WAKEFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The NFC Forum announced today liaison agreements with the Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association (AIPIA) and the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). These alliances will allow for the adoption and usability of Near Field Communication (NFC) in packaging and wireless charging. NFC technology can add intelligence and new capabilities to packaging to provide information, lower costs, reduce waste, and increase profitability. In the area of wireless charging, NFC technology will act as a key enabler by supporting greater interoperability and more compact and cost-efficient charging interfaces.
"These collaborations were established in order to promote, educate, and increase interest in and the use of NFC," said Paula Hunter, executive director, NFC Forum. "Our liaison relationships are focused on unleashing innovations and removing barriers to interoperability for industry and consumers so that businesses and people everywhere can take advantage of NFC technology."
For businesses and consumers, these liaisons signal a significant step forward in ensuring that homes and workplaces will benefit from the greater ease, simplicity, and enhanced security that NFC can deliver to product packaging and wireless charging.
The new liaison partnership agreements pave the way for accelerated NFC adoption:
- Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association (AIPIA): AIPIA and the NFC Forum will focus on developing the latest technological innovations in intelligent and active packaging solutions. AIPIA believes that implementation of new technologies in packaging is key to growth, enhanced efficiency and security, reduced waste and better control in sales and marketing. Early applications of NFC technology in smart packaging include smartphone-enabled interactive tags & labels and time-temperature monitors. This will be the fastest growing segment, increasing at a double-digit annual rate as NFC becomes more commercially feasible for mass-volume consumer products, following earlier NFC adoptions by higher-value goods. AIPIA is dedicated to supporting implementation of smart packaging throughout the industry, enforcing the adoption of standardization platforms, participating in commercial ready-to-market events, connecting industry players on the highest B2B level, and lobbying activities to various governments worldwide.
- Wireless Power Consortium (WPC): The partnership of WPC and the NFC Forum will allow for more education in the industry about use cases and standardization for products in wireless charging. WPC has created an interface specification, called “Qi”, for wireless power transfer. Qi is the global standard that makes all phones that support wireless charging compatible with wireless chargers used at home, in the office, and while driving. The WPC operates a certification program to ensure that products, like NFC Forum devices, supporting Qi based wireless charging can transfer energy seamlessly. This program will include requirements and test methods for Qi wireless transmitters to protect NFC Forum devices and tags. The end goal is to have interoperability that is truly open with the use of Qi, a standard produced by some of the world’s largest companies. The implementation of NFC and wireless charging will create more compact and cost-efficient charging interfaces for portable devices, mitigate the problem of the gap between battery capacity and device power consumption, as well as create opportunities for integrating NFC-based services into charging applications.
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- See all the NFC Forum liaison partners.
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About the NFC Forum
The NFC Forum’s (www.nfc-forum.org) 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 global member companies are currently 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 include Apple Inc., Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd., Google, Inc., Intel, MasterCard Worldwide, NXP Semiconductors, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Corporation, STMicroelectronics, and Visa Inc.
Statements from Partner Organizations
Active
& Intelligent Packaging Industry Association (AIPIA):
“AIPIA
is delighted to be working with the NFC Forum to increase the
understanding and adoption of Near Field Communication technology in the
packaging sector. This is already a key component of many smart or
intelligent packs. By setting up this liaison agreement there will be a
better flow of information, which we feel sure will increase the number
of NFC-enabled packs in the marketplace, as well as ensuring the correct
standards and protocols are observed,” said Eef de Ferrante,
executive director of AIPIA.
Wireless
Power Consortium (WPC)
“Wireless chargers are sophisticated
products that are safe, efficient, and easy to use. Millions of wireless
charging products based on Qi are used safely every day. In
collaboration with the NFC Forum, we are excited to continue to push
education on the use cases and standardization for products in wireless
charging,” said Menno Treffers, chairman of the WPC.
