lists, personnel lists, personnel assignments, business 
relationships, business opportunities, legal proceedings, finances, and 
assets.  Confidential Information further shall include information made 
available to Employer by other parties under a confidential relationship.

     1.2  "Invention(s)" shall mean any idea, innovation, concept, creation, 
discovery, development, technique, algorithm, method, process, procedure, 
prototype, hardware, software, product, improvement, or enhancement, whether 
or not protectable by patent, copyright, trade secret or mask work, and 
whether or not reduced to practice, but which is (a) within the scope of 
Employer's current, later existing, or anticipated business and


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technology, and (b) is created, conceived, discovered, invented, reduced to 
practice, developed, or made by Employee during the term of employment by 
Employer, whether individually or jointly with others.

     1.3  "Intellectual Property Rights" shall mean:

          1.3.1     All rights, title and interests in all Letters Patent and 
     applications for Letters Patent including any reissue, division, 
     continuation or continuation-in-part applications throughout the world 
     now or hereafter filed;

          1.3.2     All rights, title and interests in all trade secrets, and 
     all trade secret rights and equivalent rights arising under the common
     law, state law, federal law and laws of foreign countries;

          1.3.3     All rights, title and interests in all mask work 
     registrations, copyrights, and copyrighted interests, and all mask work
     registration rights, copyright rights and other literary property or 
     author's rights, whether or not protectable by copyright or by mask 
     work registration; and

          1.3.4     All rights, title and interests in any and all know-how 
     and show-how, whether or not patentable, copyrightable or protectable
     by trade secret or mask work registration.

                         ARTICLE 2 - TERMS AND CONDITIONS

     2.1 EMPLOYMENT.    The Employer agrees to employ the Employee, and the 
Employee agrees to be employed by the Employer, subject to the terms and 
conditions set forth herein.

     2.2  TERM.    Subject to the provisions hereof, the term of the 
Employee's employment by the Employer under this Agreement shall expire 
November 1, 1997; provided that such term of employment shall continue 
thereafter unless and until terminated by either the Employer or the Employee 
upon no less than one hundred twenty (120) days prior written notice to the 
other of the desire to terminate such employment.  The term of the 


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Employee's employment hereunder, including any continuation of the original 
term, is hereinafter referred to as the "Employment Period."

     2.3  POSITION AND DUTIES.    During the Employment Period, the Employee 
shall serve as Vice President of Engineering of the Employer with such 
assignments, powers and duties as are assigned or delegated to him by the 
President of the Employer.  Such assignments, powers and duties may, from 
time to time, be modified by the Employer, as the Employer's needs may 
require.  The Employee shall also, at the request of the Employer, perform 
similar services for any Affiliate (as hereinafter defined) of the Employer 
without additional compensation.  Except as set forth in an Amendment to the 
Agreement signed by both parties and effective on the 17th day of October 
1996, the Employee agrees to devote all of his business time, skill, 
attention and best efforts to the business of the Employer and its Affiliates 
in the advancement of the best interests of the Employer and its Affiliates.  
As used in this Agreement, the term "Affiliate" of the Employer means any 
person or corporation that, directly or indirectly through one or more 
intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under the control of the 
Employer.

     2.4  COMPENSATION.

          A.    For all services rendered by the Employee to the Employer 
during the Employment Period, the Employer shall pay the Employee a salary at 
the rate of $96,000 per year. The compensation is to be payable, subject to 
such withholdings as are required by law, in installments in accordance with 
the Employer's customary payroll practices.

          B.  Contingent upon the approval by the Board of Directors, you 
will be granted an option to purchase 100,000 shares of its common stock at 
an option price determined by the policies, guidelines, rules and regulations 
of the Vancouver Stock Exchange.  One third of such option shall vest on each 
of the first, second and third anniversaries of the date of grant and shall 
expire five (5) years from the date of grant.

     2.5  OFFICE FACILITIES.    During the Employment Period, the Employer 
will furnish the Employee, without charge, suitable office facilities for the 
purpose of performing his duties hereunder, which facilities shall include 
secretarial, telephone, clerical and support personnel and services and shall 
be similar to those furnished to employees of the Employer having comparable 
positions.


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     2.6  FRINGE BENEFITS; VACATIONS.  During the Employment Period, the 
Employee shall be entitled to participate in or receive benefits under such 
pension, medical and life insurance and other employee benefit plans of the 
Employer which may be in effect from time to time, to the extent he is 
eligible under the terms of those plans, on the same basis as other employees 
of the Employer having comparable positions.

     2.7  EXPENSES.

          A.   Subject to such policies regarding expenses and expense 
reimbursement as may be adopted from time to time by the Employer and 
compliance therewith by the Employee, the Employee is authorized to incur 
reasonable expenses in the performance of his duties hereunder, and the 
Employer will reimburse Employee for such reasonable out-of-pocket expenses 
upon the presentation by the Employee of an itemized account and receipts 
satisfactory to the Employer.

          B.     The Employee will be reimbursed up to, but not to exceed 
$5,000.00 for the costs of moving personal effects from his current place of 
residence to the Austin area.  This is to be used within 12 months of the 
signing of this agreement. 

     2.8  TERMINATION.

          A.   If the Employee dies or becomes disabled during the Employment 
Period, the Employee's salary and other rights under this Agreement or as an 
employee of the Employer (except for salary and other rights accrued prior 
thereto) shall terminate at the end of the month during which death or 
disability occurs.  For purposes of this Agreement, the Employee shall be 
deemed to be "disabled" if, at any time during the Employment Period, the 
Employee shall have been unable to perform the duties of his employment 
hereunder due to physical or mental incapacity for a period of ninety (90) 
days or any ninety (90) days in a period of two hundred seventy (270) days.

          B.   If the Employee fails to perform his duties hereunder or to 
comply with any of the provisions hereof or commits any act of misconduct, 
malfeasance, gross negligence or disloyalty, the Employment Period and the 
Employee's salary and other rights under this Agreement as an employee of the 
Employer, subject to Section 2.8(C) below, shall terminate upon written 
notice from the Employer to the Employee, but such termination 


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shall not affect the liability of the Employee by reason of his misconduct, 
malfeasance, gross negligence or disloyalty.

          C.   If it is determined that the Employer has terminated the 
Employee without cause as determined in accordance with Section 2.8(B) above, 
the Employee will not be subject to the provisions of Section 2.10, COVENANT 
NOT TO COMPETE, herein.

     2.9  COVENANT NOT TO DISCLOSE.    Employee covenants and agrees to hold 
in strict confidence, and not disclose to others, any Confidential 
Information or Inventions in any form.  Employee further covenants and agrees 
that Confidential Information and Inventions shall only be used in the 
performance of work for Employer and its Affiliates, and otherwise be held in 
trust for the sole benefit of Employer, and its Affiliates, successors and 
assigns. 

     2.10 COVENANT NOT TO COMPETE.    As a reasonable precaution against 
unauthorized disclosure and use of Confidential Information and Inventions 
disclosed to Employee in the performance of Employee's duties during the 
period of employment by Employer.  Employee covenants and agrees that for a 
period of one (1) year after the voluntary resignation of the Employee or 
termination for cause as outlined in Section 2.8(B) above, Employee will not 
engage in any work relating to electronic products for workstations, network 
servers, peripheral products, personal computers, memory test equipment and 
touch sensory products within the State of Texas.

     2.11 DUTY OF DISCLOSURE TO EMPLOYER.     Employee agrees to promptly 
disclose to Employer all Confidential Information and Inventions which come 
into Employee's possession or to which Employee is exposed during the period 
of employment by Employer.  Employee further agrees to promptly disclose to 
Employer all business opportunities which come to Employee's attention during 
the period of employment by Employer and which relate to Employer's business 
or technology.

     2.12 ESSENTIAL NATURE OF COVENANTS.    The covenants of the Employee 
contained in Sections 2.9 and 2.10 shall be construed as independent of any 
other provision of this Agreement; and the existence of any claim or cause of 
action of the Employee against the Employer or any of its subsidiaries, 
whether predicated on this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a 
defense to the enforcement by the Employer of said covenants.  The 


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Employee understands that the covenants contained in Sections 2.9 and 2.10 
are essential elements of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement 
and, but for the agreement of the Employee to Sections 2.9 and 2.10, the 
Employer would not have agreed to enter into such transactions.

     2.13 TITLE RIGHTS.   All Intellectual Property Rights in and to 
Confidential Information and Inventions are and shall remain vested in 
Employer.  Further, Employee agrees that all copyrightable works prepared 
under this Agreement are "works made for hire' under applicable copyright 
laws.

          2.13.1  Employee agrees to assign and hereby assigns to Employer all 
     Intellectual Property Rights that Employee may now or hereafter have in 
     Confidential Information and Inventions.  Employee agrees to take such 
     action, including, but not limited to, the execution, acknowledgment, 
     delivery and preparation of documents, and the giving of testimony, as 
     may be requested by Employer to evidence, transfer, vest or confirm
     Employer's rights, titles, and interests in Confidential Information and 
     Inventions.

          2.13.2    Employee hereby waives all moral rights in copyrightable 
     works, including but not limited to the rights of attribution and 
     integrity arising under the copyright and equivalent laws throughout the 
     world.

          2.13.3  Employee shall not contest the validity of any copyright, any 
     trademark, or any mask work registration owned by or vesting in Employer 
     under this Agreement.

          2.13.4  NOTICE:  Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.13.1 
     above, this Agreement does not obligate Employee to assign or offer to 
     assign to Employer any of Employee's rights in an invention which:

                  (i)   was conceived and reduced to practice without the use 
             of equipment, supplies, facilities, Confidential Information, or 
             Inventions of Employer;

                 (ii)   was conceived and reduced to practice entirely on 
             Employee's own time; and 

                (iii)   does not relate to the current, later existing or 
             reasonably anticipated business and technology of Employer.


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     2.14 REMEDIES.    In the event of a breach or threatened breach by 
the Employee of Section 2.9 or 2.10, the Employer shall be entitled to a 
temporary restraining order and an injunction restraining the Employee 
from the commission of such breach.  Nothing herein contained shall be 
construed as prohibiting the Employer from pursuing any other 
remedies available to it for such breach or threatened breach, including 
the recovery of money damages.

     2.15 WAIVER OF BREACH.    The waiver by one party of a breach of any 
provision of this Agreement by the other party shall not operate or be 
construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach by the other party, whether 
of a same or different nature.

     2.16 BINDING EFFECT.    This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of 
and shall be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective 
successors, assigns, heirs and legal representatives. This Agreement, 
being personal, cannot be assigned.

     2.17 SEVERABILITY.    The invalidity of all or any part of any 
section of this Agreement shall not render invalid the remainder of this 
Agreement or the remainder of such section.  If any provision of this 
Agreement is unenforceable, such provision shall be interpreted to be 
reformed as necessary to become enforceable.

     2.18 COUNTERPARTS.    This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts, each of which shall, when executed, be deemed to be an 
original, but all of which together shall constitutes one and the same 
instrument.

     2.19 GOVERNING LAW.    This Agreement shall be construed (both as to 
validity and performance) and enforced in accordance with and governed by 
the laws of the State of Texas.

     2.20 NOTICE.    All Notices which are required or may be give under 
this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly 
given when delivered in person or three (3) days after being mailed by 
registered or certified first-class mail, postage prepaid, return receipt 
requested, if to the Employee at 6546 Auden, Houston, Texas, 77005, or 
if to the Employer, at the address listed above, or to such other address 
as such party shall have specified by notice to the other party hereto 
as provided in this section.

     2.21 ENTIRE AGREEMENT.    This Agreement and the Amendment to this
Agreement effective October 17, 1996, which is incorporated herein and 
made a part hereof, 


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constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes 
all prior agreements, understanding and arrangements, oral or written, 
between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the 
day and date first above written.


TANISYS TECHNOLOGY, INC.

By: /s/ GARY W. PANKONIEN
   ---------------------------------------
Name:  Gary W. Pankonien
Title: President & Chief Operating Officer


/s/ GUY FIELDER
------------------------------------------
GUY FIELDER






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                    ADDENDUM A TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

     Mr. Guy L. Fielder and Mr. Paul N. Alito, each a U.S. citizen and 
respectively residing at 6546 Auden, Houston, Texas  77005, and 11626 
Gatesden Drive, Tomball, Texas  77375 (hereafter "Innovators"), and Tanisys 
Technology, Inc., a United States corporation with principal officers at 
12201 Technology Boulevard, Suite 130, Austin, Texas  78727 (hereafter 
"Tanisys"), agree that Innovators have independently developed prior to their 
employment by Tanisys the following confidential and proprietary technology 
on which they are now filing patent applications:

     "Authentication and encryption communications technology, both with and 
without unique tamper resistant security modules (TRSMs), for authenticating 
originating systems, answering systems, and TRSM systems occurring singularly 
or in networks, and encrypting information to be exchanged among such systems 
with encryption keys which are highly resistant to cryptographic analysis and 
brute force trial and error attacks, and encryption key management processes 
which do not require the maintenance of key directories."

     Innovators will be continuing their research and development of the 
above technology during their employment by Tanisys, and Tanisys agrees that 
all rights, title, interests, and intellectual property rights, including 
patent, copyright, trademark, mask work, and trade secret rights, in the 
above technology and in all modifications, improvements, enhancements and 
derivatives of the above technology either conceived or made by Innovators 
before, during or after Innovators employment by Tanisys, are owned solely by 
and vested solely in Innovators to the complete exclusion of Tanisys.

NOW THEREFORE, the parties have signed or have caused this Addendum to be 
signed by their duly authorized representative.

Tanisys Technology, Inc.           Guy L. Fielder           Paul N. Alito

By: /s/ GARY W. PANKONIEN         /s/ GUY L. FIELDER       /s/ PAUL N. ALITO
   -------------------------      ---------------------    --------------------
       Gary W. Pankonien            Date:  10/17/96         Date: 10/17/96
Title: President and COO
Date:  10/17/96