ViVOtech finds African partner

MobilePaymentsToday says.

Through the deal, Qmuzik will resell, implement and support the TSM software suite in Africa.

ViVOtech's TSM solution is what links the secure element of a wireless device to a financial account so the device can make payments using NFC. According to the announcement, Qmuzik has experience in RFID and telecommunications implementations in the aerospace and defence sectors, as well as in prepaid airtime and voucher distribution in Africa.

NFC is best known for making mobile payments possible with the simple wave or tap of an NFC-enabled smartphone, Market Watch reports.

But the possibilities go way beyond mobile payments - NFC is ushering in an era of mobile commerce, enabling a wide range of uses, from making payments and redeeming coupons, to controlling access to secure office complexes, or even sharing photos, business cards or other digital content with the wave of a cellphone.

Visa SA's country manager, Mandy Lamb, said: "Visa is supportive of the adoption of NFC in SA. In order for NFC to be successful, there is a need to ensure that a significant number of mobile phone handsets that support the technology are available. To bridge the technology gap between NFC-enabled phones and non-NFC phones, Visa supports a microSD card-based solution, which will enable faster rollout of NFC in South Africa. Our support for this technology is in line with our vision to be the best way to pay and be paid in Africa. ViVOtech brings substantial global experience to South Africa, and Visa is excited to see Qmuzik offering the solution locally."