Telefónica Digital and RIM announce NFC payments with BlackBerry smartphones
Brings a secure environment for conducting transactions
· Telefonica Digital has developed a version of its Wallet for NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones
· To be deployed first in Spain as part of a Telefónica pilot that will roll out in several international markets in 2012
Telefónica Digital and Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) has announced a pilot program of the Telefónica Wallet for BlackBerry® smartphones.
In collaboration with local banks and retailers, Telefónica will roll out the Telefónica Wallet for BlackBerry to 350 employees at its headquarters in Distrito Telefónica, Spain. Those taking part in the trial will be able to make payments in a simple, easy, safe and convenient way by simply tapping their NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphone against a reader. Employees that are part of the NFC pilot project will also be able use their BlackBerry smartphone (in lieu of a security card) to gain physical access to the Telefónica headquarters office.
The Telefónica Wallet for BlackBerry currently supports the following NFC-enabled smartphones: BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900, BlackBerry® Curve™ 9360 and BlackBerry® Curve™ 9380, all of which run the new BlackBerry® 7 operating system.
According to Julio Linares, COO from Telefónica, S.A., “We have chosen the BlackBerry solution for this pilot because of the security that the platform brings,” He continued: “RIM’s participation has been key for this pilot project, and we are now planning to extend the project to more and more Telefónica employees around the world.”
“We are getting ever closer to the point where our customers will be able to take the contents of their wallets and put them on their mobiles,” said Matthew Key, Chairman & CEO Telefónica Digital. “Trials such as this are important to ensuring a great customer experience and we look forward to seeing the launch of commercial wallet services in several markets next year.”
“RIM is committed to supporting the advancement of NFC and its many applications in the market,” explained Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at RIM. “We have a strong partnership with Telefónica Group and we are very proud to participate in this important pilot, which allows people to use their BlackBerry smartphone in place of separate physical cards for mobile payments and building access.”
The Telefónica Wallet for BlackBerry makes use of SIM-based NFC capabilities, offering a simple interface for managing cards. The application replicates a physical wallet, showing the different cards available to the user. Once the user has selected a card, they are offered a range of options including making transactions, getting account balances, receiving confirmations from the bank.
Additional partners participating in the pilot include banking and financial institutions, retail and food stores, gas stations and others.
BlackBerry smartphones offer a secure environment for NFC payments. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and Curve 9360 smartphones have already received certification for NFC payments and are compatible with the UICC/SWP protocol which, when used with Telefónica SIM cards, provides a secure platform for NFC use.
About Telefónica
Telefónica is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world in terms of market capitalisation. Its activities are centred mainly on the fixed and mobile telecommunications businesses with broadband as the key tool for the development of both. The company has a customer base of more than 300 million customers around the world. Telefónica has a strong presence in Europe and Latin America, where the company focuses an important part of its growth strategy. Telefónica is a 100% listed company, with more than 1.5 million direct shareholders. Its shares are traded on the London, New York, Lima, Buenos Aires, Madrid and São Paulo stock exchanges. Telefónica Multinational Solutions delivers integrated Fixed, Mobile and IT services to some of the world’s top Multinationals.
About Research In Motion
Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionised the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.
