NFC-embedded mobile phones will soon serve as ID and access control device

10th February 2014
NFC-embedded mobile phones will soon serve as ID and access control device

February 11 2014: The increasing ubiquity of Near Field Communication Technology -- particularly on mobile phones-- is seeing a new jump in consumer convenience. Many store checkouts, allow you to use your NFC phone instead of a credit card to transfer payment.
Now, Canadian telecom provider 
Telus, has added another application: It is allowing its own employees -- for starters -- to use their NFC phones as contactless access control devices, much as they would swipe their badges.

To do this Telus is using UpTeq NFC SIM cards from Gemalto, a leader in digital security solutions. These are fully compliant with Europay MasterCard Visa (EMV) technology which will enable users to make secure payments, participate in loyalty programs, or gain access to secure sites, using the secure credentials stored on their SIM cards.
The only other thing employees need to do is to download a MyID software app from UK-based security software developer Intercede on their NFC phones.

We at IndiaTechOnline believe this is a significant development  with a opportunity for Indian developers -- and to give our readers a head start we are providing below links to a longer article on the subject at GigaOM as well as collateral from the key players in the ecosystem.
Tewlecoms.com: Telus employees swap swipe cards for smartphones
Telus’ employees will soon be able to access secure buildings on their premises, log in to secure company networks, and share sensitive data securely using their smartphones. Canadian operator Telus’ employees will soon be able to access buildings on their premises, log in to secure company networks, and share sensitive data using their smartphones.  More here
GigaOM: One day you won’t need a badge to enter your building, just a SIM card Full article here
TELUS Selects Gemalto SIM to Enable Secure NFC Mobile Payments  Press release here
Gemalto:  NFC-Simplify-your-life. PDF here
Intercede MyID  Case studies here

For a few days, we have a video on NFC mobile keys access control solutions   in our home page Video spot