Identive provides NFC tags for Olympic games

Identive Group Inc., an ID and security provider, announced it’s jumping on the Olympics mobile-payment bandwagon. The company said its new tomPAY NFC tags are being deployed and used for payment applications at large hospitality events in and around Olympics venues throughout London. (Usually the devices get all the attention. Why shouldn’t the tags get some Olympic glory?)

Released in May, the tomPAY tags feature a remove-and-stick form factor that can be manufactured using a standard ISO PVC card manufacturing process. That means it overcomes issues with interference that metal tags get from the metal components of mobile phones or when they’re applied to metal surfaces.

The tomPAY tags can be used in a variety of instances, with a conventional contactless cashless payment card, for instance. Or the NFC tag portion can be peeled off and affixed to a mobile phone, enabling contactless mobile payments even if the device is not NFC-enabled.

“We are excited that our new tomPAY product is used at a major event like the London Olympics shortly after its launch a few weeks ago,” said Dr. Manfred Mueller, COO of Identification Products for Identive. “We are gratified that tomPAY has been accepted and is expected to be used by up to 100,000 visitors for mobile payment at hospitality events in London.”

Mueller added that the London Games provide a great occasion to showcase Identive’s technology in a challenging environment with a large number of users and daily transactions.