Dive Brief:
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Isis Wallet has announced it's changed its name to Softcard in a promised effort to distance itself from the Islamic militant group ISIS. The company’s name was intended to be associated with the Egyptian goddess Isis, a swift-winged protector.
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The change is not immediate; the company is launching an updated app “in the next few weeks,” and the Isis Wallet will become Softcard at that time, said Isis CEO Michael Abbott in a note on the the platform’s website.
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Isis Wallet saw initial success among early adopters, but like mobile payments in general, it has not caught on widely.
Dive Insight:
With the militant group ISIS dominating the news these days, Isis Wallet had little choice but to make a change. More than creating distance from itself and bad news, however, the re-branding could give Isis Wallet/Softcard a new lease on life. Mobile payments have been slow to catch on, but new developments from Apple and many retailers, plus ongoing security issues with old-fashioned credit cards, could help mobile payment adoption go wider.