Isis Announces Deal With Mobile Handset Makers

Isis, the mobile payments consortium formed by major U.S. wireless network operators AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless has partnered with a group of leading handset manufacturers to implement its technology standards.

The venture announced that HTC, LG, Motorola Mobility, RIM, Samsung Mobile and Sony Ericsson will introduce NFC-enabled mobile devices that implement Isis' NFC and technology standards. For consumers who have or purchase smartphones that are not NFC-enabled, Isis said it is working with Richardson, Texas-based DeviceFidelity to add NFC functionality to the mobile devices, ensuring a wide range of consumer choice.

The organization said NFC-enabled phones will allow Isis consumers to securely make payments, store and present loyalty cards and redeem offers at participating merchants with the tap of their phones.

"The key to widespread adoption of mobile commerce will be the broad availability of NFC-enabled handsets," said Dale Sohn, president, Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), in a statement.

Previously, Isis announced that it had formed partnerships with Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express for its mobile wallet platform.

Bryan Yurcan is associate editor for Bank Systems and Technology. He has worked in various editorial capacities for newspapers and magazines for the past 8 years. After beginning his career as a municipal and courts reporter for daily newspapers in upstate New York, Bryan has ... View Full Bio