Google acquires the mobile payment startup Zetawire on the hush-hush

Zetawire is a Canadian startup, specializing in contactless payments, which, it turned out, Google has acquired a few months ago, in August. Judging from its US patent appliction summary it seems that the Toronto-based company has been working on an integrated mobile payment, advertising, and identity management system:

"a user interface that acts as a visual wallet simulator, a security architecture, coupon handling as well as the system's structure and means for delivering them as targeted advertising, business card handling, membership card handling for the purposes of login management, receipt handling...  The configurations are operable on-line as well as through physical presence transactions, e.g., mobile transaction through a mobile phone or dedicated device at a physical site for a transaction."

Couple the acquisition of Zetawire with the fact that Google Nexus S comes with an NFC chip inside, and Android will support the technology, starting with Gingerbread, and we can clearly see where Google is heading. Apple is also rumored to plan for an NFC chip inside the next iPhone, and they have been in talks with Gemalto, a wireless security company, which has been involved in many mobile payment projects in Europe.

The US carriers are also on-board with their Isis mobile payment venture, so it is a matter of time we see our money disappearing even faster, and more convenient, from our accounts. Hardly what we would ask for in times like these, but you can't argue with progress.

source: Patentdocs & Electronista