Oberthur Technologies, the world's second largest provider of security and identification solutions and services based on smart card technologies, announced today that the company has partnered with Visa Europe and Valitor to launch Iceland's first mobile contactless payment project.
Using Oberthur Technologies' SIM card device, which provides integrated support for NFC (Near Field Communications) for power mobile contactless payments, the partners will work with Iceland's key mobile network operators, to select 1,000 participants for the initial adoption in January 2012.
The full-scale pilot will begin in the second half of 2012. Due to Valitor'sestablished relationship with the Icelandic banks, combined with 600 mobile contactless Point of Sale terminals already existing in the greater Reykjavik area, this new technology will be easily available to the majority of the country's population.
The partners chose Iceland as the ideal test market for the project based on the size of its population and its concentration in the Reykjavik area. Combined with high mobile and cardusage , Iceland's population profile will enable the partners to monitor cardholders and retailers responses to mobile contactless payments ahead of the full commercial deployment programmed by end 2013.
Vidar Thorkelsson, CEO at Valitor: "We have been cooperating closely with Oberthur Technologies and Visa EU for many years. With this new agreement, we will streghten our ambitions to have the necessary support and expertise to implement Iceland's first mobile contactless payments trial. This new technology will soon become a reality for the entire population who will experience the convenience, security and speed of mobile contactless payments."
Mr. Fredrik Westerman General Manager, Nordics and Baltics, Visa Europe: "Iceland is one of our most successful markets. Both the size of the market and high level of credit card usage makes Iceland an ideal test environment to launch tomorrow's new method of payment.
Eric Duforest, Europe Managing Director, Oberthur Technologies: "With more than 15 years of experience in this market, we are aware that the Icelandic population are pioneers in adopting new technologies and new methods of payment. At Oberthur Technologies, we are strongly promoting NFC technologies which incorporate both straightforward usage and high security."