A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been agreed between the international specification body for smart card infrastructure, GlobalPlatform, and the Association Européenne Payez Mobile (AEPM).
The two bodies will align technical advances that will assist the market in bringing convenient, secure and user-friendly mobile payment services to European citizens.
AEPM develops specifications and facilitates trials to promote and accelerate the deployment of contactless mobile payment in Europe. Its existing technology is compliant with GlobalPlatform's UICC Configuration, an industry-leading technical document which outlines a neutral environment to support the secure delivery over-the-air of mobile services to consumers. The MoU will ensure that any future technical advances made by the organizations are aligned, and will also facilitate joint efforts to further detail revolutionary mobile payment business models that will encourage end-user adoption.
Initial activity by GlobalPlatform and AEPM will focus on developing the required specifications to enable a user to select which mobile payment service they want to use and when.
Sébastien Tormos, GlobalPlatform Chairman and Director of Marketing at Datacard Group, comments: "GlobalPlatform and AEPM are committed to creating an interoperable and secure mobile payments environment. While AEPM will benefit from GlobalPlatform's UICC Configuration activity and other technical advances within this area, AEPM's extensive trials in Europe offer us significant insight into how this technology has engaged with end-users in real-life situations. We look forward to developing this relationship and believe it will offer many advantages to the market."
Jean-Jacques Antelme, AEPM Chairman, adds: "This agreement marks the willingness of key actors from banks and mobile operators to cooperate closely with smart card industry leaders, in order to create an interoperable mobile payment solution for the benefit of customers."