BlackBerry Ltd. continues to expand the way the can leverage its secure global network .
The company said Thursday it has struck a three year agreement with mobile payments provider EnStream LP to provide a secure platform for smart phone transactions between banks and their customers.
EnStream is a joint venture owned by Bell Mobility, Rogers Communications and Telus Corp.
BlackBerry said in a statement that EnStream will use the the company’s infrastructure to enable its financial customers, including Royal Bank of Canada, TD Bank Group, CIBC and Desjardins, and mobile operators to securely provision sensitive payment card credentials into any smartphone capable of near field communication (NFC).
NFC allows users to tap a smart phone near a retailer’s wireless receiver or enter a code to pay for goods.
“EnStream, with BlackBerry, is already serving a number of banks and mobile operators, and is becoming a hub for payment credential delivery to smartphones in Canada,” EnStream chief operating officer Almis Ledas said in a statement. “We expect most major Canadian banks and mobile operators to connect through this platform to meet consumer demand for efficient and safe digital transactions.”
The BlackBerry (TSX:BB) platform is being used to protect financial transaction data and meet the requirements of the payment industry, including complying with regulations and earning PCI (Payment Card Industry), Visa and MasterCard certification.