Gemalto announces a pair of European NFC partnerships
Gemalto, Crédit Mutuel-CIC and NRJ Mobile have joined forces to offer contactless mobile payment services as part of the “Nice, mobile contactless city ” project. This announcement follows the launch of the first contactless mobile payment pilot in November 2006.
The “Nice, mobile contactless city” initiative is the first commercial launch of contactless mobile services in Europe. With the support of the French government, it is being developed in conjunction with mobile operators, banks, transport operators and the retail sector.
It will enable people in Nice to use their NFC-enabled mobile phones in total security to pay at restaurants, supermarkets and local stores, as well as in the city’s transport networks. Information services will also be available at the museums and university campus.
This project follows on from the “Payez Mobile” pilot programs rolled out in Strasbourg and Caen, with a new commercial dimension. In Nice, users take out an NFC mobile pack at their operator’s points of sale, and activate the NFC payment service at their bank branch office. For Crédit Mutuel-CIC customers, access to this service is even simpler, since they will be able to find the Crédit Mutuel Mobile or CIC Mobile offerings in their Crédit Mutuel or CIC branch office and will therefore activate the NFC functionality all at the same time.
Gemalto has provided Crédit Mutuel-CIC with its dedicated Trusted Service Management (TSM) range of services and solutions, enabling the secure deployment and management of contactless mobile payment. Its experience in the personalization of banking cards and the deployment of “over-the-air” services is facilitating convergence between the mobile and banking worlds.
In conjunction with the Nice news, Gemalto announced the continuation of its long-term partnership with Orange France, as part of the “Nice, mobile contactless city” commercial project.
Orange has selected Gemalto as partner for its Near Field Communication (NFC) solution, enabling the interconnection with any service provider, such as banks and transport operators. With the support of the French government, it is being developed in conjunction with mobile operators, banks, transport operators and the retail sector.