When Intel bets on a certain type of technology, it usually becomes a standard. That’s the kind of power they have because of their massive scale. An astonishing 80.2% of the computers that were sold in Q3 of this year had Intel chips inside. MasterCard, looking to take advantage of Intel’s dominance, has announced that they’ve partnered with the chip giant so that future personal computers will be able to read PayPass enabled credit/debit cards. The deal is a “multi-year strategic collaboration”, which means it’ll take a while before you’ll actually see a PayPass logo on a notebook at your local electronics shop. George Thangadurai, General Manager of the PC Client Services Division at Intel, says:
“Our goal is to enable users of Ultrabook devices and future generations of Intel-based PCs to enjoy the convenience of e-commerce while making online payments safer from malware and hackers with the advanced security capabilities of Intel Identity Protection Technology. Online commerce is a key focus area for Intel, and through this partnership with MasterCard, we intend to deliver an innovative, personalized and safer e-commerce experience to consumers.”
No more having to enter 16 digit numbers, plus a security code, plus your full address. Amazon’s one-click, Apple’s iTunes, and Google’s Checkout services have already solved that problem, but we’ll take Intel’s word that they see online payments as being something they want to keep their eye on. If they really believe that though, and aren’t just saying it because their public relations people think it sounds nice, then what about NFC support? Now of course you’re not going to use your laptop to buy something from the corner store, but what if you’re looking at something on your screen that you want to buy? Surely tapping your phone against the palm rest is infinitely easier that busting out your wallet, finding the right card, taking it out, tapping it, putting it back in your wallet, and so on and so forth.
[Note: Intel’s most embarrassing bet was on WiMAX. That failed miserably.]