While consumers are still getting to fully
know about the chip-based near field communications (NFC)
technology, US-based technology development company Naratte is
taking a different route with NFC using ultrasonics.
Naratte has developed a new downloadable app
Zoosh that enables contactless payments on any mobile phone, media
players, tablets, POS systems, personal computers and televisions,
regardless of NFC capabilities. Naratte claims that all a
consumer needs to be able to use the app is a speaker and a
microphone.
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Even very basic phones that cannot run apps
can use Zoosh, since the system can be accessed through text
messages with embedded audio files. It enables the same data
communications between devices that NFC provides, but through
ultrasonic frequencies that are humanly inaudible – effectively
eliminating the chip.
A transaction can be performed by holding the
Zoosh-enabled phone within six inches of a reader or another Zoosh
phone, which prompts the production of an ultrasonic pitch
containing an encoded ID token. The user can make debit or credit
transactions once the token is recognised and access to the
terminal is granted.
“We are simply the lowest cost and easiest way
of enabling device to device communication on a massive scale
today, or as we say instant NFC without the chip, interoperability
issues or cost,” says Brett Paulson, CEO and co-founder of Naratte
on the company website.
Naratte is also selling Zoosh in a software
development kit that developers can plug into their existing
applications. This kit is sold directly to wireless carriers, which
may provision it to thousands of devices over the air.
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By GlobalDataStored-value and gift card transaction
processor Sparkbase in the US will be the first to start using
Zoosh as the basis of its PayCloud mobile wallet application for
loyalty and gift cards.
