Vivotech adds OTA provisioning to DeviceFidelity’s microSD format NFC device

Vivotech and DeviceFidelity have partnered to add over-the-air (OTA) provisioning capabilities to the In2Pay microSD technology to be tested by Visa, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, US Bank and Akbank.

The new solution enables Vivotech’s mobile wallet software, OTA provisioning technology and coupon issuance/redemption software to be deployed as a turnkey solution with DeviceFidelity’s NFC-enabled In2Pay microSD device and its In2Pay case for iPhones.

The deal means that consumers will be able to plug an In2Pay microSD into their smartphones and then download multiple credit and/or debit cards to their handsets. They will also be able to download merchants’ loyalty, gift and prepaid cards to their phones and customize them so they are able to automatically redeem loyalty points and take advantage of discounts. Consumers will also be able to request electronic coupons and discount offers, store them in their mobile wallets and electronically redeem them at the time of purchase. Transit and other ticketing applications will also be supported.

The service is available for multiple Blackberry devices and Apple’s iPhone 3G and 3GS now and Vivotech plans to add support for Android, Nokia, HTC, Samsung and other devices which already work with In2Pay in the future.

“The collaboration between Vivotech and DeviceFidelity is aimed towards delivering the long awaited promise of NFC today, and on mobile devices that consumers prefer”, says Deepak Jain, CEO and founder of DeviceFidelity. “Our technology unlocks the ‘chicken and egg’ situation that has plagued the NFC ecosystem and provides a compelling ROI for banks, payment networks, merchants and wireless carriers interested in commercial deployment of NFC.”

Visa signed a deal with DeviceFidelity in February this year, with a view to conducting multiple trials of the technology with partner banks around the world. Earlier this month, Wells Fargo became the latest bank to confirm it would take part in the tests and, in June, US Bank was the first to say it would participate. Last month, Bank of America became the second US bank to confirm it was to take part in the tests and Turkey’s Akbank also announced it would trial DeviceFidelity’s In2Pay device.

Until now, however, it has not been possible to load new applications onto an In2Pay device after it has been issued. Instead, it was designed to be sent to cardholders with a defined list of applications already stored in the device — although DeviceFidelity has always planned to add OTA capabilities at some point this year.

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One comment on this article

  1. This technology is welcome innovation to get the market for NFC applications moving, however trials need to establish that the solution is reliable, secure and practical. There are also commercial questions about who owns the SD chip, can I load other applications/products on the device and if my card is stopped by the bank does my phone get crushed by the retailer – I hope not! The cost will need to come down so it is affordable to deploy, however if the payment application issuer owns the card, they will want to control what is loaded.

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