A new research report by Sarah Clark, editor of NFC World, sets out the latest thinking on how to develop successful NFC business models and explains the options available to mobile network operators, handset manufacturers, financial institutions, third party service providers — and their potential customers. More
A new standalone NFC device from Toppan Printing is set to go into mass production next year with a target price of under US$25. Shaped like a thick bank card and incorporating a display and input keys, it can store and display prepaid funds, coupons, loyalty membership details, transport and entertainment tickets and advertising. More
News in brief from the NFC world and beyond: Caen bids for NFC • Sprint adds mobile wallet • Vivotech’s Dubai deal • Microsoft tags retailers • Mobile payments boost banks • Paying cash keeps you slim • NCR buys into mobile barcodes More
China’s second largest mobile network operator is preparing to launch commercial NFC services in four cities from next month, according to reports in the Chinese media. Commuters in Beijing will be able to make payments using either an NFC phone or an add-on to their existing phone. More
The European Payments Council (EPC) and the GSMA have published a joint paper that defines a minimum set of requirements for a Trusted Service Manger (TSM) acting as the interface between a bank and a mobile operator in a SIM-based NFC service. More
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HID Global has introduced a new embedded reader platform which is designed to make it easy for solutions providers to develop services that combine both closed and open loop payment schemes as well as leading transport ticketing technologies and protocols. More
Datacard has acquired Dynamic Card Solutions (DCS), providers of the CardWizard Perso-to-Go instant in-branch card personalization and issuing solution used by 500 banks, predominantly in the US. More
Hong Kong-based Advanced Card Systems (ACS) has launched a new NFC reader which incorporates a fingerprint sensor, enabling biometric identification and verification to be added to PC-based contactless and near field communication applications. More
The Taiwanese mobile network operator is to field test an innovative NFC device that supports both card emulation mode for payments, ticketing and customer loyalty applications and tag reading for mobile marketing applications and communicates with the user’s phone via Bluetooth. More
News in brief from the NFC world and beyond: Mass transit aims for contactless standard • O2’s location-based ads • Mobile barcode usage up 700% • RF-SIM supplier set for IPO • Proximity advertising to net $6bn in 2015 • UK leads US in coupon interest • and more… More
A new consortium formed by IT services provider Extelia, NFC specialist Inside Contactless and French regional social services provider Abrapa has won funding from the French government to develop a trusted third party platform designed to deliver an improved service to the elderly and other recipients of home care services. More
The new service, to be launched by the end of 2010, will use technology developed by DigiMo to enable Israeli consumers to make payments at the point-of-sale with their mobile phone using their choice of an NFC phone, a sticker attached to their existing phone or a 2D barcode. More
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NFC specialist Proxama has partnered with white label prepaid card issuer Tuxedo Money Solutions to introduce an NFC-enabled version of prepaid MasterCard PayPass contactless cards. More
Bank of America’s trial of DeviceFidelity’s microSD format NFC solution in New York will focus on the customer experience, the bank’s Michael Upton has told Bank Info Security in an in-depth interview. More
Visa’s head of mobile, Bill Gajda, recruited from the GSM Association earlier this year, is spending much of his time convincing Silicon Valley companies they should partner with the payments processing giant rather than try to go it alone with new mobile payments technologies, a Forbes profile explains. More
State Bank of India (SBI) has acquired a 20% stake in A Little World (ALW), developer of an NFC-based low cost bank branch solution, DealCurry reports. SBI has paid INR800m (US$18m) for the stake, valuing A Little World at INR4,000m (US$90m approx). More
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
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. More
Nokia’s new C7 smartphone includes an NFC chip that will allow the device to support near field communication functionality — once work on a software upgrade has been completed. More
News in brief from the NFC world and beyond: First Osaifu-Keitai smartphone • Antenna designer broadcasts Samsung success • St Petersburg metro test • NFC is key to BMW’s Connected Drive • NFC Forum’s new member • Gauthier moves to PayPal • Toro and Collis partner up • and more… More