Contactless Smart Cards, RFID, Payment, Transit and Security

Industry experts will examine NFC's expanding role in banking, transit, other applications

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association seeking to advance the use of near field communication technology, will be sponsoring and participating in the Mobile Transactions Workshop at the Mobile Internet World Conference and Expo, Oct. 22 in Boston at the city’s Convention and Exhibition Center.


The first session of the Mobile Transactions Workshop, “The Evolution of Inquiry to Interaction,” will feature speakers Gerhard Romen, vice chairman of the NFC Forum and Director of Business Development, Nokia; Sean Moshir, CEO, Celltrust; and Jon Paisner, senior analyst, Yankee Group. The panelists will discuss how mobile banking is moving from simple telephone-based balance inquiries toward more diverse transactions in which the mobile device interacts directly with other physical devices, such as point-of-sale terminals, kiosks, and smart posters. Because NFC technology is key to this evolution, the presenters will address the benefits of NFC and the security protocols necessary to protect consumers’ confidential financial data.

The second session, “No Card Required: Riding Mass Transit with Only Your Mobile Phone,” will address the interrelationships of transit authorities, merchants, and financial institutions as NFC-enabled transit fare applications gain traction. Panelists will include Stephen Miles, chair of the MIT Enterprise Forum RFID Special Interest Group; Charles Walton, executive vice president, INSIDE Contactless; and Hans Reisgies, director, NFC Business Development, VIVOtech.

Panelists in the third session, “Access Control, Mobile Promotions and Payments,” will discuss NFC applications that enable mobile phones to do everything from acting as electronic hotel room keys to serving as coupon distribution devices. Presenters will include Tim Jefferson, managing director, The Human Chain; Prakash Hariramani, senior business leader of Global Product Innovation, Visa; Ben Ackerman, vice president of business development for Firethorn, Qualcomm; and Joe Mendoza, director of marketing, North America Telecommunications, Gemalto.

The Mobile Transactions Workshop was developed for financial industry executives and developers across the mobile transaction ecosystem, e-commerce professionals, carriers/operators and content providers, card associations, banks, merchants and device manufacturers.

For more information or to register, go here[end] 

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“One of the major challenges facing transit agencies today is how to capitalize on the ever-growing popularity of mobile phones with a solid mobile strategy,” said Transportation Council Chairman Craig Roberts. “This white paper builds on the knowledge base developed in earlier white papers to foster a greater understanding of NFC technology, explain its role in the transit industry, and shed light on key issues facing the transit industry in developing a mobile strategy.”

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The partnership includes technology and know-how transfer to StarChip. With this combined experience in secure integrated circuit development and contactless technology, StarChip will roll out state-of-the-art smart card products to enable applications in transport, banking and identity.

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GIA credits the growth driven largely by major initiatives in the financial, government and security sectors, with the telecom sector at the way ahead of the pack as the largest end-user. Increasing usage of contactless technology, newer applications and mandatory EMV migration across countries are also major drivers boosting the global market for smart cards.

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India transport operator Ahmedabad Janmarg Ltd. has launched a smart transit card for commuters traveling on the region’s bus system, according to ISO&Agent.

The agency began a six-month trial and August 2010 followed by a soft and silent launch in January 2012. The card is available now for a nonrefundable fee of 25 rupees ($.50 US cents) and allows commuters to travel for up to 100 minutes on one bus, for the minimum fare.

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United Arab Emirates (UAE) travelers prefer making payments via mobile rather than using cash or credit card, according to a recent survey commissioned by travel technology and transaction processor Amadeus.

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