SanDisk, Philips Team Up to Secure Contactless Payments

The companies will embed Philips' SmartMX chip into SanDisk's TrustedFlash cards for protected Near Field Communications implementations.

Joining forces to build stronger security capabilities for ticketing and mobile payment applications, SanDisk and Philips announced on May 3 that the companies will embed Philips SmartMX chip into SanDisks TrustedFlash cards for protected NFC implementations.

Widely utilized by a growing amount of mobile phone applications, Near Field Communications is a short-range wireless technology that allows customers to allow their phones to become "contactless" transaction or payment methods.

This process occurs by customers waving their phones near or across a contactless reader found at mass transit turnstiles for bus and train tickets, drive-through windows, or checkout counters for people paying for gas or buying a cup of coffee.

By combining SanDisk technology with Philips SmartMX chip set pre-loaded and post-issuance model support, handset manufacturers, mobile operators, banks and transit authorities can ensure a greater degree of security exists via NFC when contactless transitions occur, said officials of Sunnyvale, Calif.-based SanDisk.

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SanDisk and Wireless Dynamics are partnering to offer NFC SDiD Adapters, plug-and-play SD and miniSD NFC adapters for all existing handsets that are not NFC-enabled.

To read more insight about contactless payment, click here.

Capable of being inserted into mobile phones or devices, the NFC adapters bundle together SanDisk TrustedFlash cards with SmartMX to open access to contactless devices using protected NFC transactions.

Additionally, the TrustedFlash cards can be used by customers to expand storage capacity for their applications and content, including personal photos, music, videos or documents.

SanDisk TrustedFlash cards featuring SmartMX technology for NFC transactions are currently available to OEMs in the microSD card format.

A variety of pilot programs for the integrated technology mobile payment technology has already begun.

SanDisk officials say they expect a widespread commercial rollout sometime in 2007.

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