US mobile network operator Sprint has introduced Pinsight Touch, "a nationwide, open platform for securely storing and accessing credentials on a mobile device" that, the carrier says, will open up "new possibilities for the transit, access and payment verticals."

"Pinsight Touch offers a direct path for credential issuers to enable their own branded applications with near field communication and to share secured access to those credentials with other trusted applications, creating opportunities for increased distribution and wallet share," says Sprint.

The new platform has been developed with technology provider Sequent and makes use of the company's ability to provide application developers with a way to add NFC functionality into their own mobile apps.

Sprint has also tied Pinsight Media+, the mobile media company powered by Sprint, into the new platform. Pinsight Media+ offers a suite of media tools that "can assist issuers and merchants in driving the discoverability of their mobile applications and maximizing customer acquisition."

"Pinsight Touch provides businesses with the flexibility to offer innovative technologies without having to compromise their brand and their relationships with customers," says Evan Conway, vice president of monetization and strategy at Pinsight Media+.

"Transit, access and payment companies will now have a better way to connect with customers via their own mobile apps and services."

"By incorporating Pinsight Touch, issuers have greater control over customer adoption from within their existing applications already being used by millions of consumers," Sprint says. "Unlike the current models for NFC services, where extra hardware, additional applications and sensitive customer authentication questionnaires are often needed to onboard a customer, Pinsight Touch is able to significantly streamline the onboarding process."

"Because many Sprint phones are already 'touch enabled', millions of customers will be able to turn on NFC credential usage by simply saying 'yes' to an opt-in question from their favorite issuer application. Trusted issuer applications are able to leverage their existing authentication and offer an easy upgrade path for consumers to adopt NFC."