Vodafone launches NFC Payment in the Netherlands
Vodafone and Visa launched the Vodafone Wallet and Visa SmartPass service in the Netherlands, the third European market to see the benefit of the wide-ranging partnership announced by the two companies in 2012. SmartPass is the first service to offer consumers in the Netherlands the chance to make secure, easy contactless payments using their mobile phone. The service will work on any contactless payment terminal in Europe that displays the V PAY logo. Users will also be able to transfer money to each other’s SmartPass accounts using the service. The Vodafone SmartPass payment service has been developed with Visa and is based on a prepaid Visa solution. For transactions under €25, customers can pay easily and conveniently by simply touching their mobile phone to a contactless terminal showing the V PAY logo. For transactions over €25 the customer will be invited to enter a passcode to verify their purchase.Vodafone plans to substantially expand its Vodafone Wallet service in the future to include services such as public transport tickets, e-tickets, contactless keys (for example to an office or hotel room) and many others. SmartPass and the Vodafone Wallet service will launch in the UK later this year.
NXT-id targets consumers’ digital security concerns
NXT-ID, a biometric authentication company focused on the growing m-commerce market, notes that the current social media competition ‘Show us your Wallet’, for its next generation smart wallet, Wocket™ reveals first-hand evidence of how social media can unintentionally play a role in identity theft. NXT-ID, said in a statement the issue has made headlines with people posting their credit card information on Facebook and Twitter. Social media interaction can incite behavior that may not ever be considered in the real world. A person’s identity can be stolen from your driver’s license, credit cards, debit cards and other personal information, all of which can be protected with the Wocket wallet as their own personal vault, the company added. Wocket allows holders to enter personal information directly, without having to access the internet or a computer server. If the Wocket is lost or stolen all personal information is hidden unless you are the authorized user. Your Wocket Card does not hold any identifying information after the card is swiped so if it is lost it has no value to others.
Smart City Networks to revamp Washington State Convention Center data network
Smart City Networks has renewed its contract to continue its role as the exclusive telecommunications partner for the Washington State Convention Center (WSCC). The new contract will extend the partnership between Smart City and the venue for another seven years with three one-year extension options. Smart City Networks, doing business as Convention Communication Provisioners (CCPI), stated it has provided telecommunications services for the facility for 15 years. In responding to the WSCC RFP, Smart City partnered with Xirrus to custom design a wireless network for the venue to meet the needs of the WSCC’s customers in terms of speed and capacity. Smart City, a Xirrus Gold Partner, will install a network of Xirrus arrays and access points for an effective wireless solution at the WSCC, encompassing six floors and housing many high-tech events. CCPI will continue to provide comprehensive telecommunications and Internet services for the venue’s wide range of international events and trade shows including PAX Prime, Northwest Flower and Garden, PASS SQL, and Emerald City ComiCon. The company’s services include providing network cabling, high-speed Internet, turnkey data networking services and WiFi.