NFC developing a technological platform which uses the NFC technology
With this R&D project, we are working on developing a TSM (Trust Services Manager) platform for the NFC (Near Field Communication). Thus, we want to become a TSM service “broker”, by exempting the suppliers of goods and services (e.g. chain stores) from having to conclude an individual commercial contract with the mobile network operators to be able to offer their clients a new channel for payments and communication.
For the mobile phones using the NFC technology, the platform allows certain operations such as security domain creation (Security Domain (SD) Creation), installation, customization and also personal data management for the owner of the mobile phone.
- Turning the NFC-enabled mobile phone into an intelligent payment instrument, equivalent to the credit card.
- Secure data storage for the cardholder on the mobile phone;
- Using the mobile phone as travel ticket – with one touch;
- Browsing one’s favorite websites, initiating calls and sending text messages with one touch on the phone labels for quick service access (available, for instance, from the service supplier);
- Accessing mobile services such as news, weather, travel schedules – it takes one touch on the mobile phone in order to quickly access the services labels;
- Sharing information and notes with friends and colleagues by getting two NFC devices close to one another.
Economic Advantages
- Expanding the innovative product portfolio of the client;
- Increasing the client ‘s economic efficiency by maintaining the expenditures at a rational level, boosting labor productivity, developing a new product prototype and expanding to new industries;
- Payment service suppliers, both banks and other entities, may benefit from the economies of scale by standardization of the payment instruments, thus saving costs after the initial investment.
We undertook the experimental development of an advance platform providing the services delivered using the NFC technology. This will integrate in a single point all the services delivered by providers such as banks, store chains, mobile network operators and transport operators. In order to reach this objective, it is necessary to integrate more elements comprised in the designed platform:
- the TSM (Trusted Services Manager) technical platform, designed to provide the services delivered using the NFC technology;
- SIM – level application (Security Elements);
- SDK (Software Development Kit);
- API (Application Programming Interface) Development;
- payment service application delivered using the NFC technology.
Thus the platform offered facilitates data communication between mobile network operators and service providers.