HID Global and Sony have announced plans to enter into a strategic partnership to jointly develop an embedded contactless smart card reader platform for laptop PCs. The new platform will support Sony’s FeliCa contactless card technology and HID’s iClass technology as well as near field communication and will be built using HID’s Trusted Identity Platform (TIP) technology.

Under the terms of the deal, the two companies will work together to create a complete reference design and to put in place a comprehensive developer support system so that product development requirements are minimized and PC manufacturers can build the new solution into their products as quickly as possible. “Plans are in place to provide details and availability later this year,” say Sony and HID.

“HID Global is an ideal partner in Sony’s drive to expand the use of contactless smart card reader technology, worldwide,” says Izumi Kawanishi, senior general manager with Sony’s FeliCa business division. “This partnership is an important element in our program to extend FeliCa and NFC technology into new markets in the US and around the world, across a broad range of platforms ranging from cards to mobile phones and, now, laptop computers.”

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