(Telecompaper) Google has acquired the US mobile payments venture Softard. First started under the name Isis, Softcard was launched by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon to bring NFC-based mobile payments to their customers. Softcard's technology will now be integrated into the Google Wallet. Under the new relationship with the mobile operators, the Google Wallet app, including the tap and pay functionality, will come pre-installed on Android phones (running KitKat or higher) sold by these carriers in the US later this year. No financial details of the agreement were disclosed.