Fime, a global leader in consulting and market integration testing services for near field communication (NFC) solutions has been authorised by Isis to certify Isis products, including mobile handsets and secure elements.
FIME's North American laboratory is the first to achieve this qualification, which will standardise the technology throughout the Isis ecosystem to ensure that it meets functional, security and industry regulations.
Isis, a joint venture by AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, brings together merchants, banks, payment systems and mobile network operators to create a secure and effective NFC environment to deliver mobile services in the US. The Isis solution provides consumers with a convenient and quick way to pay for goods and access value added mobile services, through the use of NFC-enabled mobile phones. The project is expected to roll out in Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah.
FIME's laboratory in North America will work with device manufacturers to perform evaluations of Isis mobile handsets and secure elements, to certify their compliance with Isis technical specifications and attain the necessary certification. Rigorous testing of handsets and secure elements from the beginning and throughout the development process will guarantee quicker time to market for vendors.
Vincent Poty, Head of Strategy and Corporate Development at FIME, comments, "Interoperability and standardisation between NFC devices is crucial for the successful deployment of any NFC ecosystem. The fact that FIME's North America laboratory can provide the necessary testing and certification, means Isis products can be confidently brought to market and form part of a trusted mobile commerce infrastructure."
Xavier Giandominici, Director at FIME America, adds: "Having been at the very core of the NFC evolution for many years, FIME is delighted to be the first laboratory to offer Isis product certification. With mobile commerce set to accelerate and NFC transactions forecasted to reach $74 billion by 2015*, it is an exciting time for the mobile contactless marketplace. As we see more and more NFC applications being deployed, not only in the US bbut globally, third party testing is essential in establishing a fully interoperable infrastructure that allows end-users to successfully, securely and conveniently pay, all with a tap of their phone."
* Juniper report entitled: 'Mobile Commerce Markets', 2012.