INSIDE: the Value Chain for Payments
by Paul Ruppert
INSIDE designs and manufactures their “Micropass”, the silicon that goes into your “smart card” credit card and is the market leader in the segment. The twist is that they combine the silicon with a low power microprocessor enabling both read and writing functionality.
Contactless & Inside
INSIDE recently released a new micropass platform to bring contactless mobile applications towards broader usage. In partnership with Visa, and being a leader in the developement of QVSDC (Quick Visa Smart Debit Card) standards, INSIDE is one of the leaders in the effort towards global interoperability in the contactless payments field.
Although not center to the mobile space, companies such as INSIDE are within the mobile payments value chain and will be critical for its development. Inside is leveraging its card industry position and migrating to the mobile segment. With both the financial and mobile industry waking up to the growing opportunity in mobile transactions, Inside is well positioned to claim the mantle of market leader in the mobile NFC, especially with Visa as a strategic investor.
One of the characteristics of INSIDE’s MicroRead technology is the capacity to behave as a router in the phone rather than just a simple modem, establishing secure connections between different devices, and giving phone manufacturers flexibility to address various market applications and regions.
Their chip is in your credit card today (especially in Europe) and will be soon in your mobile as well. Watch these guys, they’ll be the reason you will soon be using your mobile phone as a payment and transaction device.
