Device makers have all been scrambling to incorporate NFC technology into their mobile devices, yet Apple has stayed silent on their own plans. But a deal that will be announced today could shed some light on what Apple might be planning.
TechcrunchApple has signed on with Pirq, a startup from Seattle, to offer food and drink daily deals to its employees in the Bay Area, with the service working by way of an iPhone app, location-based technology, and a Microsoft Tag code to redeem the discounts. A source tells TechCrunch that this is the first part of a potential “four phase” implementation that could see Apple offering a deals service out to all iPhone users.
The deal will include discounts of between 20 and 50 percent at nearly 50 locations in Cupertino, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and Mountain View. This is Pirq’s jumping-off point for offering wider service in the San Francisco area down the line. Within the next 12 months, according to Pirq. So far, the company’s service has been available only in Seattle, where it was launched in September 2011.
Techcrunch says Pirq’s deal with Apple is the byproduct of an existing relationship both companies have with Passport Unlimited, as service that has been offering discounts to Apple employees for the past six years. Pirq’s chairman, Roger Blier, is the founder and CEO of Passport Unlimited.
The app allows users to find deals near their current location, and then reserve one without a pre-payment. Pirq says it’s able to accomplish the reservation with out pre-payment because of proprietary technology that allows restaurants to adjust their deal offerings in real-time for better “yield management”.
