WAKEFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association that advances the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, today announced a newly elected Vice Chairman of its Board of Directors, James Anderson of MasterCard Worldwide. The organization also announced that Mr. Anderson and NFC Forum Director Debbie Arnold will serve as panelists at the MPA Digital: Technology conference in New York on June 23.
James Anderson has spent his career at the intersection of mobile, payment, and Internet technologies in the functional areas of Product Development and Business Development. He is currently group head and senior vice president for Mobile Product Development at MasterCard Worldwide. In this role, he is responsible for developing all mobile payment products, including proximity payments, mobile web payments and mobile remote payments. In addition to leading MasterCard’s mobile product development, Mr. Anderson also leads commercialization efforts and supports sales and business development activities around the world. He has served on the Board of the NFC Forum since October, 2009. In his new position, he replaces outgoing Vice Chairman Dave Wentker of Visa Inc.
"As a technology leader at an influential payment solutions provider, Mr. Anderson holds skills and experience that will be valuable as NFC broadens its acceptance and usage among consumers, and as the NFC Forum reaches the next level of influence," said NFC Forum Chairman Koichi Tagawa of Sony Corporation. "I look forward to benefitting from Mr. Anderson's insights in his new role."
Elected by a vote of the NFC Forum Board of Directors at its June meeting in Seattle, Mr. Anderson joins re-elected Chairman Tagawa, Vice Chairman Mikko Saarisalo of Nokia, Secretary Frank Dawidowsky of Sony, and Treasurer Martin Bührlen of NXP as Officers of the Forum.
As part of the NFC Forum's program of outreach, Mr. Anderson and Ms. Arnold are the featured panelists in a session entitled "What's Next in Near Field Communication – and How It Will Impact Magazine Media," at the June 23 MPA Digital: Technology conference. This event (formerly known as the Dimensional to Digital Conference) examines the technology of print and digital content for magazine brands, exploring workflow and software solutions with a focus on companies that have successfully tackled the migration of content to digital platforms. Also highlighted are brands using innovative technologies to push the boundaries of what's possible with print magazines.
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, healthcare, 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 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 145 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, INSIDE Secure, MasterCard Worldwide, Microsoft Corp., NEC, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Inc., NXP Semiconductors, Renesas Electronics Corporation, Samsung, Sony Corporation, STMicroelectronics, and Visa Inc.