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NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Softcard’s jobs cuts are more severe than earlier reported, and the layoffs are a sign that the mobile carriers making up the joint venture have rejected a 2015 budget proposed by management of the struggling NFC wallet, NFC Times has learned.

Activations of the Isis Mobile Wallet were up substantially in the past month, meaning more users are registering their email addresses and setting up wallet PINs after either downloading the wallet app or using a preloaded app, though Isis remains coy about how often users are actually tapping to pay six months after the wallet’s national launch.

Incipio’s Cashwrap NFC case to enable iPhone owners to use the Isis Mobile Wallet is available for Verizon Wireless, the accessories maker announced Thursday.

NFC Times Exclusive: As 2014 unfolds, the NFC ecosystem appears as unsettled as ever, with embedded secure chips expected to compete with NFC SIMs in several markets to store applications, and Google throwing its weight behind an alternative that could eventually enable service providers to avoid secure elements altogether.

Wells Fargo bank has announced it will make a Visa credit card available in the Isis Mobile Wallet, but only as a trial phase for now.

NFC Times Exclusive: As it prepares to launch its national rollout, the Isis joint venture seeks to simplify the user interface for consumers to conduct payments and redeem offers and rewards with the second version of its mobile wallet.

NFC Times Exclusive: As the Isis joint venture gears up for its planned national rollout, NFC Times looks at the view on the ground in its pilot cities of Austin, Texas, and Salt Lake City, Utah, from the perspective of merchants and consumers.

While use by consumers of the Isis Mobile Wallet is believed to have been low, in general, in the pilot cities of Austin, Texas, and Salt Lake City, Utah, at least two issuers appear to be sufficiently convinced of the concept to move forward with Isis on its national rollout.

As the Isis joint venture gears up for a planned commercial expansion, a senior member of the technical staff at its largest member telco, Verizon Wireless, noted that testing, certification and getting the customer experience right has required much work.

The Isis joint venture has announced its long-anticipated U.S. national rollout, which is to begin later this year, with the JV and its member mobile carriers–Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile USA–deeming the NFC ecosystem and their own Isis mobile-commerce platform ready for a large-scale expansion.