The idea of purchasing a soda via a mobile phone appears to have come full circle. Six years ago everyone was looking at Japan and saying, "They even have the capability to buy sodas from a vending machine with their mobile phone! Look how far ahead Japan is!" (That links to a real picture of a mobile payment-enabled vending machine in Japan.)
Well, six years later, VeriSign's intelligent software is enabling wireless customers in Austria to make purchases at Coca-Cola vending machines. It's good to see other markets finally catching up with Japan, albeit six years later. VeriSign announced a deal with wireless carriers mobilkom austria and the ONE to bring this mobile payment function to more than 2 million customers. VeriSign developed the technical interface between Coca-Cola machines, cellular operators and the payment system for the more than 100 beverage vending machines around Austria enabled for mobile payment.
For more about VeriSign's deal in Austria:
- check out this release