Leading NFC vendor Inside Secure has launched a white-label Android app for Host Card Emulation (HCE)-based payments.

The vendor said the new app, called MatrixHCE, will speed time to market for mobile payment providers because it offers pre-validated HCE functionality.

Inside Secure has also sought to address the security concerns raised by HCE.

HCE allows sensitive data for transactions to be stored on, and accessed from, cloud servers rather than a mobile device and without the use of a hardware-based secure element.

MatrixHCE combines Inside Secure’s background in payments security with the expertise gained from its recent acquisition of Metaforic, an expert in obfuscation and so-called whitebox encryption technology.

It also supports the standards announced by MasterCard and Visa.

In addition, the new application has embedded secure networking technology that protects the exchanges between cloud server and mobile app, so offering further protection.

Simon Blake-Wilson (pictured), executive vice president of the company’s mobile security division, said: “Our solution raises the bar on software security by combining application and cloud security to solve the critical problem in delivering workable HCE based payment solutions.”