Elavon announces support for mobile payments service from Apple

Elavon, a provider of payment technology in Canada, has announced that it has become one of the first payment processing companies to support Apple Pay for Canadian businesses. This means that Apple Pay will now be able to be used at existing EMV point of sale terminals in Canada. Apple launched its new mobile payments service in Canada late last year, but has yet to find any significant support among consumers. This is similar to what apple is experiencing in the U.S., where mobile payments have yet to become mainstream.

Support may provide Apple with the momentum it needs to find success in Canada

Backed by Elavon, Apple’s mobile payments service may gain the ability to reach more consumers. This may be a boon for retailers using Elavon terminals, as this will allow them to connect with consumers that are becoming increasingly mobile-centric. These consumers are beginning to use their mobile devices to get their shopping done as they see mobile payments as more convenient. Mobile payments are still relatively uncommon in Canada, but consumers are showing a great deal of interest in services that allow them to use their mobile devices as digital wallets.

Apple Pay security features may make consumers feel safer about mobile payments

One of the reasons that consumers in Canada, as well as elsewhere, are somewhat weary of mobile payments has to do with security concerns. In the past, consumers have fallen prey to malicious groups that sought to exploit their financial information, which was acquired through compromised payment systems. Apple Pay, however, has won praise for its security features, particularly its use of biometric technology.

Apple may face competition from other companies that are involved in the mobile payments space

Mobile payments services are likely to gain more momentum in Canada as new services become more available. Apple is likely to experience some competition in Canada, as there are already mobile payments services available in the country. The company may be able to overcome this competition, however, by leveraging the security of its service.

The company’s newest product, the Skreen Plus 4 provides a platform for all mobile devices on one screen.

At CES 2016, it’s not easy to stand out from among the thousands of products and gadgets, but Skreens managed to offer an incredible demo to differentiate itself from the rest of the exhibitors.

The company’s Skreen Plus 4 provides four HDMI input ports and one output to connect all devices to one screen.

The story behind Skreens began with a successful Kickstarter campaign in which it raised more than $470,000 in funding for itself. The result was an awesome demonstration for a product that offers a platform for viewing feed from all your various devices on your television screen. It may sound like a bit of a chaotic mess but its design offers users the ability to organize the display windows to best suit them.

In this way, Skreens can be used to toggle among all devices to give each full screen viewing as desired.

This offers an incredible way to multitask all in one place. Think about it. You can watch a movie, play a game on a console, keep up with a stock or sports ticker and even view a Twitter feed all at the same time. As you want to give each screen priority, you can shuffle from one to the next, resizing windows and moving them around for your customized needs, or simply using pre-created layouts on screen.

Among the components of the demo that was most impressive was the way in which the hubs could be worked into a daisy chain to allow for an even larger number of layout and feed choices. It works smoothly regardless of whether you have four, a dozen, sixteen or more. In fact, the founder and CEO of the company said that if there does happen to be a limit to the number of hubs that can be added, “we haven’t found it, yet.” Moreover, he explained that these feeds can all be run simultaneously without any deterioration in performance, unless it has to do with the WiFi performance in the location. That said, it would not be the result of the Skreen Plus 4 device, itself.

Skreens will start shipping its Plus 4 devices in March, with a two-port option retailing for $249, or a four-port option retailing for $449.