BlackBerry signs new agreement with EnStream to strengthen mobile payments system

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BlackBerry has entered a new three-year deal with EnStream LP to provide a secure platform for transaction services between consumers and banks. EnStream will make use of BlackBerry’s infrastructure to allow financial institutions such as TD Bank Group, CIBC, Desjardins, and Royal Bank of Canada as well as mobile operators to provision sensitive payment card credentials securely into any smartphone with Near Field Communication technology. EnStream is a mobile payments joint venture owned by Bell, Rogers, and TELUS.

“EnStream, with BlackBerry, is already serving a number of banks and mobile operators, and is becoming a hub for payment credential delivery to smartphones in Canada,” said Almis Ledas, Chief Operating Officer, Enstream LP. “We expect most major Canadian banks and mobile operators to connect through this platform to meet consumer demand for efficient and safe digital transactions.”

CES 2011: Microsoft Surface 2 with RBC app demoed (video)

A Canadian first. Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is  a Microsoft Surface PC partner. This was the demo from the Microsoft Keynote at CES 2011. The Surface 2 has Pixelsense (pixels are cameras) and a thinner form factor that allows it to be mounted on a wall, it also has the largest slate of protective Gorilla Glass bonded to a screen.