Some 40,000 Samsung staff based at the electronics giant’s headquarters in Suwon, South Korea, are to begin using NFC phones instead of ID badges to gain access to buildings during the second half of 2012, reports Daum.net... More
South Korea
Japanese and Korean carriers to launch cross-border NFC coupons
The first international NFC marketing service is to go live on 1 April, allowing customers of NTT Docomo and KT to collect and redeem special offers from NFC posters in both Japan and Korea — and payments and ticketing services as well as the participation of carriers in additional Asian countries are set to follow. More
LG touts Tag+ to change phone settings
Smartphone maker LG has unveiled the Optimus LTE Tag, a new smartphone destined for the Korean market... More
World Expo 2012 to showcase NFC applications
This year’s World Expo in Yeosu, Korea is to include NFC-based payments, food ordering, entrance tickets and parking as well as an NFC shopping wall and access to multilingual information on exhibits and transportation. More
20m Koreans to have NFC phones this year
Five million Koreans already have an NFC phone, says mobile network operator KT, and payments for bus, subway and taxi fares are the most popular NFC applications. More
Japanese carriers form NFC consortium
NTT Docomo, KDDI and Softbank Mobile have set up the Japan Mobile NFC Consortium with the aim of working together to coordinate the switch from Japan’s existing Osaifu-Keitai non-NFC standard mobile payments system to NFC. More
NFC shopping zone opens in Seoul
Korea’s leading mobile network operators, card networks, phone manufacturers and government agencies have joined forces to provide shoppers in Seoul’s busiest shopping district with a wide range of NFC services including payments, couponing, smart posters and digital receipts. More
Korea to eliminate paper receipts with NFC
Telecoms research institute ETRI has established a standard way for Korean merchants to deliver receipts to NFC mobile phones, allowing stores to cut out the need to print paper sales slips. More
Korean bus stops get NFC
Korean mobile network operator KT is adding smart posters to bus stops across Gyeonggi Province... More
KT launches iPhone NFC payments solution
The Korean mobile network operator is offering iPhone users a case that enables them to make payments at merchants and on public transportation with their mobile phone. More
NFC news in brief • 12 Sept 2011
News in brief from the NFC world and beyond: Austrian bus stops offer NFC updates • Caen gets NFC transit stops too • NFC tag store opens in Korea • Belgian museum offers NFC info • Gentag picks up patch patent • plus Clear2Pay, ITSO, TfL, FirstGroup, Google and more… More
SK Telecom: All new smartphones must come with NFC
The Korean mobile network operator has committed to an aggressive plan to quickly move large numbers of its customers towards NFC services by deciding that, from now on, it will only offer smartphones equipped with NFC functionality. More
SK Telecom to open NFC Zone in Seoul
Korean mobile network operator SK Telecom is to open an ‘NFC Zone’ in Seoul, the company’s head of global partnerships has told delegates attending the GSMA’s Mobile Money Summit in Singapore... More
Korea drives ahead with plans for NFC leadership
Up to 300,000 NFC-enabled points of sale are set to be installed in South Korea and all smartphones must include NFC capabilities by the end of 2011, Reuters has reported... More
Korean coffee chain introduces NFC loyalty stamps
Korean coffee shop chain Caffé Bene has become the first merchant to introduce an NFC-based coupon system that provides customers with a loyalty ‘stamp’ each time they visit, Korea Times reports... More
Korean national NFC alliance aims to create a billion dollar business opportunity
Korean mobile network operators, card issuers, consumer electronics manufacturers and government organisations have formed the Grand NFC Korea Alliance with the aim of creating a US$1bn business opportunity and more than 5,000 jobs. More
SK Telecom opens retail outlet that uses NFC to let shoppers browse in-store and buy online
The Korean mobile network operator’s new Q-Store aims to combine the best of online and in-store retailing by enabling shoppers to look at products in a retail environment and then use 2D barcodes and NFC tags attached to them to go online with their phone to get more information and make a purchase. More
KDDI, Softbank, SK Telecom begin testing joint NFC services for Japanese and Korean consumers
The three mobile network operators, who signed an NFC cooperation agreement in July 2010, are to begin testing a number of cross-border NFC services this month with the aim of launching commercial services by the end of 2011. More
NTT Docomo partners with Korea’s KT to switch to NFC at end of 2012
Mobile network operator NTT Docomo, the driving force behind Japan’s Osaifu-Keitai mobile wallet service, has confirmed that it will make the move to NFC standard technology from “around the end of 2012”, in partnership with Korea’s KT. More
KT to launch commercial NFC service with new Samsung handset, Android NFC devices to follow
KT, Korea’s second largest mobile network operator, is to launch a commercial NFC service at the end of October using a new NFC phone made by Samsung. The SHW-A170K feature phone is to be followed with a range of Android NFC phones and KT predicts that, by 2015, NFC phones will account for 47% of sales. More