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Mobile Payment Conference Newsletter August 2nd, 2012
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| Volume III, Issue 18 - August 2nd, 2012 |
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Rumor Mill: Isis kicking off mobile payment trials this month
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August 2, 2012 | By Jason Ankeny
Isis, the nationwide m-commerce network spearheaded by Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ), AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) and T-Mobile USA, is reportedly ready to begin consumer trials in the Salt Lake City and Austin, Texas, Aug. 20.
The Isis kickoff date was first reported by TMoNews, noting that participants will be able to process contactless payments using three Near Field Communications-enabled smartphones: The HTC Amaze 4G, Samsung Galaxy S II and Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G. Computerworld notes rumors indicating the Isis pilots also will support other Android devices as well as Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) BlackBerry smartphones equipped with special sleeves containing NFC chips.
An Isis spokesperson declined to comment on the report, stating only that the service is "on track to launch in its pilot markets, Austin and Salt Lake City, this summer."
Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile USA first announced Isis in late 2010. The Isis digital wallet allows consumers to conduct point-of-sale transactions, redeem coupons and use store merchant loyalty cards via NFC-enabled devices and corresponding point-of-sale reader technologies. Isis has inked partnerships with card services partners American Express, Chase, Capital One and Barclaycard. In addition, six device manufacturers--RIM, HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung and Sony--have committed to introducing products that support the Isis platform.
In related news, NFC consulting and testing services provider FIME announced Thursday morning it will collaborate with Isis to certify mobile devices and secure elements across the m-commerce network. FIME said it will work with manufacturers to evaluate their products and certify compliance with Isis technical specifications, guaranteeing all technologies meet security and industry regulations.
Earlier this week, Isis also said it will team with retail fuel dispenser manufacturers Wayne and Gilbarco Veeder-Root to integrate support for its tap-and-pay application into selected fuel pumps in the Salt Lake City and Austin areas. The agreement enables Isis users to pay for gasoline, present loyalty cards and redeem offers by tapping their phone at the pump.
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| Mobile Payment Conference |
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O2 Executive: Consumers Aren’t Interested In Mobile Payments Or An iWallet
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O2 executive James Le Brocq points out what an iWallet needs in order to be a success.
Apple may be the only major company operating the mobile space that hasn’t announced a partnership or trial related to delivering mobile payments and creating an iWallet. While it seems a forgone conclusion that Apple will eventually enter the mobile payment market, a recent statement by James Le Brocq, managing director at O2 Money (a division of the U.K. mobile carrier O2) illustrates why Apple hasn’t yet entered the that market and why that’s a good move for Apple: consumers aren’t that interested in mobile payments.
That’s not to say that consumers won’t use mobile payments. So long as those payments are simple and secure, take no more effort than swiping a credit card, and are universally available as a payment option, consumers are likely to use them. Le Brocq’s assessment is that users don’t really care about the technical details. They’re more interested in things like whether or not they can pick up the tab for lunch with their phone and without a physical wallet.
Consumers do not have much interest in payments. They want to do things in their everyday lives conveniently: travel to work, buy lunch, buy a gift.
That’s an astute assessment and Le Brocq should know what his companies subscribers want. O2 offers a handful of digital wallet features including the ability to create digital copies of their credit and debit cards, send money, and make remote payments using their smartphones.
The key factor is that any broadly accepted mobile payment system needs to be at least as simple and easy to use as a credit or debit card. The system also needs to be as easy to manage as a credit card statement – or an iTunes Store account.
Le Brocq’s assessment lines up with Apple’s belief that its customers value quality, security, and simplicity. When it comes to mobile payments, Apple isn’t going to launch a system that doesn’t live up to those standards, partly for philosophical reasons but also for practical ones. If an iPhone can’t deliver a seamless iWallet experience, users may simply opt for an iPhone case that can double as a wallet instead.
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Dear Readers,
We are nearing our next show in New York on October 10th and 11th of 2012. The conference will be held at the Park Central Hotel. We have a great line-up of speakers already. Stay tuned as we are going to send out infomational emails on each speaker in the coming weeks.
If your company is interested in exhibiting or sponsoring this event please contact us at info@mmtmagonline.com or www.mobilepaymentconference.com.
Location: Park Central Hotel, Manhattan, New York
Dates: October 10-11, 2012
Reserve your Hotel Now
(Special group rates are available. Let the hotel know that you are attending the Mobile Payment Conference for special pricing)
Sincerely,
Marla Ellerman |
Roam Data Interview at ETA 2012 |
| ROAM Data Versus Square |
Roam WINS, Hands Down!
Today we announced that ROAM Data has become the #1 provider of secure mobile phone card readers in the world, shipping 300,000 encrypted readers that prevent “Square-like” attacks on customers and partners.
While Square has given away approximately 500,000 unencrypted readers to anyone who signs up for one, ROAM Data has sold approximately 300,000 secure readers to leading merchant service providers (MSPs) who compete with Square, making ROAM the largest supplier of encrypted mobile card readers by an order of magnitude. We expect to have shipped over 1 million units by this time next year. The reason for ROAM’s success is in part due to its patent pending hardware and software design that not only prevents various types of card fraud common with Square’s solution, it also provides a more robust read rate and is compatible with the most number of mobile devices in the industry.
ROAM’s entire system was designed with PCI security from the start. According to the company, the audio wave hack done on Square at the Blackhat conference last week would not work on ROAM’s solutions, because ROAM’s readers fully encrypt the track data before it reaches the phone and the data can only be decrypted by a secure payment server, which would not recognize third party audio signals from recorded files. The kind of attack described at Blackhat primarily hurts MSPs with unencrypted audio readers, but the bigger issue to the industry as a whole is the number of unencrypted readers being passed out and used for skimming as described in April this year in the media when Square’s reader was used to skim track data by an unauthorized app. ROAM had the security foresight to design their solution against these kinds of payment fraud, and thus protect their customers and partners.
Some may deflect this problem as a general mag-stripe issue, and some have argued for chip cards or other more secure means. But the reality is that, for a variety of reasons, mag stripes in our wallets will be around for a long time to come, (we have not even gotten rid of cash yet after decades of trying) – Therefore, those providing payment services with mag stripe have a serious responsibility to make their services as secure as they possibly can. ROAM has taken the steps to do so, and will continue to innovate and lead on providing secure solutions, be they mag stripe, EMV or NFC.”
For a deeper comparison of ROAM vs. Square readers, see the attached photos of the internals. One can immediately notice that Square has no electronic components other than the magnetic head tied to an audio jack. When a card is swiped, an analog signal is generated and transmits the track data in the open via the audio jack to the phone, where a piece of software is used to decode the data.
One can immediately notice that Square has no electronic components other than the magnetic head tied to an audio jack. When a card is swiped, an analog signal is generated and transmits the track data in the open via the audio jack to the phone, where a piece of software is used to decode the data.
Problems with the Square design:
- Without electronics, it is incapable of encrypting the track data before it arrives on the mobile device. Thus the Square reader can be used by any rogue app as a skimmer with zero hardware change.
- If you swipe too slow or too fast the data fails to be captured by the software program on the phone, leading to poor read rates.
- The physical design has a short “throw length” (guide that keeps the magnetic card from wobbling during swipe) leading to poor read rates.
- Without electronics it cannot control the communication protocol between the swiper and certain mobile devices like Blackberry and certain Android devices, thus reducing device reach.
In contrast, when looking at the ROAMswipe internals, the patent pending design is packed with sophisticated electronics that enable power to be generated via sound waves sent by the phone instead of a battery. When a swipe occurs, track data is instantly captured on the reader by the electronics, it is digitized and encrypted by the microprocessor on board, then transmitted via a proprietary communication protocol to the mobile device with compatible software, and then sent to a secure payment server where it is decrypted and passed to the payment processor. This unique design enables ROAM to have superior security, better read rates, and the largest device reach possible.
ROAM’s team has years of experience delivering mobile phone POS solutions to market, and ROAM owns or has licensed a number of granted and pending patents in this space, including exclusive rights to certain IP that are critical for development of these readers.
ROAM Data further provides a full turnkey software solution that can be branded for its MSP partners, from app to provisioning to support portal. ROAM also provides a set of API and tools that allow developers to build their own apps using ROAM’s secure readers and mCommerce infrastructure that is tied to vast majority of payment providers in the country.
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| Mobile Application Planning For Investment Attraction |
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By: Ian Smith– July 25, 2012
Marketing a region for investment attraction and business attraction is changjng rapidly. Some economic development agencies have made progressive leaps to promote themselves on various medias and platforms. From printed brochures to interactive websites, agencies are attempting to reach investors and site selectors in a efficient manner.
One platform that agencies should consider to use immediately is a mobile application of their website for smartphones. According to the post, “10 Things You Need to Know About B2B Mobile Marketing“, “91% of mobile workers (business professionals) use a smartphone for work”. As a result, agencies must decide not if they need a mobile version of their website but what content and functionalities should be available on the application.
Rather than placing all the content that is currently on the site on the new application, agencies should plan strategically what should be available on the mobile version.
Below are some planning points to consider before the new version goes live and accessible via iPhone, Android and Blackberry.
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Currency of Content
Currency of content is essential when it comes to having a mobile version of an economic development agency website. Potential investors and site selectors are looking for recent content to make informed decisions. By providing fresh content, agencies can be known as an update resource that can accessed via a smartphone. Be sure that the key pieces of data (i.e., locational factors) are current as possible.
Navigation
Getting back and forth between the pages of content is an important factor when it comes obtaining users’ acceptance of the application. The navigation should be relatively easy and make sense in terms of “information flow”. Having non-related pages clutter the application will turn off users and will result in less individuals logging onto the mobile version of site.
Branding
The mobile version of the website is the logical extension of what can be found via a laptop and should be branded in the same manner. From the established colours to the messaging on specific pages, it is important that branding be consistent. Deviating from any current branding plans for the mobile application will lead to confusion amongst visitors looking for information.
Information Tools
From databases of available real estate locations to interactive maps, information tools should be the core of the mobile application. Although the objective of the application is to aid in the promotion of the region for investment attraction, the mobile version should make life easier for investors in terms of supplying access to data. Agencies with a collection of information tools should evaluate them in terms of relevancy to investment attraction and place them in a format that is convenient for a mobile version of the website.
Bridge To Social Media
As seen in the cases of Invest In Reims and Invest In Ireland, the mobile applications are used to connect with stakeholders via social media. Rather than depending on email to contact potential investors, agencies can prompt them to become apart of their business network on LinkedIn, stay updated via Facebook and Twitter and view current video clips on YouTube.
Mobile versions of websites offer economic development agencies a great opportunity to showcase their regions in a very innovative way. Content that can be found a conventional website should be adapted to fix the needs of mobile users and at the same time promote the attributes of the location for investment attraction. In order to create a perfect application for investment attraction, agencies must take a proactive approach to planning the right content and features that will position the region as the location to invest.
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LevelUp adds $9M to fuel mobile payments expansion
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Boston Business Journal by Kyle Alspach
Boston's SCVNGR said Thursday it's added $9 million to its Series D round of funding, bringing the round to $21 million in a bid to fuel national growth of the company's LevelUp mobile payment service. VentureWire reported that SCVNGR is now valued at $172 million.
The funding comes from new investor T-Venture, the venture capital arm of Deutsche Telekom, along with individual investors. The tranche brings SCVNGR to about $41 million raised since its founding in 2008. The initial $12 million tranche was announced in early June.
See today's related post — LevelUp: Better for biz than Google?
The additional funds come three weeks after LevelUp announced that it has dropped transaction fees for merchants using the system — an advantage for the system over accepting credit cards, which often come with hefty fees.
LevelUp users can currently use their mobile device to pay at 3,000 merchants, including chains such as Boloco and Johnny Rockets. More than 200,000 users are spending a total of $2 million a month using the service, the company has said.
The service lets users pay by scanning the LevelUp app on their mobile device — linked to a credit or debit card — and gives a discount on their first visit; users can earn additional loyalty discounts if they keep going back. Whenever a consumer redeems a first-time or loyalty reward, merchants pay 35 percent of that amount to LevelUp.
Prior investors in the company include Highland Capital Partners, Google Ventures, Balderton Capital, Continental Investors and Transmedia Capital.
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The Speaker Search Is Over. Sponsors and Exhibitors to Close Soon
We currently have over 30 speakers confirmed for the Mobile Payment Conference at the Park Central Hotel in New York City on October 10th and the 11th of 2012.
We are looking for partners to Sponsor the show as well as exhibitors. If you want to get involved or if you know any companies that would like to get involved, please let us know. The deadline for Sponsors and Exhibitors is September 15th, 2012.
We complete an extensive marketing campaign for Sponsors and Exhibitors. If you would like more informaiton, please let us know. You can email us by clicking here.
WWW.MOBILEMARKETINGANDTECHNOLOGY.COM
WWW.MOBILEPAYMENTCONFERENCE.COM
Regards,
Marla Ellerman
Mobile Marketing and Technology
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