Qualcomm Joins NFC Forum Board of Directors
Qualcomm Incorporated, a provider of 3G, 4G mobile technologies, has upgraded its NFC Forum membership for itself and its affiliates from Principal to Sponsor level.
Sponsor membership is the highest category, and its privileges include a seat on the NFC Forum Board of Directors, which manages the organisation.
The NFC Forum is a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.
NFC allows two-way communication between endpoints, where earlier systems such as contactless smart cards were one-way only. Since unpowered NFC "tags" can also be read by NFC devices, it is also capable of replacing earlier one-way applications.
NFC devices can be used in contactless payment systems, much like those used in credit cards and electronic ticket smartcards, and allow mobile payment to replace or supplement these systems.
NFC also offers a low-speed connection with a simple setup, and can be used to bootstrap more capable wireless connections. For example, the Android Beam software uses NFC to automatically complete the steps of enabling, pairing and establishing a Bluetooth connection when doing a file transfer.
Also, Nokia has used NFC technology to pair Bluetooth headsets and speakers with one tap in its NFC-enabled devices.
"We at the NFC Forum are honoured to welcome Qualcomm, a mobile pioneer and innovation leader, to our Board of Directors. We will all reap the benefit of the company's wireless technology expertise and visionary perspective as we work to facilitate the development of the growing NFC market," says Koichi Tagawa, NFC Forum Chairman.
"Qualcomm has actively contributed to the advancement of Near Field Communication through its leadership roles in the Technical and Ecosystem Committees of the NFC Forum," said David Favreau, vice president of product management, Qualcomm Atheros. "We firmly believe that NFC technology drives seamless user experiences in the mobile, computing and consumer electronics markets and look forward to advancing that goal with this expanded role."
Kovio, Inc. has also advanced its membership from Associate to Principal level. Twenty-two organisations from a variety of sectors have also recently joined the Forum.
Principal membership is the second-highest level of membership. Both Sponsor and 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.
"I look forward to working together with all our new members, who represent such a diverse range of markets and industries," adds Tagawa.
The NFC Forum continues to draw innovative organisations from all regions of the globe to its membership roster, reflecting the growing momentum for the adoption and implementation of NFC technology. An influx of members from hardware companies in particular demonstrates the high interest in building new NFC-enabled devices.
