France-based Gemalto today announced it has been hired by U.S. merchant group MCX to build the group's mobile wallet, which will support payment and other mobile-commerce applications.
It’s one of the first announcements of a contract award by MCX, or the Merchant Customer Exchange, which was founded last year by such major U.S. retailers as Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy and 7-Eleven. All told, more than 30 merchants have joined the group, including department store, supermarket, convenience store and gasoline retail chains.
The Gemalto announcement does not say when the group will launch its much-anticipated mobile wallet, and MCX has yet to disclose a target date.