30 April 2012
Auckland Transport, Telecom and Westpac to trial Mobile Wallet
Paying for services through your mobile phone is closer to reality after Telecom, Auckland Transport and Westpac have
announced plans to start trialling a mobile wallet system from May in collaboration with Gemalto, Thales and Paymark.
In a major milestone for the development of mobile payments technology, the trial will involve some 30 staff from the
six organisations. Trial participants will be able to use a mobile phone to make "tap and go" payments to access public
transport in Auckland and make purchases at a small selection of retailers.
In a world first, Thales will be using its near-field communication (NFC) application throughout Auckland Transport’s
final smart card ticketing system, HOP, before deploying it globally across all networks and banks. The trial, which
utilises Telecom’s XT network, is expected to enable participants to pay for Auckland’s buses, trains and ferries
through their mobile phones. The phone will communicate with the HOP terminal to complete the transaction without having
to swipe or insert a card.
Auckland Transport’s Chief Executive, Dr David Warburton said:
“Mobile phone technology makes the option of paying for transport services using a device the majority of New Zealanders
carry with them every day, a natural choice reducing the number of cards customers have to carry. We look forward to
working with our technology and service partners in this trial.”
And in a New Zealand first, the trial will also use a Westpac credit card to top up a Telecom XT Prepaid account, using
Paymark’s infrastructure. This will make it easier for customers to add credit to a prepaid card without having to go
online or pay in a store.
Telecom CEO, Paul Reynolds, said that the days of people having to use multiple plastic cards to pay for goods and
services were quickly becoming numbered.
“As we have seen with developments in mobile phone technology, people quite rightly expect their phones to offer more
versatility and functionality and simplify their lifestyles. And we’re absolutely committed to developing the mobile
wallet through our investment in building a common trusted services manager for New Zealand.
“The information gained from this trial will be invaluable for developing a mobile wallet with the kinds of innovative
products and services that our customers can expect on the XT network.”
Westpac General Manager Customer Technology and Services, Jim Stabback, said the trial is a step toward Kiwis joining
the growing global trend of banking via mobile phone.
“This is an important part of Westpac’s innovation pipeline and it’s an excellent opportunity to build further
capability in this area as the New Zealand banking industry moves toward a mobile future,” Mr Stabback said.
For the trial, Gemalto will provide the essential network infrastructure required for near-field communications
including its Trusted Service Management platform (TSM).
“Gemalto is excited to be the technology partner in this strategic trial. Our goal is to provide an open, interoperable
and neutral NFC ecosystem for operators, banks, service providers and merchants. This allows them to provide not just
secure mobile contactless payments, but also a variety of new services such as loyalty and e-couponing in a fast, secure
and convenient manner,” said Tan Teck Lee, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer & Asia President.
“Having been involved in over 50 NFC projects, we look forward to sharing our knowledge and experience with New Zealand
as it transforms its payment environment.”
Earlier this month Telecom, Vodafone, 2Degrees and Paymark announced a joint venture to launch a TSM which will provide
a common solution for the New Zealand market to encourage consumer uptake and avoid confusion. The technology and
solutions prototyped in this trial will ultimately be available to all New Zealanders, across all mobile operators, via
the TSM.
About Thales
Thales is a global technology leader for the Defence & Security and the Aerospace & Transport markets. In 2011, the company generated revenues of €13 billion (equivalent of NZD 22.3 billion) with 67,000
employees in 56 countries. With its 22,500 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop
and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional
international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers and local partners. www.thalesgroup.com
Thales has had a presence in New Zealand for over 20 years, investing in the local economy and in local skills and
infrastructure.
Thales has over 40 years experience in delivering ticketing programs all over the world. Key programs include national
ticketing projects in the Netherlands, Taiwan, Denmark and Dubai and the delivery of multi-modal systems in Toronto,
Beijing, Bangkok, Delhi, Taiwan and Denmark.
About Gemalto
Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2011 annual revenues of €2 billion and
more than 10,000 employees operating out of 74 offices and 14 Research & Development centers in 43 countries.
Gemalto develops secure software that runs on trusted devices which we design and personalize. We manage these devices,
the confidential data they contain and the services they enable, throughout their life cycle. We innovate so that our
clients can offer more ways of enhancing the convenience and security of their end-users’ digital lives.
Gemalto is thriving with the growing number of people using its software and secure devices to interact in the digital
and wireless world.
For more information visit www.gemalto.com, www.justaskgemalto.com, blog.gemalto.com, or follow @gemalto on Twitter.
ENDS