Linux Foundation has launched the OpenWallet Foundation (OWF), which will work on a new open-source project that can guarantee the interoperability of digital wallets. Digital wallets are increasingly replacing cash and credit cards.
Although they can be used to facilitate cash payments, they can also be used as driving licenses, boarding passes and even library cards.
“When you think about OWF, an analogy you can use is how no matter what web browser you use – Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Mozilla Firefox — you’ve taken advantage of browser engines such as Blink or Gecko. And these browser engines support many standards, so you can have an easy web browsing experience no matter which browser you use. OWF wants to do that, so no matter what e-wallet you use, you can use it at any digital wallet point-of-sale or contact,” Daniel Goldscheider, founder of OpenWallet.
Organizations and businesses can then use this open-source software engine to build their own digital wallets.
Existing digital wallets can also use OWF software to enhance their wallets. In both cases, OWF-enabled wallets will support use cases ranging from identities to payments to digital keys.
One of the goals of the project will be to equip new OWF wallets with all the features of proprietary software-based wallets.
The sources for this piece include an article in ZDNet.