NEW YORK-- Isis, the mobile commerce joint venture created by AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA Inc. and Verizon Wireless, has announced that leading payment terminal manufacturers and software providers are integrating Isis SmartTap capabilities across a comprehensive range of point-of-sale (POS) offerings, from high-end integrated POS terminals to vending and other unattended solutions.
As Isis prepares for national availability later this year, the announcement signals support for SmartTap capabilities in a broad range of payment environments, the company said.
The Isis SmartTap protocol is a new, proprietary mobile commerce software specification that leverages near field communications (NFC) technology, a standard feature on most new smartphones. When supported in an NFC reader or payment terminal, the SmartTap protocol enables Isis Mobile Wallet users to pay, present loyalty cards and redeem offers in a single transaction.
"NFC is the international standard for mobile payments," said Jim Stapleton, chief sales officer for Isis. "The proliferation of SmartTap capabilities at the point-of-sale takes mobile payments one step further, providing rich commerce features that offer an effortless consumer experience and drive engagement and loyalty in a way previously not possible. By providing Isis Ready solutions, POS, payment terminal and reader providers can deliver innovative technologies that will benefit merchants for years to come."
Providers supporting SmartTap capabilities enable mobile commerce in a diverse range of environments such as mass transit, vending machines, fuel pumps, taxis, restaurants, grocery and retail stores.
New partners integrating SmartTap capabilities into product lines include ID TECH, On Track Innovations (OTI) Global, PAX Technology, Uniform Industrial Corporation (UIC) and XAC Automation Corp.
These technology providers join a growing list of partners that have already integrated SmartTap capabilities into POS offerings, including Equinox Payments, Gilbarco Veeder-Root, Ingenico, VeriFone and Wayne, A GE Energy Business.
"As mobile payment continues to gain momentum, we are proud to provide an Isis-enabled fuel dispenser solution. Our partnership with Isis will ultimately help fuel retailers provide a better customer experience by enabling simple mobile payments at the pump. By pursuing a modular hardware path, retailers who elect to upgrade with NFC hardware today on Gilbarco pumps will also be able to leverage that investment for contactless EMV payments in the future," said Mike Schulte, president of Gilbarco Veeder-Root North America, Greensboro, N.C.
"The value in mobility is not in how you pay, it's about creating a more meaningful and rewarding interaction between a brand and its customer, and mobile wallets are an important part of that. As the payment partner of choice for 75% of the top 200 U.S. retailers, and with systems deployed across thousands of small and medium-size businesses, VeriFone, along with Isis, is creating the path for greater mobile payment acceptance nationwide," said Jennifer Miles, president of VeriFone Americas, San Jose, Calif.
"Wayne embraces emerging technologies that benefit the evolving needs of our customers, and mobile payment is one that we can deliver on the forecourt. The Wayne TAP contactless/NFC reader helps our forward-thinking retailers expand their payment and marketing opportunities at the pump, engaging with customers for a better experience on the forecourt. The efforts between Wayne and Isis are very synergistic--we're two leaders in our respective industries working together to bring innovation into the daily activities of all customers," said Tim Weston, product manager of Payment North America for Austin, Texas-based Wayne, A GE Energy Business.
Mobilizing payments, loyalty and offers creates new merchant marketing opportunities, while streamlining the customer experience. A SmartTap-enabled POS terminal automatically recognizes and applies loyalty cards loaded in the Isis Mobile Wallet. Similarly, Isis Mobile Wallet users benefit from the ability to receive, store and present offers with SmartTap-enabled merchants.
"Roughly one-sixth of U.S. payment terminals are replaced each year. To fully benefit from mobile payments, this hardware replacement must be accompanied with a software infrastructure that enables the compelling shopping, selling and loyalty solutions that will drive changes in merchant and consumer behavior," said Rick Oglesby, senior analyst for Aite Group. "This announcement demonstrates Isis' resolve in bringing a fully functioning mobile commerce environment to market with their national rollout."
The venture, based in New York City, is chartered with building Isis, a national mobile commerce venture that "will fundamentally transform how people shop, pay and save." The Isis Mobile Commerce Platform will be available to all merchants, banks, payment networks and mobile carriers.
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