Gemalto to Trial PayPass in Japan
Gemalto has announced a mobile NFC payments trial in Japan with SoftBank for MasterCard PayPass using N-Flex SIM card: http://bit.ly/fOFGGg
A bit ‘confused’ by the wording below which sounds like Japan does not already have NFC, as mobile FeliCa services launched in mid-2004, widely deployed? Clearly, they must know, that contactless services in transit are very well established here..!!! It appears that SoftBank announced this as Android NFC Trial last Dec. [Eds]
Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, announces its selection by SOFTBANK MOBILE for the latest mobile contactless payment trial in Japan. SOFTBANK MOBILE is a leading mobile operator in Japan with 21 million subscribers. The program is the first in Asia to enable secure mobile Near Field Communication (NFC) transactions from a choice of different credit card accounts. The pilot is expected to roll out in the first quarter of 2011.
“The advent of NFC in Japan will enable to massively deploy mobile contactless services in payments and other domains like transit, loyalty programs or couponing.”
SOFTBANK MOBILE customers will be able to use their mobile phone for contactless payments in convenience stores, fast-food restaurants and theaters. The program also offers users the option to perform NFC transactions from two credit card issuers – Orient Corporation, the largest service provider of MasterCard® PayPass™ in Japan, and Credit Saison, another Japanese leading financial institution. This is made possible by embedding multiple MasterCard® PayPass™ applications in the secure UICC.
For this program, Gemalto will provide a turnkey NFC solution comprised of its Allynis Trusted Services Management operated services, UICC cards and N-Flex devices. Gemalto’s trusted services allow for the secure deployment and management of contactless mobile payment. The N-Flex enables users to turn a conventional handset into an NFC-enabled mobile phone, without any change to the device.
“Gemalto’s end-to-end solution brings the simplicity and convenience of NFC, while ensuring interoperability across business partners in Japan and beyond,” commented Mr. Naoki Kinoshita, General Manager, SOFTBANK MOBILE. “Gemalto’s expertise in secure operated services will enable SOFTBANK MOBILE to focus on providing a broader range of value added services to our customers.”
“Japan is the most progressive country in the world when it comes to using the mobile phone for contactless services and Gemalto is delighted to support SOFTBANK MOBILE in this new project,” added Tan Teck-Lee, President, Gemalto Asia. “The advent of NFC in Japan will enable to massively deploy mobile contactless services in payments and other domains like transit, loyalty programs or couponing.”
Note to editors:
The UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card) is the smart card used to authenticate the subscriber for GSM and UMTS/3G networks. Now in the pipeline for LTE, the UICC brings a host of fundamental features, tried and tested within GSM and now perfected for LTE.
Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short-range wireless technology that enables the communication between devices over a distance of less than 10 cm. The key benefits of NFC are compatibility with the existing contactless infrastructure and simplicity, as NFC is characterized by a natural and intuitive “just touch” movement.
An industry first, Gemalto’s N-Flex solution functions on SIM cards across multiple mobile handsets hence helping to accelerate the ubiquity of handsets supporting NFC. The solution is also the first-of-its-kind conforming to the Single Wire Protocol (SWP) as endorsed by the GSM Association (GSMA).
The main role of the Trusted Service Manager (TSM) is to help service providers securely distribute and manage contactless services for their customers using the networks of mobile operators. It is a key enabler for the successful mass deployment of mobile contactless payment.