O2 joins the international specification body for smart card infrastructure to contribute to GlobalPlatform’s Mobile Task Force, an initiative which aims to mitigate standards fracturing as the mobile market converges with other sectors such as payment and ticketing. As an Observer Member, representatives from the company will also have the opportunity to participate in GlobalPlatform’s Advisory Council, track the work of its technical committees and influence the direction of other task force activities.
Neill Whitworth, head of SIM and OTA at Telefónica O2 Europe, commented: “On the back of our successful near field communications trial ‘O2 Wallet’ in 2008 and recent ‘O2 Money’ initiative which enables users to manage their money and receive real time balance updates via their mobile phone, we recognise the value in knowledge sharing to benefit the mobile services industry as a whole. We support the work of GlobalPlatform and firmly believe that the presence of a secure and interoperable smart card infrastructure will drive the wider adoption of innovative mobile solutions globally.”
Kevin Gillick, executive director of GlobalPlatform, added: “We are delighted to welcome O2 to our expanding membership and to achieve this significant milestone in the organization’s history. O2’s involvement in GlobalPlatform’s Mobile Task Force will add significant value to the output of this group and we look forward to leveraging O2’s wealth of mobile expertise.”