Companies join forces to test NFC technology
May has arrived, and several New Zealand companies have come together to mark the occasion by launched a new mobile wallet trial. Telecom, Auckland Transport, and Westpac have joined with Gemalto, Thales, and Paymark to launch an initiative meant to examine the viability of mobile commerce and NFC technology. Part of the trial will concern the uses of NFC with Auckland’s public transit system. Later tests will be conducted regarding how mobile payments can be used to refill prepaid cards from Telecom.
Coalition to attempt to make mobile commerce more common
Mobile commerce is growing in popularity, especially as more consumers gain access to NFC-enabled mobile devices, but the industry is still in a stage of infancy. NFC technology is relatively new and many companies around the world have limited experience regarding its use. These companies have expressed enthusiasm in adopting NFC and mobile commerce, but some have opted to conduct tests in order to discover the best methods to introduce the technology to consumers.
New NFC applications to make public transport more efficient
Thale, a French software development company, will be providing NFC applications for the trials in New Zealand. The Company will be supplying Auckland Transport with particular applications that are made to work with the public transit system’s ticketing. Travelers with NFC-enabled mobile devices will be able to purchase tickets for buses, trains and ferries using their phones instead of a credit card or physical currency. Transport officials believe that NFC technology will make the process more intuitive and enjoyable for consumers. Westpac, the country’s second largest banking institution, will be working with Telecom and Paymark to establish a payment system through with prepaid cards can be refilled using NFC technology and mobile wallets.
Data collected during trial will help make mobile commerce better for all
The data that is garnered during the trail will be used to improve existing mobile wallet software as well as help develop new applications that work more efficiently with NFC technology. The companies involved in the trial believe that mobile commerce and NFC are to become widely popular in New Zealand in the coming months. This growth in the country is expected to add momentum to similar trends around the world.
