Digital security expert Gemalto has some pretty interesting news today – it’s mobile NFC payment system got the certified by MasterCard. And the new system is installed on UICC cards, meaning it can be used in pretty much every phone and with any operator in the world.
What’s a UICC card?
UICC cards are the evolution of SIM cards. Like SIMs, they go in your phone, have an application that stores your contacts, let your network identify who you are, and work with any network in the world. However UICC cards can run more than one application (SIM cards can pretty much only do the contacts bit). So Gemalto has designed an NFC payment system that can be installed on the UICC itself, which the company refers to as “the best and only universal application delivery platform that works with any 3G or 4G device”.
What does the MasterCard certification mean?
It means two things:
1) Gemalto’s NFC app meets MasterCard’s highest requirements for chip security. Security is ludicrously important for mobile NFC – there are already a lot of doubts surrounding it, and the roll out of NFC around the world needs to have impeccable standards.
2) It means that the Gemalto app is compliant with MasterCard’s NFC PayPass system. The app embeds that Trusted Service Management interface for PayPass on the UICC.
The actual financial services offered by the app are pretty robust. It allows mobile accounts to be created and managed wirelessly. It can work as a debit, credit and prepaid card. It allows mobile NFC payments, transaction history and security PINs.
James Anderson, vice president, Mobile, MasterCard Worldwide says “Gemalto’s effort will enable cross-border mobile NFC payment, adding ease to the fast-paced lifestyles of more and more consumers across the world.”
Jean-Claude Deturche, senior vice-president of mobile financial solutions at Gemalto says “[this] will enable banks and wireless operators to offer a secure, innovative and convenient payment means to their entire customer base.”
What we think?
So, now any operator can pre-install the Gemalto app on the UICCs they issue. Of course, it will work on NFC enabled devices – so there aren’t a vast number of phones out there right now that can use this, but they are on their way. I’m a big fan of the “universal” aspect of this app. Fragmentation is a big problem in the mobile market, and Gemalto has come up with a very smart way of getting around that – put the app right onto the one thing that every single mobile shares in common. I really hope this works out for them.
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