NFC Times Exclusive: U.S.-based Sprint sees its NFC-based Pinsight Touch platform as the missing piece of its year-old targeted advertising platform, bringing payments and other secure applications to the service.
Sprint announced the new NFC component to its Pinsight Media+ platform last month, touting it as an “open” approach to allowing access to its NFC embedded secure elements to third-party developers.
The open approach and lower reliance on rental fees in its NFC business model is a contrast to the Isis joint venture, made up of the three other major U.S. mobile operators, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.
“It's a little different than probably some of the other carriers, and what I mean by that is our view is that we should not be a carrier that essentially dictates solutions to our subscribers,” Brian Smith, 
director, product development, at Pinsight Media+, told NFC Times. “We've gone with a platform approach that allows any application our customers wish to use on the device, and the same token for the issuers, so if it's a Bank of America, or if it's a Coca-Cola, their brand and their application can be the primary application on the device if the customer chooses to use it.”
Sprint launched its targeted ad platform a year ago, but it had been missing a “critical component,” which is the redemption piece, Smith said.
Words: 1,700
Among Topics Covered:
•Open approach for Sprint’s NFC-enabled platform
•Business case for Pinsight Touch
•Sprint’s take on Google’s new host-card emulation feature
•Pinsight Media+ targeted ad program and data gathering
Sources Quoted:
•Brian Smith, director, product development, Sprint’s Pinsight Media+ platform
•Hans Reisgies, head of product and sales, Sequent
Among companies and organizations mentioned:
Sprint
Isis
Google
Sequent
Amobee
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