14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has reportedly hired an expert in Near Field Communications (NFC), a technology that would allow Apple customers to use their iOS portables for payments.
According to a report by NearFieldCommunications World, Benjamin Vigier is involved in the development of near field communication technology since 2004.
His latest position, with the folks at mFoundry, was product manager for mobile wallet, payment and NFC at mobile payments specialists.
Now, Vigier works as Product Manager for Mobile Commerce at Apple, reports NearFieldCommunications World, after conceiving and managing both the PayPal Mobile service and Starbucks' barcode-based mobile payments service.
Vigier was also contracted by two top US mobile network operators for the development of mobile wallet applications.
He is also responsible for an NFC wallet application for “a top three US bank,” the report says.
Exactly what exact role the staffer will take at Apple is yet unknown, but the company's recent patent history suggests the use of NFC in iPhones.
Alleged prototype units have already been equipped with the required radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips, reports indicate.
Cupertino recently secured a patent for a traditional payment app that could use the system to pay by getting the iPhone near a reader.
Apple has also explored more specific payment methods, including entering a concert, or paying for travel solely through a portable device.
There is actually an array of NFC-related Apple patent applications that have been published over the last few months, according to NFC World. Covering a wide range of potential NFC application areas they include:
· An NFC-based mobile payments service; · The 'iPay, iBuy and iCoupons' patents; · Products+, an NFC-based product marketing and promotions application; · An airline ticketing and boarding pass application; · The Grab & Go patent (enabling users to transfer files between a Mac, iPhone and Apple TV); · An NFC-enabled iPod, games controller, TV and iPhone; · An NFC-based concert, entertainment and sports venue ticketing application with exclusive bonus features for Apple customers.