As Isis prepares for national availability later this year, today's news signals support for SmartTap capabilities in a broad range of payment environments.

The Isis SmartTap protocol is a new, proprietary mobile commerce software specification that leverages near field communications (NFC) technology, a standard feature on most new smartphones. When supported in an NFC reader or payment terminal, the SmartTap protocol enables Isis Mobile Wallet™ users to pay, present loyalty cards and redeem offers in a single transaction.

"NFC is the international standard for mobile payments," said Jim Stapleton, chief sales officer, Isis. "The proliferation of SmartTap capabilities at the point-of-sale takes mobile payments one step further, providing rich commerce features that offer an effortless consumer experience and drive engagement and loyalty in a way previously not possible. By providing Isis Ready™ solutions, POS, payment terminal and reader providers can deliver innovative technologies that will benefit merchants for years to come."

Providers supporting SmartTap capabilities enable mobile commerce in a diverse range of environments such as mass transit, vending machines, fuel pumps, taxis, restaurants, and grocery and retail stores.

New partners integrating SmartTap capabilities into product lines include:

• ID TECH
• On Track Innovations (OTI) Global
• PAX Technology
• Uniform Industrial Corporation (UIC)
• XAC Automation Corporation

These technology providers join a growing list of partners that have already integrated SmartTap capabilities into POS offerings, including:

• Equinox Payments
• Gilbarco Veeder-Root
• Ingenico
• VeriFone
• Wayne, A GE Energy Business

Mobilizing payments, loyalty and offers creates new merchant marketing opportunities, while streamlining the customer experience. A SmartTap-enabled POS terminal automatically recognizes and applies loyalty cards loaded in the Isis Mobile Wallet. Similarly, Isis Mobile Wallet users benefit from the ability to receive, store and present offers with SmartTap-enabled merchants.

"Roughly one-sixth of U.S. payment terminals are replaced each year. To fully benefit from mobile payments, this hardware replacement must be accompanied with a software infrastructure that enables the compelling shopping, selling and loyalty solutions that will drive changes in merchant and consumer behavior," said Rick Oglesby, senior analyst, Aite Group. "This announcement demonstrates Isis' resolve in bringing a fully functioning mobile commerce environment to market with their national rollout."