KDDI: The Japanese mobile operator has big plans for NFC

Japanese mobile network operator KDDI has announced it is to run a series of trials of near field communication technology, running from next month until the end of 2010.

The company has partnered with a wide range of technology suppliers and potential NFC service providers for the tests which will see a variety of potential NFC services being provided, ranging from NFC-based credit card and other electronic payments services to airline ticketing, drivers licenses, access to public services and smart posters.

KDDI ran a technical trial of NFC technology in 2008 with financial services giant Orico and MasterCard. Now, depending on the success of this new set of trials, it aims to introduce commercial NFC services in Japan "in the near future".

KDDI's tests will be based on international standards, the operator is keen to point out, and will comply with the GSMA's Pay-Buy-Mobile specifications.

Partners and suppliers the mobile operator has signed up for the tests include:

• Toyota, which will be testing the potential of NFC to deliver a wide range of in-car services
• Orient Corporation, Credit Saison, Aiwai Card Services and MasterCard, who will be conducting tests of MasterCard's Mobile Paypass technology and other NFC payments services
• Nomura Research Institute which will be examining the potential of NFC to drive forward electronic cash solutions
• All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL), which will be testing a variety of NFC-based air travel services
• Toho Cinemas, which will be testing NFC-based cinema ticketing
• Dai Nippon Printing, which will be delivering a range of smart poster services
• NTT Data, which will be testing the potential of NFC phones to store electronic drivers licenses.
• T-Engine, part of the Tokyo Ubiquitous Technology Project, which will be testing the use of NFC tags in a variety of information services.
• IBM, which will be building NFC into robotics products
• Japan Remote Control Co, which will be conducting experiments with embedded NFC applications
• Hitachi will be developing and providing a range of NFC-based public services
• Gemalto is supplying TSM services and SIM cards, Denso is supply NFC reader/writer units and both Toshiba and Toppan Printing are actively involved in the project.

This article was first published at www.NearFieldCommunicationsWorld.com.

Related news:

• Gemalto provides KDDI with end-to-end NFC security solution
• KDDI, Softbank Mobile and SK Telecom to introduce NFC standard services in Japan and Korea
• Japanese financial services giant tests Mobile MasterCard in Tokyo
• Belgacom launches PingPing, tests NFC stickers
• Dubai First and Du to run Middle East’s first NFC payments trial

As well as Fonelabs' X-Series, handsets from Samsung, Sagem Wireless, Toshiba, LG and Nokia were on show at Cartes last month — but, to date, Fonelabs is the only company to actually put NFC phones into large-scale production.

For the major phone manufacturers, there's a big difference between developing pre-production and limited run models and entering full scale mass production. Will other handset manufacturers follow Fonelabs' lead?

Sarah Clark, Editor

This article was first published at www.NearFieldCommunicationsWorld.com.

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NEWSWIRE: Where NFC news breaks first

As the NFC market begins to heat up, more products, field trials and commercial services are getting announced every week in both the core near field communication market and in related business areas and technologies.

Our new NFC Newswire service is designed to keep you informed of all the latest developments in the market, as they happen. Each article is short and to the point and, if you follow us on Twitter (we're @nfcw), you'll get these breaking news stories automatically.

And, whenever there's an important news development, we'll be putting it on the NFC Newswire straight away — and then following up with those involved so we can write about it in full for Near Field Communications World.

We're building the NFC Newswire into the main Near Field Communications World site too (This should go live in the next few days This is now live) so, if you're a regular visitor, you will see all the latest developments every time you visit and, if you read our RSS feed, you'll get the NFC Newswire stories too.

Of course, if you're happy to wait, we'll also be rounding up all the top stories in our regular email newsletter too!

Latest news from the NFC Newswire:

• Telecom Italia announces large scale SIM-based mobile commerce project
• Twinlinx works with Microsoft to add MyMax NFC stickers to Windows Mobile phones
• Montreal picks Oberthur for contactless transit ticketing system
• New Toshiba NFC phone being developed by Toppan Forms, NXP and iWOW
• GuestLogix brings contactless payments on board airlines
• Tetherball reports up to 50% redemption rates, adds detailed analytics to its RFID mobile marketing service
• MasterCard certifies Gemalto's Trusted Service Manager (TSM) in Asia
• MoLo Rewards launches NFC coupon and loyalty system at DEMOfall
• DnB NOR and Telenor to begin NFC trial in Oslo during 4Q 2009
• China Mobile to launch mobile contactless payments in October — using an RF SIM solution
• NACHA plans change to operating rules for mobile payments
• Starbucks launches own mobile payment service
• NFC payments trial launched in Italy
• Mobile Payments in Eastern Europe to hit $9.4 billion in 2013
• Visa Australia ups contactless transaction limit to A$100 (US$87)

This article was first published at www.NearFieldCommunicationsWorld.com.

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• Welcome to Near Field Communications World
• News sections
• China Unicom to launch world’s first commercial single wire protocol based NFC service
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• About NFC World

The new phone will be based on Toshiba's TG01 Windows Mobile handset. It will use NXP's PN544 NFC controller and will be compliant with the Single Wire Protocol standard. It will be produced in test volumes only to begin with but the companies have big plans for the future.

"As Toshiba plans its expansion into the global mobile phone market, Toppan Forms is taking advantage of NFC's capabilities as a globally adopted short-range contactless technology to develop an optimised product for the world's mobile phone market," says Toppan. "The test phone currently under development will allow Toppan Forms to offer global telecoms operators and network providers with a one-stop environment for NFC related technology, which will ultimately help to drive new business model for NFC technology's expansion."

More details later on when the handset is likely to be available...

This article was first published at www.NearFieldCommunicationsWorld.com.

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• Toshiba unveils NFC Universal SIM
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• The NFC Newswire: Breaking news, product launches and NFC-related news from around the world
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Next week, the mobile industry will be descending on Barcelona for the annual Mobile World Congress. Already, though, announcements of new NFC products have been arriving thick and fast and we've news this issue of a new chip that combines Sony's FeliCa and NXP's MiFare functionality all in one phone, of Toshiba's entry into the NFC SIM market and of a Sagem Wireless/Inside Contactless deal to develop new handset platforms that will support enhanced NFC services...

Sarah Clark, Editor

This article was first published at www.NearFieldCommunicationsWorld.com.

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NEW ENTRANT: The longtime smart card manufacturer will venture into the GSM market with USIM that meets the latest ETSI SCP and GSMA specifications

Toshiba has announced the development of a new USIM card for NFC handsets. The new USIM is to go on show for the first time at the Mobile World Congress next week, when further details are also expected to be revealed. Samples of the new card will be released in the third quarter of 2009.

Despite its lack of a pedigree in the SIM market, Toshiba says it has plenty of relevant experience, "Toshiba is able to draw on capabilities in mobile phone handsets, semiconductors and systems to deliver a lineup of newly developed USIM cards offering high value-added solutions," says the company's official announcement.

Toshiba says its USIM line-up meets the latest European Telecommunications Standards Institute-Smart Card Platform (ETSI SCP) and the GSM Association (GSMA) specifications, which use the Single Wire Protocol approach to NFC. "It is also compatible with the GSMA's Pay-Buy-Mobile programme, and offers full support for mobile contactless services, and meets all the security levels required for international payment applications," the company says.

Toshiba's Toshiharu Watanabe explains the importance of the new product for the company: "The introduction of a USIM card is a significant development for Toshiba, and with our company's advanced mobile technology and USIM, we would like to provide new solutions to the customer. We are also excited to support the advance of the Pay-Buy-Mobile programme promoted by GSMA, based on our technological achievements in the financial smart card sector."

This article was first published at www.NearFieldCommunicationsWorld.com.

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• SK Telecom and Hana launch SIM-based mobile contactless payments and promotions service
• Inside and Gemalto offer NFC solution for handset makers

TECH FEST: The 2009 International CES was held from January 8-11 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Microsoft and Sony both showed potential NFC competitors at CES 2009, Cambridge Consultants launched its new CatchNet platform and NXP showed its combined NFC-based car key/payments device:

PLAYING TAG: Microsoft's HCCBs store data as an array of coloured triangles

• Microsoft Tag is a new, colour 2D barcode solution that uses a technique called High Capacity Color Barcodes (HCCBs), developed in-house by Microsoft Research. Unlike existing 2D barcodes — such as the QR Code — that use square pixels, HCCB uses tessellated triangles printed in four colours. The new Microsoft Tags also don't store any data. Like the simplest NFC RFID tags, they store a unique ID which is used as a key to download related information and/or instructions from Microsoft's servers.


HIGH SPEED: TransferJet moves data 100 times as fast as Bluetooth

• Sony caused quite a stir at last year's CES with the launch of its high speed TransferJet technology. This year, Toshiba was demonstrating its first TransferJet-enabled products. Unlike Bluetooth, TransferJet needs no passcodes and no pairing and it operates at over 100 times the speed — but only over a distance of three centimetres. According to PC World, "Toshiba's demonstration included a laptop with the technology embedded in its palm rest, and embedded into a mobile internet device from Toshiba Japan. Take the camera, rest it on the palm rest, and it will automatically sync your files over to your laptop's hard disk drive." Sony led the creation of the TransferJet Consortium in July 2007 and members now include Sony, Canon, Eastman Kodak, Hitachi, Victor/JVC, KDDI, Kenwood, Matsushita, Panasonic, Nikon, Olympus, Pioneer, Samsung, Seiko Epson, Sony Ericsson and Toshiba.


CATCHNET: The WhichWay key fob could go online for traffic updates

• Cambridge Consultants has launched CatchNet, a Bluetooth 2.1+EDR based low cost, low power technology designed to internet-enable single purpose devices and allow two-way interaction between the user and an online application. CatchNet is compatible with NFC, GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee, GPS, VoIP, environmental and other sensors such as accelerometers and, says the company, is designed to help move us one step closer to the 'internet of things'. Concepts being demonstrated include WhichWay, a key-fob style screenless concept product for commuters that connects to the internet via Bluetooth and a mobile phone's 3G or GPRS link and alerts drivers to congestion, allowing them to delay their normal departure or to take an alternative route.


CAR CREDIT: BMW's prototype car key offers NFC payment functionality

• NXP was showing the combined car key and payments device it has developed with BMW, first announced in October 2008. The prototype uses NFC to deliver contactless payment, personalized access control and transport ticketing applications and is powered by NXP's SmartMX security chip. "The prototype — for the first time — allows drivers to perform quick, secure and convenient electronic payments with a car key, creating exciting new usage scenarios for future consumers," says NXP. Adding a personalised credit card function to the car key, says BMW, opens the door to a wealth of other mobility scenarios.

• Did you demonstrate NFC at the CES? Or are you working on the use of NFC in consumer electronics? Let us know by leaving a comment or send an email to news@nearfieldworld.com. We'd love to hear from you!

This article was first published at www.NearFieldCommunicationsWorld.com.

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• CES 2009: Cell Idea and TazTag wave the flag for NFC
• NFC Forum gets new board member, adds more associates
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• Would-be SIM suppliers line up to battle for operators’ NFC business
• Innovision deals expected to lead to low-cost mass market NFC phones

GROWING FAST: The NFC Forum has announced a slew of new members

Inside Contactless has announced that it has upgraded its membership of the NFC Forum. The technology company has now joined HP, MasterCard, Microsoft, NEC, Nokia, NTT Docomo, NXP, Panasonic, Renesas, Samsung, Sony and Visa as a top tier 'Sponsor Member' and has joined the association's Board of Directors.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory has joined as a Principal Member alongside a long list of new Associate Members including American Banknote, Arygon, Atrua Technologies, Austriamicrosystems, China Mobile, Collis, Comprion, Human Chain, Integri, ITN International, JSC People's Bank of Georgia, Kyocera Wireless, LGAI Technological Center, Mobile Payment Systems, Polaric, Sagem Mobiles, Toro, Toshiba, Tranzfinity, Trusted Logic, TwinLinx, Velo Information Technology (Shanghai), Venyon, Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen (VDV), Visa Europe and Vocalink.

A number of organisations have also joined the NFC Forum as Non-Profit members. They include Cartes Bancaires, the City of Oulu, In-Q-Tel, INSO (Vienna University of Technology) and MBDS (University of Nice Sophia Antipolis).

"As one of the pioneers of NFC technology, Inside Contactless brings great insight and expertise to the NFC Forum board of directors," said Koichi Tagawa, chairman of the NFC Forum. "We extend them a warm welcome, along with our new Principal and Associate members, whose diverse businesses, ideas, and perspectives further enrich the global NFC ecosystem."

This article was first published at www.NearFieldCommunicationsWorld.com.

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