The Isis Wallet mobile app is changing its name to avoid any confusion with the terrorist organization of the same name.
The company, which announced earlier that it will rebrand to prevent being associated with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group, has christened itself as Softcard.
"In a few weeks, Isis Wallet will become Softcard. It's a different name for the same great way to pay," the company said on its home page.
The company first announced the name change last July. The move comes as ISIS, a group that even Al Qaeda has shunned for being too radical, gains more attention for committing violent acts against civilians. On Tuesday, the terror organization released a video showing one of its members beheading American journalist Steven Sotloff. Sotloff is the second American reporter that the group has killed in such a brutal and ritualized manner. Two weeks ago, James Foley was also beheaded by a member of the organization.
"However coincidental, we have no desire to share a name with this group and our hearts go out to those affected by this violence," Softcard CEO Michael Abbott said in a statement.
"Our search for a new name has been rooted in our founding vision: to use the power of the mobile phone to help consumers find a safer and better way to shop, pay and save. But we also wanted a name and visual identity that has the power, flexibility and simplicity to define our category."
In an interview with CNN Money, a spokesperson for Softbank said that they had expedited the rebranding effort, perhaps due to the outrage that the ISIS terror group inspired after the Foley beheading. The company also said that they had consulted several firms to come up with a new name.
Abbott said that nothing would change with the Isis Wallet service. The company will release an updated Softcard app in a few weeks. The changes kick in once users update their Isis Wallet app. According to the download count on the Google Play Store, the Isis Wallet App has been downloaded over 16 million times.
