The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, today announced that Thinfilm and Xerox Corporation have joined the NFC Forum at the Principal level. In addition, 19 Associate and Implementer members have joined the consortium.
- Thin Film Electronics ASA is a leader in the development of Printed Electronics. The first to commercialize printed rewritable memory, Thinfilm is creating printed system products that will include memory, sensing, display and wireless communication such as NFC -at a cost-per-functionality unmatched by any other electronic technology. Thinfilm’s roadmap of system products integrates technology from a strong and growing ecosystem of partners to enable the Internet of Things by bringing intelligence to disposable goods.
"Thinfilm believes strongly in building ecosystem partnerships. The NFC Forum is an extraordinary way to bring together industry leaders from different areas of the ecosystem to foster shared vision and mutually beneficial collaborations," said Davor Sutija, Thinfilm CEO.
- Since the invention of Xerography more than 75 years ago, the people of Xerox have helped businesses simplify the way work gets done. Today, Xerox is the global leader in business process and document management, helping organizations of any size be more efficient so they can focus on their real business. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., more than 140,000 Xerox employees serve clients in 160 countries, providingbusiness services, printing equipment and software for commercial and government organizations.
"Our active participation in the NFC community will further enhance the ability of Xerox products, services and technologies to make life simpler for our customers," said Steve Schlonski, vice president, Global Technology & Offerings Development, Xerox. "Making that association easier into a world of connected technology is central to our business process."
The Principal level is the next-to-top tier of NFC Forum membership, and it includes significant participation opportunities. Principal members may designate individuals to run for Forum leadership positions, and they may appoint one voting representative to each NFC Forum Committee and Working Group. Other privileges include proposing Forum initiatives and participating in the NFC Forum testing and certification program using their own in-house test labs.
"Like the NFC global ecosystem, the NFC Forum thrives on diverse industry perspectives and insights," said Koichi Tagawa, chairman of the NFC Forum. "We welcome and look forward to the unique contributions that Thinfilm, Xerox, and our other new members will bring to the organization."
New Associate members include:
- Allion
- AMOTECH
- DigiCert, Inc.
- IXXI -- Groupe Ratp
- Korea Smart Card Co.
- PLDS Germany GmbH
- Seiko Epson Corporation
- TrustPoint Innovation Technologies, Ltd.
- TUV Rheinland Group
Joining as Implementer members are:
- A.K. Stamping Company, Inc.
- BMW Group
- Elatec
- NEC TOKIN Corporation
- Prestigio
- Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Group Company Limited
- Silicon Craft Technology Co., Ltd.
- Sino-American Electronics Co., Ltd. (SAC)
- Sonim Technologies, Inc.
- Yulong Computer Telecommunication Scientific (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd
Any organization with an interest in furthering the development and adoption of NFC technology is encouraged to apply for NFC Forum membership. In addition to its ongoing work via conference calls and online meetings, the NFC Forum holds face-to-face, all-members meetings three times a year to advance NFC initiatives, and to address specifications and other projects under development.
An all-members meeting is taking place next week in San Francisco, California, USA. At the conclusion of the week-long meeting, the NFC Forum is hosting a Spotlight for Developers on March 21 at the Hyatt Fisherman's Wharf. Developers from all industries are invited to attend to learn how to jump-start their NFC application development. Advance registration is required.
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About Near Field Communication Technology
NFC technology makes life easier and more convenient for consumers around the world by making it simpler to make transactions, exchange digital content, and connect electronic devices with a touch. A standards-based connectivity technology, NFC harmonizes today's diverse contactless technologies, enabling current and future solutions in areas such as access control, consumer electronics, health care, information collection and exchange, loyalty and coupons, payments, and transport. NFC technology is supported by the world's leading communication device manufacturers, semiconductor producers, network operators, IT and services companies, and financial services organizations. NFC is compatible with hundreds of millions of contactless cards and readers already deployed worldwide.
About the NFC Forum
The NFC Forum (http://www.nfc-forum.org) was launched as a non-profit industry association in 2004 by leading mobile communications, semiconductor, and consumer electronics companies. The Forum's mission is to advance the use of Near Field Communication technology by developing specifications, ensuring interoperability among devices and services, and educating the market about NFC technology. The Forum's global member companies currently are developing specifications for a modular NFC device architecture, and protocols for interoperable data exchange and device-independent service delivery, device discovery, and device capability. The NFC Forum's Sponsor members, which hold seats on the Board of Directors, include leading players in key industries around the world. The Sponsor members are: Broadcom Corporation, Google, Inc., Intel, MasterCard Worldwide, NEC, Nokia, NXP Semiconductors, Qualcomm, Renesas Electronics Corporation, Samsung, Sony Corporation, STMicroelectronics, and Visa Inc.