NFC Forum Membership Hits 70 Organizations Worldwide

Organizations joining the Forum since the second half of 2005 include new Principal level member SK Telecom and new Associate level members Atmel, Atos Worldline, Axalto S.A., Broadcom Corporation, Dexit, Inc., Hanchang System Corporation, PAYZY Corporation, RATP, SanDisk, Silicide, Smart Technologies Group, Sprint, Swisscom Mobile and Yoonison BV. Non-profit organizations joining the Forum include Consorzio Triveneto S.P.A, Electronics Testing Center Taiwan, FH OO Studienbetriebs GmbH , The Open Group and University of Applied Sciences of Central Switzerland.

NFC is a short-range, standards-based wireless connectivity technology. It allows consumers to perform safe contactless transactions, access digital content and connect electronic devices -- with a simple, single touch. For example, consumers with NFC-enabled mobile phones could leave their wallets at home and use their phones for making contactless financial transactions or to enjoy electronic access to transport networks.

"We are excited by the prospects for rapid adoption of NFC technology, with analysts projecting that several hundred million NFC-enabled handsets will be in consumers' hands within the next several years, " says Christophe Duverne, NFC Forum Chairman. "Already, there are several successful trials of NFC technology underway in different regions, which show consumers are eager for the convenience and utility that NFC-enabled solutions will bring."

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a standards-based, short-range wireless connectivity technology that enables simple and safe two-way interactions among electronic devices, allowing consumers to perform contactless transactions, access digital content and connect devices with a single touch. Near Field Communication (NFC) technology evolved from a combination of contactless identification and interconnection technologies. NFC operates in the 13.56 MHz frequency range, over a typical distance of a few centimeters. The underlying layers of NFC technology are ISO, ECMA, and ETSI standards.