AMSTERDAM & TORONTO--()--Rogers Communications (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) announced today that mobile payment solutions currently in pilot testing and coming to market this year on Rogers NFC-enabled devices will be secured by digital security technology from Gemalto. Rogers will deploy the UpTeq NFC, Gemalto’s EMV-ready, high-end SIM-UICC solution, to store and secure consumers credentials and card data required to make payments with NFC-enabled mobile devices.
“It’s essential that consumers have peace of mind when it comes to storing payment cards on their mobile device and using it to make credit and debit transactions on the go,” said David Robinson, Vice-President, Emerging Business, Rogers Communications. “Working with Gemalto allows us to protect the consumer’s information by leveraging the SIM card, assuring a secure and seamless experience for mobile payments.”
Rogers is deploying the UpTeq NFC to secure payment credentials stored on the high-end SIM for new mobile payment services that are expected to launch in Canada later this year, and will leverage the card’s onboarding flexibility for the future addition of tap-and-go services including coupon redemption, loyalty programs, transit, and other digital identification. The UpTeq NFC secure device, which has an identical form factor as a conventional SIM, is part of Gemalto’s UpTeq LTE offer, and fully compliant over LTE networks. The payment services that Rogers expects to deliver to banks will fully comply with EMV, the global standard for secure credit and debit card transactions based on microprocessor chip technology that protects information needed for secure payments. The software application and the UpTeq NFC device have both successfully achieved the compliance assessment and security testing certification in accordance with MasterCard and Visa’s highest security requirements.
“Gemalto has the global experience and capabilities, deploying and having deployed more than 50 mobile NFC projects worldwide. The company has a long history of being entrusted by thousands of banks and mobile operators around the world to provide best-in-class solutions for digital security” said Sébastien Cano, senior vice president of Telecommunications at Gemalto North America. “We have worked closely with Rogers to develop a highly scalable and secure solution for mobile payment that leverages the SIM as our industry’s most cost-effective security ingredient - Rogers is leading the way for the future of mobile payments.”
Canada has been on the forefront of global payments technology and as a result, tens of thousands of Canadian retailers are already equipped with contactless point-of-sale (POS) terminals that today accept contactless banking cards and are hence capable of supporting the mobile payment solutions on NFC-enabled devices - among them fast food outlets, gasoline stations, grocery and convenience stores and coffee shops.
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Editor's note on contactless and NFC
NFC stands for Near Field Communication, a radio-communication protocol designed for consumer devices to communicate directly with one another at very short range.
Extending the ability of the contactless card technology, NFC is backward compatible with the existing contactless standards and infrastructure, which supports payment brand applications such as MasterCard PayPass, Visa PayWave, DiscoverZip or American Express ExpressPay. As a result, NFC handsets in card emulation mode can be used to perform secure contactless payment transactions. With the emergence of mobile NFC services, payment terminals are enhanced with additional applications such as ticketing, mobile coupon redemption, information access from smart posters or access control systems with a simple touch.
About Gemalto
Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2011 annual revenues of €2 billion and more than 10,000 employees operating out of 74 offices and 14 Research & Development centers, located in 43 countries.
We are at the heart of the rapidly evolving digital society. Billions of people worldwide increasingly want the freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain and work – anytime, everywhere – in ways that are enjoyable and safe. Gemalto delivers on their expanding needs for personal mobile services, payment security, authenticated cloud access, identity and privacy protection, eHealthcare and eGovernment efficiency, convenient ticketing and dependable machine-to-machine (M2M) applications.
Gemalto develops secure embedded software and secure products which we design and personalize. Our platforms and services manage these secure products, the confidential data they contain and the trusted end-user services they enable. Our innovations offer more ways for our clients to enhance the convenience and security of people’s digital lives.
Gemalto thrives with the growing number of people using its solutions to interact with the digital and wireless world.
For more information visit www.gemalto.com, www.justaskgemalto.com, blog.gemalto.com, or follow @gemalto on Twitter.
About Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. We are Canada's largest provider of wireless voice and data communications services and one of Canada's leading providers of cable television, high speed internet and telephony services. Through Rogers Media we are engaged in radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, magazines and trade publications, sports entertainment, and digital media. We are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). For further information about the Rogers group of companies, please visit rogers.com.