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For release: 05 Jun 2006NFC Forum Unveils Technology Architecture And Announces Initial Specifications And Mandatory Tag Format SupportWAKEFIELD, Mass., USA – June 5, 2006 – The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association advancing the use of near field communication (NFC) technology, today unveiled its technology architecture and announced the first five Forum specifications, at a Web news conference. Forum officials also announced the initial tag formats for which support is mandatory in NFC technology is a short-range, standards-based wireless connectivity technology. It allows consumers to perform safe contactless transactions, access digital content and connect electronic devices with a single touch. For example, consumers with NFC-enabled mobile phones can leave their wallets at home and use their phones to make contactless financial transactions or to enjoy electronic access to transportation networks. When complete, the NFC Forum’s technology architecture will include specifications that define a modular NFC device architecture, and protocols for interoperable data exchange and device-independent service delivery, device discovery, and device capability. A schematic showing the basic elements of the NFC Forum technology architecture is available on the NFC Forum’s Web site at http://www.nfc-forum.org/news/june06_architecture_and_specs/nfc_architecture_schematic/. The Forum’s initial specifications, available during the third quarter of this year, are:
• The Forum also announced that it is developing three initial Record Type Definition (RTD) Specifications, which detail technical requirements for specific types of records. They are:
ISO 14443 is a four-part international standard for contactless smart cards operating at 13.56 MHz in close proximity with a reader antenna; FeliCa is derived from ISO 18092, passive communication mode. Tags compatible with the Forum's mandatory formats are available initially from Innovision, Philips, Sony and other vendors, and more than one billion NFC-ready tags are already deployed globally. The NFC Forum selected the initial tags to accommodate a broad range of applications and device capabilities. NFC Forum Tag Types 1 and 2, based on ISO 14443 A, have small memory capacity (1 and 2 KB) and thus a low cost, and are suited for use with single applications. They operate at relatively low speed (106 kbps of data per second), and are driven by specific command sets. NFC Forum Tag Type 3 is based on FeliCa, and is a more flexible, moderate-cost tag with significantly larger memory (up to 1 MB) and higher speed (212 kbps per second). Tag Type 4, also flexible and moderate in cost, is based on ISO 14443, with memory up to 64 KB and speed of 106 to 424 kbps per second. Both Type 3 and 4 tags are capable of being used with multiple applications. More about the NFC Forum’s initial specifications Record Type Definition (RTD) Smart Poster Record Type Definition (RTD) Text Record Type Description (Text RTD) Universal Resource Identifier Service Record Type Description (URI RTD) About Near Field Communication Technology Near Field Communication (NFC) technology evolved from a combination of contactless identification and interconnection technologies. NFC operates in the 13.56 MHz frequency range, over a typical distance of a few centimeters. The underlying layers of NFC technology are ISO, ECMA, and ETSI standards. NFC technology is supported by the leading mobile device, infrastructure and technology manufacturers and by all major payment providers, and it is compatible with millions of contactless cards already in use worldwide. About the NFC Forum 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: MasterCard International, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Microsoft Corp., Nokia, NEC, Renesas Technology, Royal Philips Electronics, Samsung, Sony Corporation, Texas Instruments and Visa International. ### |
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