Smart Cards: Nortel to Add Verifone To Screen Phones

Northern Telecom said it has entered into an agreement to incorporate Verifone Inc.'s Verismart technology into Nortel screen telephones.

Verismart, a client/server architecture for multi-application smart cards, will enable consumers to use a Nortel PowerTouch phone-the brand is Vista in Canada-for an array of functions including electronic cash and remote banking transactions.

Consumer trials are expected to take place early this year, with a possible commercial product rollout to follow by midyear.

Nortel said more than one million consumers in North America own PowerTouch phones. They play a key role in the Mondex program in Guelph, Ontario, among other smart card tests.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
MORE FROM AMERICAN BANKER