Apple In Talks To Use Apple Pay Technology For Public Transit And Building Security
A new report from The Information states that Apple is already in talks with companies to use the NFC chip inside the iPhone 6 for things like building security and public transit tickets.
The NFC chip inside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is currently what allows Apple Pay to work with NFC-enabled credit card terminals, but it's entirely possible for the technology to be used in a similarly-secure fashion outside of payments.
The Information says Apple has already talked with HID Global, which specializes in security solutions for buildings, and Cubic, which develops payment systems for public transportation systems.
Expanding the use of the NFC chip inside the iPhone 6 makes a lot of sense. With the introduction of Apple Pay and Passbook, Apple has already situated itself in a place to try and eventually eliminate the need for a wallet.
Incorporating a public transit card or security badge into the iPhone 6's secure payments ecosystem would simultaneously make Apple Pay a more lucrative option for consumers to set up while also capitalizing on a technology that already exists inside the iPhone 6.
Interestingly enough, this isn't the first time Apple has looked into using its devices for security purposes, as 9to5Mac points out.
Apple has already explored the idea of using its technology as a security card of sorts, announcing a partnership with Starwood Hotels to use the Apple Watch and its Bluetooth capabilities as a room card.