NTT Data Corporation has entered into a technical tie-up with South Korea's Harex InfoTech in a bid to deliver international compatibility in the delivery of services for making credit card payments using the infrared communication capability of portable telephones.
NTT Data says it intends to build on the experience of Harex - which installed about 4000 payment terminals with infrared communication capability in Seoul and Songnam in April last year - with the goal of perfecting a commercial system for implementation in Japan sometime in 2004. The company has solicited the support of domestic credit card firms and mobile carriers for a trial run of the technology within the next few months.
In Japan, eight million portable telephones with embedded infrared communication functionality are in use, and the infrastructure is in place for credit card payment services using infrared communication by mobile telephones. NTTDoCoMo last week previewed plans for a trial service using 504i and 504iS handsets in conjunction with Visa International, Nippon Shinpan, OMC Card and AEON Credit.
NTT Data says the tie-up with Harex will enable the transfer of technical skills and ensure international compatibility.
In addition, NTT Data says it is considering extending the system beyond authorisation and settlement to provide a mechanism for downloading other forms of card data, such as loyalty points and association memberships to mobile handsets.