Microsoft Filing NFC Patent for Mobile Payment Service

Microsoft filed a patent application for "Mobile Wallet and Digital Payment" service last September. Tom's Guide reported

The filing covers a "method that facilitates securing a wireless digital transaction" for "at least one of a good or a service." Microsoft refers to mobile devices that "can include at least one mobile payment card (m-card), wherein the m-card is created by establishing a PKC-secured link to an account associated with a form of currency." The link between a mobile device and a terminal is created via near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or RFID. 

Microsoft's "m-card" feature is similar to a virtual credit card whose data is transmitted to a payment terminal using upon request. Only a portion of the m-card is sent to and received by the payment terminal, which will then be authenticated the organization that issued m-card and associated it with "at least one of a bank, a credit card company, an investment fund, an online brokerage, a web site, a business, a company, or a financial institution." To authorize a transaction, a user may have to press "a physical input button that can initiate a password entry, a payment, or a password entry completion."

Microsoft Plans NFC in Window Phone 8 'Apollo'

Late last week, there is a leak revealing Microsoft's next big move in the mobile world, Windows Phone 8. Major improvements include NFC, Skype integration and removable microSD card storage. The potential target release time is second half of 2012.

With code name of "Apollo", Window Phone 8 is the next major release about Window Phone 7 "Tango". The new release will also support muti-core SoCs and new screen resolution. 

Like other major mobile players, Microsoft also targets the mobile-payment market by using NFC technology. Unlike Google, Microsoft would let phone carriers to brand the payment system by themselves. 

As Microsoft purchased Skype sometime ago, Window Phone 8 will incorporate Skype's VoIP into Window Phone 8. It could have the potential to increase the data usage by mobile phone.  More related information can be found at Supersite for Windows.

Nokia going to launch NFC-based Window Phone

Guardian reported that Nokia is working with Microsoft to develop a new top-end smartphone based on Microsoft Windows.
The new phone will have NFC capbility and could be released as early as by October 2012. The current Windows Phone, Lumia models, such as 800 and 900, do not have NFC functionality. Nokia said the new features will "ship with the product that we will ship in the future".

NFC "open" allows Bluetooth pairing without the use of password by tapping the devices to be paired together: an exchange of electronic tokens takes place, so that Bluetooth connection ñ for a hi-fi, speakers or headset ñ can occur within seconds with virtually no other interaction. Current secure Bluetooth pairing otherwise requires the user to enter a password of up to eight digits.

Nokia has shipped more than a million Lumia phones since introducing them in November. The company decided to abandon its Symbian platform for high-end smartphones in January 2011 after Elop decided it could not compete against Apple's iOS and Google's Android mobile operating systems.

Other rumor that Nokia Lumia 900 is going to be launched on AT&T for $99 with a two year contract. The target launch date could be March 18. It's going to be an interesting phone from Nokia.