Alliance forms group to promote “central role” of SIMs in NFC

The SIM card manufacturers’ association has reacted to the GSMA’s call for mass market NFC-enabled handset availability by creating a dedicated working group aimed at promoting the advantages of putting the SIM at the centre of an NFC system.

CENTRAL ROLE: The working group will promote the SIM's potential in NFC systems
CENTRAL ROLE: The working group will promote the SIM's potential in NFC systems

The SIMalliance, the global association made up of the world’s leading SIM card manufacturers, has created a Near Field Communications Working Group with the goal of promoting as strongly as possible the potential of the SIM as the central role player in NFC systems.

“The group aims to be the catalyst to strengthen the central role of the SIM in the NFC ecosystem,” says the official announcement. “Working with mobile operators, handset manufacturers and other value chain players such as banks, transport companies & retailers, the working group will highlight the value of the SIM. The working group will support the established NFC sectors such as transportation and payment as well as encourage the development of new and innovative NFC services.”

The new working group’s first target is to draw up an in-depth whitepaper covering NFC architecture and technology and giving detailed information about SIM-based NFC versus embedded NFC solutions. The group also plans to proactively approach key NFC players such as the GSMA, standardization committees and both application and hardware developers with the aim of creating widespread support for the creation and delivery of SIM-based NFC applications.

“We must promote SIM based NFC and its ability to increase average revenue per user (ARPU) for mobile operators. To do so, we must clarify the stakeholders, and the vital role of the mobile operator, within the NFC community,” said the SIMalliance NFC Working Group chairman Pawel Chrobok. “We must also play a key role in bringing the ecosystem together, to develop important commercial and technical agreements between service providers and this community.”

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