Nice, the City of “Mobile Contactless”
Nice will soon be one of the leading European cities in the field of “Mobile Contactless” technology.
Starting spring 2010, 3,000 users will be able to equip themselves with “NFC” (Near Field Communication) mobile phones and test a range of services in the Nice Côte d’Azur area that will make their daily lives easier. This “electronic wallet” will be used in varied fields such as public transportation, commerce, student and cultural life, etc.
The project is being developed in collaboration with three mobile phone operators (Orange, Bouygues Telecom, and SFR), the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, industrialists, public transport actors (Veolia Transport), banks, local authorities, and with the support of the “Forum of Mobile Contactless Services” launched by Luc Chatel in April 2008.
Nice Côte d’Azur will be a leading territory in Europe in the use of these new digital technologies.
What is “Mobile Contactless” or NFC technology?
Contactless mobiles are a new generation of mobile phones capable of interacting with their environment using “NFC” (Near Field Communication) technology. Just bring the phone within a few centimeters of a reader to trigger an action: validation of a transit ticket, payment of a purchase, access to an information page, for example.
The mobile thus allows for storing an electronic version of payment or access cards, which the user can manage and personalize through his screen and keyboard. Acquisition and distribution are indeed dematerialized, and the interface with the user is enhanced thanks to the mobile environment. Storage and management of a multitude of “virtual cards” in the mobile (activation, confidential codes, balance tracking) are thus simplified.
