EM Microelectronic Joins Near Field Communication (NFC) Forum

MARIN, Switzerland – December 11, 2007 – EM Microelectronic, a semiconductor company of the Swatch Group, announces that it has become an associate member of the Near Field Communication (NFC) Forum, a non-profit industry association advancing the use of NFC technology. The NFC Forum is a global standards development and advocacy group dedicated to advancing near field communication technology, educating the public about its benefits and furthering its implementation around the world.

“EM Microelectronic is pleased to join other industry leaders in the NFC Forum to further develop the acceptance of NFC technology,” said Marc Degrauwe, CEO of EM Microelectronic. “NFC technology has the potential to bring forward a wealth of exciting new applications, and an open consortium is the best way to ensure true interoperability among devices and services, as well as service providers. With EM’s extensive experience in developing RFID products, we expect to make a strong contribution to NFC’s security and devices working groups.”

EM Microelectronic is a world-leading RFID integrated circuit developer and manufacturer in several areas, which are key to NFC applications and devices. With its roots in the watchmaking industry, EM has an impressive track record in the production of extremely low-power circuits for various kinds of battery and battery-less operating devices. EM has 19 years experience with RFID products in all major applications and frequency bands.

Additionally, EM has a strong presence in the smart card market with its flash-based SIM cards which allow very fast time-to-market for new cell phone service. EM intends to contribute to the NFC Forum’s initiative through its expertise in these key technology areas to bring new innovative products to the market.

The Forum’s corporate members are both product and services suppliers, including companies from the mobile communications, consumer electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, computing, media and entertainment, telecom and payment services sectors. The NFC Forum carries out its work primarily through focused working groups of members covering its various areas of interest, and promotes the adoption of NFC through open specification development, interoperability testing and compliance facilities, as well as by publicizing the value of NFC-enabled products and services.

EM Microelectronic

EM Microelectronic is a semiconductor manufacturer that designs and produces ultra-low-power, low-voltage, digital, analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for battery-operated and field-powered devices in consumer, automotive and industrial applications. The company’s product portfolio includes RFID circuits, ultra-low-power microcontrollers, voltage reset IC and microcontroller, IC supervisors, watchdog, regulators, smart card ICs, LCD drivers and displays, sensor and optoelectronic ICs, mixed analog and digital gate arrays and application-specific integrated circuits. EM also produces LCD modules and offers bumping services.

EM Microelectronic is one the electronic systems companies within the Swatch Group, developing and producing ultra-low power, miniaturized and accurate microelectronic components and systems. Additional company and product information is available at www.emmicroelectronic.com.

Near Field Communication Technology and Applications

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a standards-based, short-range wireless connectivity technology that enables simple and safe two-way interactions among electronic devices. NFC technology allows consumers to perform contactless transactions, access digital content and connect devices with the simplicity of a single touch.

Near Field Communication (NFC) technology provides global interoperability of contactless identification and interconnection technologies. NFC operates in the 13.56 MHz frequency range, over a typical distance of a few centimetres. The underlying layers of NFC technology are based on universally implemented ISO, ECMA, and ETSI standards. 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.

NFC Forum

The NFC Forum, 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 130 + 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 that hold seats on the Board of Directors include leading players in key industries around the world. The Sponsor members are: HP, MasterCard International, Microsoft Corp., NEC, Nokia, NTT DoCoMo, Inc., NXP Semiconductors, Panasonic, Renesas Technology, Samsung, Sony Corporation, and Visa International.

Near Field Communications News and Insight
Explore more developments dealing with the implementation of Near Field Communications, a short-range wireless technology that promises to revolutionize contactless identification, payment, access, and more. Click to visit NFCNews.