Re: [payment agent] Payment architecture feature priorities

On 05/21/2015 11:31 AM, Joerg.Heuer@telekom.de wrote:
> The problem described below is analog to the use of the NFC device -
>  or more exactly that of a specific 'aID' via NFC. There can only be
>  one handler for a specific aID on a given device. The choice is 
> usually made available to the user by a 'wallet' application which 
> has the right to 'talk' to the device. With HCE Google demonstrated 
> that the stringent connection between NFC and SE is 'loosened' by the
> operating system. Still, combinations of NFC and SE are not 
> compromised in their integrity, HCE just offered more choice.

+1

> Assuming there's one 'wallet app' for all isn't a bad starting point
>  to give users best control and transparency.

I think that's a very dangerous starting position for anyone that is not
in control of the OS platform (which is most of us).

History has demonstrated that the market doesn't always favor customer
choice and transparency.

> That said, I believe that we don't have to solve this problem first.

Agreed.

> We will be able to standardize and recommend along one concept for 
> communicating with one app on the device. If the operating system 
> gets in between and 'forks' communication with several apps our 
> protocols shouldn't falter, but support it. Nothing wrong in that - 
> or is it?

I agree wrt. 'forking communication'. That's what W3C should be striving
for from day one, and until that happens, I'm wary of putting the
minority of organizations this group in a very favorable competitive
position vs. the other members in the group.

Here's a counter-proposal:

For version 1.0, cloud-only wallets. This enables everyone to compete on
a level playing field. Any one of us should be able to launch a cloud
wallet.

Once we figure out how to create an OS-level message bus that enables a
level playing field w/ native-app/SE wallets, we can enable that as soon
as it is available.

This does two things:

1. Starts all of us on a level playing field (cloud-only wallets).
2. Progressively enhances the platform when we're sure we've created an
   ecosystem that's going to support fair competition.

-- manu

-- 
Manu Sporny (skype: msporny, twitter: manusporny, G+: +Manu Sporny)
Founder/CEO - Digital Bazaar, Inc.
blog: The Marathonic Dawn of Web Payments
http://manu.sporny.org/2014/dawn-of-web-payments/

Received on Friday, 22 May 2015 03:06:35 UTC