Google Wallet Partners with NJ
TRANSIT, Christie Announces
By Samuel Weigley | October 19, 2011 12:51 PM EDT
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced Wednesday that NJ TRANSIT, New Jersey's public transportation
system, has become the first public transit system in the U.S. to partner with Google Wallet, allowing customers using
NJ TRANSIT for rail or bus service to use their smartphones to pay fares at certain locations.
"Our partnership with Google demonstrates that NJ TRANSIT and the state are at the forefront of emerging
technology, paving the way for further exploration of new customer service technologies," Gov. Christie said in a
statement. "I'm proud that New Jersey's public transportation system is the very first public transportation agency to
partner with Google Wallet, joining thousands of retailers accepting Wallet across the nation."
Customers will be able to use Google Wallet to purchase rail tickets at New York Penn Station and Newark Liberty
International Airport's Rail Station. Furthermore, customers will be able to use the service on seven different bus
routes.
Google Wallet uses near field communication, which allows wireless data transmission between two technological
devices when placed within close proximity of one another.
"Transit has been a common element of every major successful NFC effort globally and is a critical component of
Google Wallet's success," Stephanie Tilenius, vice president of Commerce at Google, said in the statement.
NJ TRANSIT did not say whether Google Wallet will be implemented for other stations in the future.
Google Wallet is available on Sprint's Nexus S 4G phone and currently supports Citi MasterCard credit cards along
with a Google Prepaid Card. There are plans to support additional card companies and more smartphones in the future.
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/234130/20111019/google-wallet-chris-christie-nj-
transit-sprint-smartphone.htm
ARTICLE SUMMARY
Google Wallet is now being used for the New Jersey Transit. This will allow
individuals to use their smart phone to pay for transportation. Stakeholders include the
New Jersey Transit, Google Wallet, and citizens using the Google Wallet.
The social and ethical aspects include security, authenticity, digital divide or equality of
access, globalization and cultural diversity, and people and machines. Security pertains
to the use of the Google Wallet because it will restrict access to an individual’s personal
and payment information (1.2). The use of the Google Wallet also establishes
authenticity (1.5). Since New Jersey is starting to allow the use of payments through
smart phones, this could create a digital divide because not all citizens can afford such
products (1.6). In the same way, the use of the product also hinders globalization and
cultural diversity. It might create more boundaries between the middle class and lower
class (1.8). Also, people and machines are affected because it brings both advantages and
disadvantages (1.11). If New Jersey can figure out how to offer Google Wallet to all of
its citizens, then it will be more ethical.
Specific areas of impact include business and employment (2.1) and home and
leisure (2.5). The use of Google Wallet in New Jersey changes the way the Transit
receives money and also changes the way citizens pay. IT systems in a social context
include hardware, software, internet, and personal or public communications. Hardware
is the phone itself (3.1), software is the Google Wallet application (3.2), internet is what
Google Wallet is run through (3.4), and personal and public communication is the smart
phones allowing payments to be made through it (3.5).