NFC Forum Grows To Over 130 Members

Wakefield, MA -- The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, announced that its membership ranks have increased to over 130 members, representing 20 percent growth in five months.

Since its founding in 2004, the NFC Forum has drawn market-leading organizations from around the world to its membership roster as momentum builds for the adoption and implementation of Near Field Communication technology.

SCM Microsystems, Inc and Toppan Forms Co., Ltd join the Forum as Principal members. At the Associate level, new members are Bond Communications, Booz Allen Hamilton, Cherry GmbH, Ecrio, Inc., Ericsson AB, Fuji Electric Holdings, Co. Ltd., Hypercom Corporation, IBM, KPN, Logomotion s.r.o., Over-C, Mobicom Corporation, Payter Holding BV, Sasken Communications, SOFTBANK Corp., Swisscom Mobile AG, UPEK Inc., Wireless Dynamics, Inc., and Wireless Payment Services LP. In addition, Auto-ID Labs ETH Zurich/St. Gallen, Industrial Technology Research Institute, ITSO Ltd, Transport for London, and WIMA Monaco Mediax join as Non-Profit members.

"We are very excited about the strong increase in membership of the NFC Forum," said Gerhard Romen, chairman of the NFC Forum Marketing Committee. "It reflects the growing commercial interest in NFC technology, it underscores the leadership role of the NFC Forum in fostering the commercial adoption of NFC technology, and it brings new perspectives and energy to the NFC ecosystem, which thrives on collaboration. For all of these reasons, we are delighted to welcome our new members to the Forum."

The new NFC Forum members join a group of major players in their respective industries, including Sponsor-level members HP, MasterCard International, Microsoft Corp., NEC, Nokia, NXP Semiconductors, Panasonic, Renesas Technology, Samsung, Sony Corporation, and Visa International.

Near Field Communication is a short-range, wireless connectivity technology that allows consumers to perform safe, contactless transactions, access digital content, and connect electronic devices with the simplicity of a single touch. Consumers with NFC-enabled mobile phones may, for example, leave their wallets at home and use their phones to enact contactless financial transactions, or to gain electronic access to public transportation.

In addition to its ongoing work via email and conference calls, the Forum holds quarterly working face-to-face meetings of Forum members to discuss NFC initiatives and address specifications under development. The next meeting will take place in Tokyo, from October 1-5, 2007.

SOURCE: The NFC Forum